Here I am with a good friend, John M. Rose, in front of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. John works at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore.
Two of my greatest loves are history and trains. From the age of six, my dad took my brother and myself to the Sacramento Railroad Museum. That was a very impressionable age. We walked around the displays and my dad read about where the locomotives ran and how they each affected the history of our country.
Many children love trains. We live in the age of Thomas this and Gordon that. 200-ton modern locomotives are a sight, however, being near them is not the safest way to teach your enthusiastic child-rail fan about how the railroad works.
America has hundreds of railroad museums in all shapes and sizes. Chances are you have several in your state.
Railroad museums give us a place to get outside on summer weekends. Young enthusiasts can see and often stand upon and walk through pieces of railroad history. In an era where many of us are becoming rusty about dates such as "1776," what can be better than showing a young enthusiast that trains are not just "Thomas." Witness actual iron horses that have a proud story that both you and your child can share.
Many railroad museums have actual working pieces of equipment. This information is provided by many of the listed museums. The difference between watching a train at a museum and on the mainline is that a museum will be sure to keep you and your children at a safe distance.
To find a railroad museum in your area, visit the following site:
http://www.railmuseums.com/
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