I stepped off the Southwest Chief and met Jim Charron who would be my host for my visit to the Mendota Railroad Museum. This museum has its major event on Father's Day called Railroad Crossing Day. We stored my luggage in the office before we started our tour through the museum building by visiting the Bill Greenwood Room named after CB&Q Chief Operator Bill Greenwood.
A locomotive bell on display.
Conductor uniforms on display.
A display case.
Amtrak menus and display case with a picture above.
A look at the display in this corner of the room.
Another display case.
Newspaper article about the visit of the Union Pacific M-1000 to Mendota.
Two more large display cases.
Display case in the middle of the room.
Pictures on the wall.
A picture and a plaque.
Railroad lanterns up on the window stills.
In the next room was a large model railroad of Mendota 1942 by Ray Tutaj. Mendota was served by the CB&Q, Milwaukee Road and Illinois Central Railroads. Outside they have equipment from each.
Mendota Tower Track Boards.
Display cases with the Hand built Steam Engines that Dave Beck built.
The awards Dave received for his model building.
This model of the Illinois Central Chicago Central Station Train Sheds.
More displays in this corner.
Another view of the Mendota Tower Boards.
The Station Masters Office. Next we went out into the glass enclosed display room.
A Fairmont Track Speeder was the main exhibit in this room.
Another display case.
Baggage Cart along with other things on display.
Track workers tools.
A baggage carts among the plenty of other things.
Another display case. From here we went outside to see the railroad equipment out there.
Another Fairmont Motor Car.
CB&Q 2-8-2 4978 built in 1923.
Looking out at the mainline rails the CB&Q 4978 used to run on.
The inside of the CB&Q 4978.
The Firebox Door.
Me at the Engineer's Controls of the CB&Q 4978.
CB&Q Wooden Caboose 14451 built by the Aurora Shops in 1911.
The inside of the CB&Q 14451.
The Cupola Chairs in the CB&Q 14451.
The CB&Q 14451 Caboose has passenger trucks from the 1880's.
This track was the original route of the Illinois Central in 1837.
Illinois Central Electric 1602 built by the St Louis Car Company in 1972.
Inside of the IC 1602.
The Cab Controls of the IC 1602.
Mendota Tower.
Another view of the CB&Q 2-8-2 4978.
Illinois Central Electric 1619 built by the St Louis Car Company in 1972.
Cadillac Lake City WRLX 402 ex American View (ex-UP) LW lounge car.
The inside of the Cadillac Lake City 402.
Milwaukee Road 2713 Railway Express Agency.
The passenger seating of the Milwaukee Road 2713.
The Express Area of the Milwaukee Road 2713.
The Milwaukee Road 2713.
Cadillac Lake City 402.
Illinois Central Electric 1619.
Two views of the Mendota Museum and Amtrak Station.
This completes our visit to the Mendota Railroad Museum. Later I would leave on the tracks in front of the Museum for home.
