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The National Railroad Museum was relocated to a temporary location on Hamlet Avenue in November, 2000 where it will remain in operation until the station has been restored. OUR HISTORY The
National Railroad Museum and Hall of Fame, Inc. was officially opened
in
1976. It is located in the old Seaboard
Air Line Railway's depot at the crossing of SAL predecessors. Of
the
original eight diamonds, only one remains. The depot was built in 1900
and was the home of the North Carolina Division of SAL. A prime
example
of Victorian architecture, it is one of the most photographed stations
in the eastern United States and is representative of the structures of
that era. |
 When
you step inside the main lobby of the station, you are quickly carried
back to the time when rail transportation was a booming business. As
light
filters softly through 100-year old window panes, images of ladies in
long
dresses carrying parasols, small boys in knickers and long socks,
little
girls (dressed in lace and ribbons) with big bows in their hair and men
with top hats flicker
through your mind. The now empty rooms echo with voices of years past
calling
out, "All Aboard!" "Orange Blossom Special," "Silver Meteor," " Silver
Comet" and the like. But unlike years past when this was a center of
activity
24 hours a day, all is quiet now. |
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purpose of the museum is to create that time when railroads were the
main
source of long distance travel and passenger train service was at its
zenith.
Only by recapturing this past can we truly realize how far we've come
since
that time. In fact, at a time when artifacts of earlier eras should be
treasured and preserved, we see them fast disappearing in our quest for
more technological advances. It is more important ever to become aware
of our beginnings so we can better understand the present and chart
more
surely our future course.
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Our model train layout is an effort to represent the Seaboard Air Line Railway as it was in another time. We include such premier trains as the Orange Blossom Special, and the Silver Meteor. these famous trains are pulled with diesel and steam power. the E-7 and E-8 locomotives are in the well known Citrus and Mint Green color schemes. Steam power is provided by the great 4-8-2 Mountain type and the 4-6-2 Pacific type engines from the period. |
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The Museum's purpose is to preserve railroad history and promote that history in modern-day railroading. Our exhibits include photographs and maps, displays, a model railroad layout, four pieces of rolling stock and a gift shop for your convenience. Aware
of how railroads have played a major part in the development of our
country,
we ask for your help in preserving this significant phase of America's
history by supporting the museum. Your concern and interest, as well as
contributions of money and/or any objects that pertain to railroading
of
yesterday and today will be greatly appreciated. We sincerely hope you
will see fit to contribute to this non-profit cause to the utmost of
your
abillity. Your check can be made out to: The National Railroad Museum was relocated to a temporary location on Hamlet Avenue in November, 2000 where it will remain in operation until the station has been restored. |
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The Museum is funded totally through donations, memberships and private sponsorships. Your tangible or monetary gifts are greatly appreciated with tax-deductible receipts. |
VISTING
HOURS:
"Open
by appointment only".
.
THE
NATIONAL RAILROAD MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME, INC.
HAMLET AVENUE
HAMLET,
NORTH CAROLINA 28345
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We
feel that with the establishment of this museum on Hamlet, a town once
bustling with many passenger trains and still humming with freight
trains
around the clock, we have the unique opportunity to both preserve a
heritage
and help create a sense of history, not only within the City and
surrounding
community, but in the nation as well. We have strived to create an
illusion
of a time that has already disappeared from the American scene - the
era
of wood and coal burning steam-driven locomotives.