Union: Illinois Railroad Museum

Union, Illinois -- It's the summer of steam for this train-loving family! Thanks to a prize-winning raffle ticket held by my three-year old at a library event this summer, we were the happy recipients of a family pass to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union. We took advantage of the tickets over the Labor Day weekend, and enjoyed a visit to one of our favorite day trip sites in the area. It's been a few years since our last visit to IRM so we were thrilled to discover that locomotive #1630 has been operational this season and we would be there on a scheduled steam ride day. As it happened, that every engine was chugging past the parking lot as we pulled in, welcoming us with the characteristic deep toot of the whistle. Of course, a ride on the 1630 was the first destination of our visit once we entered the IRM grounds. Compared to the later ride on a relatively modern CTA train, the characteristic chuf-chuf of the engine and sway of the cars leaves passengers no doubt that they are riding something of a time machine.

The 1630 pulling into the station

Waiting to pull out of the station

The railroad museum's collection of engines, cars, signals, and memorabilia is staggering.  Long barns filled with rolling stock house family favorites such as the Nebraska Zephyr and streetcars that once rolled through our hometown (long before our time!). The kids loved checking out the compartments of Pullman sleeper cars, although Mom and Dad found them just a bit claustrophobic. We endured the mild shame of entering the wrong door of the trolley car for a ride around the entire grounds -- go in through the back, out through the front. Yet, as always, the kids may have been most wowed by the playground. IRM has recently installed substantial trained-themed play equipment giving both toddlers and older climbers the chance to work off the wiggles and play engineer in a safe place.

The new playground at IRM 

Wandering through
the interurban car barn

After almost five hours and three train rides, which seemed too few for our 8-year old, we called it a day, but only after a visit to the expansive gift shop. It's a paradise of train toys, knickknacks and mementos, so come with your spending money or be ready to repeat, "We are not shopping for us today!"

The museum remains open daily in September with trains operating on the weekends. Check the website for special fall and winter events, including Halloween and Christmas activities, coming up in the weeks to come. 

The Illinois Railway Museum is at 700 Olson Road in Union, Illinois.

By the wheels of the Grand Trunk Western 6323

Wise words

Railroad Roadtrip: Trains in Wisconsin's Northwoods

At the Minocqua Museum

Northern Wisconsin -- Ah, the Northwoods: a vacation paradise of forests, lakes and trains.

For families who head Up North on their summer vacation, a day away from the cabin can include a whistle stop at local museums with charming model train layouts and retired railroad cars. More avid railroad fans can even enjoy the rare opportunity to ride an operational steam train. This being a tourist paradise, the non-train lover will be rewarded for coming along for the ride with fun sites to see and things to do at the very same spots.

Main-level layout at Minocqua Museum

Large layout at the Minocqua Museum

MINOCQUA

My family  recently returned from our first Northwoods vacation in several years. We knew our week in the woods would include a few train stops, but the first was a chance discovery. During a morning visit to Minocqua we were in need of rest rooms and turned to the Minocqua Museum in our time of need. Lo and behold, what should we discover upon entering but a delightful model train layout on the main level and an even larger layout in the museum's basement. Both illustrate the area's history as towns grew up around railroad lines thanks to logging and tourism industries in the late 19th century. My boys were captivated by both layouts and appreciated being able to operate some of the trains with the push of a button. As is so often the case at small museums, the  engineer on hand, who had built both layouts, was eager to share his love of history and trains with our family. (For my daughter, who was less entranced with the trains, other exhibits fascinated her, including sitting in the Cameron automobile and playing teacher in the schoolhouse exhibit.)

LAONA

The Lumberjack Steam Train
Laona, Wisconsin

The very next day, our family headed in the opposite direction to little Laona, Wisconsin for a ride on the Lumberjack Steam Train. Despite our many visits to train museums and countless train rides, this day marked our first family experience with a real, running steam engine. In truth, it was the dad of the family who was most excited to finally experience the puff-puff, chug-chug! According to the museum, the "Laona & Northern Railway was incorporated in 1902. ... It is the only logging railroad engine left in Wisconsin operating on its original line." The engine itself, a 2-6-2 for those of you who count wheels, was built in 1916.

Playground at Camp 5 

View from the caboose cupola

On our ride from the Laona station to Camp 5 (a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places) we sat in the Open Car. Thanks to the Plexiglass shielding we were able to enjoy a view of the engine pushing us backwards to the camp without experiencing the grit that would have been a feature of steam travel in days gone by. Two coach passenger cars were an option for riders as well, as two -- yes, two -- bright yellow cabooses. The ride lasted not much more than 10 minutes, but it wound through beautiful woods, across level crossings and a lake-side bridge, finally ending in the picturesque Camp 5. During our two-hour visit, our middle-child was rewarded for her train tolerance with a visit to the Animal Petting Corral where she and her brothers were able to pet kittens, hold bunnies, and get close to goats, pigs, chickens and a calf. Everyone enjoyed also wandering through the forestry museum -- nothing like seeing the real tools of actual loggers to put that Paul Bunyan Cook Shanty breakfast into perspective. Of course, no matter where we go, the kids always like the park the best, so the playground next to the "Choo-Choo Hut" cafe could have entertained them for hours. When it was time say goodbye to Camp 5, the kids skipped over the passenger cars in favor of a caboose seat, willing to wait 20 minutes in the cupola to hold their places up high and mastering the art of small talk with other kids doing the very same thing. After we returned to the station and spent some time gazing at the train from the safety of a conveniently placed swing set, we pulled out of the parking lot with a send-off blow of the train whistle and a wave from the locomotive's engineer.

Cabooses!

After disembarking from the return trip,
 children took turns tooting the steam whistle

RHINELANDER

"Steam Hauler" for pulling sleighs loaded with logs

Our final train trek took us to Pioneer Park in Rhinelander. According to the museum docents who welcomed us, most kids head straight to the same place mine dashed upon entering the grounds: the Rhinelander Railroad Museum and Model Railroad. Its focal point is the circa 1890 Soo Line depot, which features four rooms of railroad memorabilia, including telegraph equipment that my 2-year old found most compelling. The Rhinelander Rail Association operates the model railroad layout on the lower level, providing a glimpse of the community's history as the rail lines and town centers would have appeared in the early twentieth century.   

Model train display by the Rhinelander Rail Association

Part of a mural outside the Firebarn. 

Outside the depot, visitors may inspect the 1925 narrow gauge steam engine and a passenger car from the Thunder Lake Lumber Company, a caboose from the Soo Line Railroad, a signal tower, and many other equipment pieces. Kids can walk through the caboose, but at this time the passenger car is being restored and is not open for inside visits. Due to the age of the equipment, climbing on the locomotive is also forbidden, however, a museum brochure points to the cow catcher on the front of the engine as a fine place for posed photos. (While there, take note of the narrowness of the narrow-gauge tracks: just 36 inches apart, compared to the 56 inches between the rails of standard trains.) 

"Number 5," a narrow-gauge locomotive

This museum also features several additional exhibits depicting the varied history of the region and diverse interests of guests. Other sites include a sawmill, one-room school house, Civilian Conservation Corps camp building, restored fire engines, blacksmith shop, boating museum, logging displays, and a gift shop. Aside from the trains, my kids were most engaged by the school house with its sand table and collection of rubber stamps -- apparently children across the generations enjoy spending their free time at school in similar ways. 

After visiting the Hodag in the gift shop -- Babe the Blue Ox isn't the only mysterious creature of the northwoods -- we were begged yet again to head for the playground next to the museum for some running, climbing, and sliding. It was the end of the line our train adventures. We needed a day of playing in the woods and the lake before saying "All aboard" to the family van and heading home.  

Soo Line Caboose from the 1880s

Pumpkin Farm Train Rides

Image courtesy of nuchylee
 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The clock is running out on opportunities for pumpkin farm fun this season. Most farm and orchard activities wrap up this weekend or run just through October 31. To find just the right last minute afternoon outing or day trip for your family -- with train ride options, of course! -- try these links:

"Looking for a Great Pumpkin" -- This Sun Times article offers a multitude of suggestions. Do a page search for "trains" and plenty of ideas appear, including All Seasons Apple Orchard in Woodstock, Dollinger Family Farm in Channahon, Harms Farm Garden Center in McHenry, Johansen Farms in Bolingbrook, Kuipers Farm in Maple Park, Randy's Vegetables in Sleepy Hollow and Siegel's Cottonwood Farms in Crest Hill. Take a special look at the steam train rides offered during the weekend at the Dollinger Family Farm. For $3, riders get a ride the rails on a real mini-steam train. 

Pumpkin Patches and More: Trains appear at Yaegers Farm Market in DeKalb, Anderson's Fun-E Farm in Plainfield, Stade's Market in McHenry,  All Seasons Orchard in Woodstock, Royal Oak Farm in Harvard,  Tom's Farm Market in Huntley, Konow's Corn Maze in Homer Glen, and Settlers Pond Shelter in Beecher. The Royal Oak Express at Royal Oak Farm offers a ride for parents and kids on a miniature replica of a 19th century train. Rides are $2.50. 

Make it Better:  A crisp, clean site with orchard suggestions for Northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. 

University of Illinois Extension: If you would like to head beyond the Chicago area, here's a good resources for farms in other areas of the state. 

Illinois AgFun Another list of Illinois pumpkin patches. 

Be sure to call ahead before you go to be sure your farm destination is still open! 

Road Trip: National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, WI

The Union Pacific Big Boy and Pennsylvania electric locomtive

Big Boy

The goal of our recent family get-away (because we're predictable like this) was to head up to Green Bay, Wisconsin to see the National Railroad Museum. Sure, the Illinois Railway Museum in Union is bigger and certainly closer, but Green Bay has a shining star: the Union Pacific Big Boy. This steam engine was one of just 25 built in the early 1940s to tackle the mountains of the Wasatch Range in Utah. Only eight still exist in transportation museums around the country. It's notable because it's enormous, the largest steam engine ever built. Truly, words cannot express how massive this machine is. Any self-respecting train lover needs to take a look at this thing. Neither #4017 nor it's surviving peers run any more, so it's worry-free exploration for the kids. This Big Boy is living out its retirement in a comfy indoor shed and guests are welcome to climb into the cab and ponder the skill of the engineers who knew how to work the countless levers, gauges and dials. Those were men of serious skill.

They know their audience:
climb-on train structures at the playground

Anytime we visit a train museum, my kids are completely overwhelmed by how much there is to see and do. The National Railroad Museum is no exception. We arrived a bit before the museum opened for the day, but that was okay because a play area right next to the parking lot features wooden train climbing structures, as well as a large swing set and sand box. The play area alone could have entertained the kids for a good long time and might make for a good picnic spot on a warmer day. (Green Bay in October is chilly, after all.) Inside there are several interesting permanent and temporary exhibits on railroad history which I would have loved to digest, but small kids have no patience for things like railroad china, especially with giant engines down the hall. In addition to the indoor center, the train pavilion outside displays the streamlined Aerotrain, several additional steam engines, passenger cars from all eras and maintenance equipment. The kids love walking through the passenger cars, especially looking at the tiny sleeper car bedrooms and climbing around the observation car's tables and kitchens.  Behind the museum is an observation tower that gives a great view of the grounds and surrounding area. Several times each day, a train ride departs from the "Hood Junction Depot" for two loops around grounds. Honestly, it was the slowest train ride we've ever experienced, but it's not a long stretch of track, so at least we spent a respectable amount of time riding. Following that, a movie on the history of the Big Boy is shown in the museum's theater. I had to duck out with a squirmy toddler but my 6-year old assures me it was great. (That's a good review from someone who is actually more interested in diesel engines than steam, if truth be told.) To cap things off, there's a fully-stocked gift shop with a huge number of items for kids and adults.

We combined this visit with stops at other sights along the way and in Green Bay, which made for a very pleasant trip. The National Railroad Museum is definitely worth a stop either as a destination for train lovers or as a side trip during Wisconsin travels. Like so many train sites, there are special events planned for autumn and Christmas holidays for extra fun.

Aerotrain and other engines in the train pavilion

View from the observation tower -- 99 steps up!

In an old mail car, the town labels looked very familiar:
Geneva, St. Charles, West Chicago, Skokie, DeKalb, etc.