A Visit To The Mad River & Nickel Plate Railroad Museum

After visiting a facility I used to work at when I worked at CP, I had lunch at a nearby Wendy's then made the drive to Bellevue to visit this excellent museum. I was last here in 2007 and since my last visit, the museum was dedicated to the late Bill Fuehring, one of the primary founders of the museum. I picked up an Amtrak T-shirt in the museum's gift shop and would spend a couple hours here. Included in this photo essay is some of the highlights of my visit, enjoy...

The museum's sign indicating hours and admission.

Nickel Plate #1047, a wooden caboose on display inside one of the museum's buildings.
According to the museum's brochure, this caboose was retrieved from a farmer's field in
Michigantown, Indiana and museum volunteers spent 3 years restoring it, nice work!!!

Amtrak Dining Car #8002, a former Seaboard Air Line car built in 1939.

An interior view of the Amtrak diner's seating area.

Amtrak Vista-Dome Lounge Car #9401, a former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy coach, yes I said COACH!
This was the first Dome Car built in America and was built from a coach in 1945.

Interior view of the dome area of this car.

A lower-level view of inside the dome car.

LEFT: "Discover the Magic Of Amtrak" So says this poster from sometime during the 80's. And that is something
I do on every one of my trips! RIGHT: The plaque dedicating the museum to the late Bill Fuehring.

The 65 ton Porter 0-6-0 Fireless Cooker steam locomotive.

Nickel Plate Caboose #700.

The Museum's Anniversary Car, a former Nickel Plate 40' box car.

Nickel Plate Alco RSD-12 #329.

Nickel Plate EMD GP30 #900.

Nickel Plate Dynamometer Car #X50041.

Nickel Plate 40' Box Car #25228. This car was one of the first steel box cars built.

18 Ton Plymouth Diesel Switcher.

Milwaukee Road Fairbanks Morse H-12-44 #720.

B&O Wagon Top Caboose #C2424.

What I've shown you here only barely scratches the surface in terms of how much great stuff is at this museum. I highly recommend this place especially if you're a fan of the Nickel Plate! They are located at 233 York Street in Bellevue, OH. After spending a couple hours here, I drove back to Sandusky and picked up dinner from Subway and watched some football in the hotel. I later drove the rental car to fill it up with gas and return it back to Enterprise as I no longer needed it. I parked the car at their facility and dropped the keys in the safe and would get a taxi back to the hotel where I would continue writing this travelogue. I did laundry and tried to get a minimal amount of sleep, which proved to be nearly impossible! Well, after spending a good weekend in Sandusky, its time to continue my journey west! Next up, its a ride to Chicago on Amtrak's Capitol Limited, click on the link below...