The National Railroad Museum is a railroad museum located in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, United States.
Founded in 1956 by community volunteers, the National Railroad Museum is one of the oldest and largest U.S. institutions dedicated to preserving and interpreting the nation's railroad history. Two years later, a joint resolution of Congress recognized the museum as the National Railroad Museum. The museum has been a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization since 1958.
Its collection of locomotives and rolling stock spans more than a century. Notable items include an Aerotrain; Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4017, one of the world's largest steam locomotives; and British Railways Class A4 No. 60008 Dwight D Eisenhower (ex-London & North Eastern Railway No. 4496 Golden Shuttle) and train used by the Supreme Allied Commander and his staff in the United Kingdom and continental Europe during World War II.
The Frederick J. Lenfesty Center, an enclosed and climate-controlled structure, built in 2001, houses several of the unique and rarer locomotives and cars. A museum building houses railroad artifacts, an archive, and photography gallery. A standard gauge track rings the grounds. An wooden observation tower has views of the Fox River and Green Bay.
The museum hosted an annual Day Out with Thomas event until 2019, in which Thomas the Tank Engine pulled young friends past the exhibited rolling stock. In October, it hosts "Terror on the Fox", the Green Bay Preble Optimist Club's haunted attraction that includes "haunted" train rides after dark.
Expansion
A $17 million project expanded the indoor display area and added a plaza along the river. Opened on September 20, 2025, it used $7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds contributed by the state of Wisconsin.
Rolling stock
Steam Locomotives
{| class="wikitable"
|+Locomotive details
! Railroad
! Class
! Road number
! Notes
! Image
|-
|Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
|5011 class ()
|5017
|Built by Baldwin in July 1944, 5017 is the museum's second largest locomotive, after the Big Boy, and is the only oil-burning steam locomotive in the museum's collection. 5017 was donated December 27, 1959 by the Santa Fe Railroad President, Ernest S. Marsh. It is currently sitting in the Victor McCormick Train Pavilion.
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|Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
|K-4 class 2–8–4
|2736
|Built in 1944 by Alco, 2736 is one of 12 preserved C&O K-4s. 2736 was donated July 7, 1961 by the C&O. It is currently sitting in the Victor McCormick Train Pavilion.
|150px
|-
|Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad
|SC-4 Consolidation
|24
|Built in 1910 by Alco, 24 is the oldest locomotive in the museum's collection and one of the few steam locomotives to have operated there. No. 24 was donated in May 1962 by the LS&I and pulled train rides for the museum until October 1972 when its side rods were found to be worn out. It is currently sitting in the Victor McCormick Train Pavilion.
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|-
|British Rail
|A4
|60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower
|Built in 1937 at Doncaster Works, 60008 is the only British passenger locomotive in the United States, and one of two A4s displayed in North America; the other being 4489 Dominion of Canada. In 2012, it was temporarily shipped back to England for restoration and to be displayed alongside the other five A4s in an event known as "The Great Gathering". It returned to Green Bay in 2014. Eisenhower was donated April 27, 1964 by British Railways and arrived the following month. It is currently preserved in the climate controlled Frederick J. Lenfesty Center.
|150x150px
|-
|Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway
|E-1 class 2–10–2
|506
|Built in 1917 by Alco, 506 is the first of ten E1 Class locomotives built for the Duluth Missabe & Northern. No. 506 was in service with the DM&IR until 1962 and was donated to the museum the same year. It is the only preserved member of its class. The 506 was donated in May 1962 by the DM&IRR. It is currently sitting in the Victor McCormick Train Pavilion.
|150px
|-
|Ely-Thomas Lumber Co.
|Shay
|5
|Built by Lima in 1917, 5 is the only narrow gauge locomotive at the museum, running on 3 ft gauge track. The 5 was donated by Mr. George Bantha Jr. in July 1972. It is currently sitting largely dissassembled on a flatcar in the Victor McCormick Train Pavilion.
|150px
|-
|Pullman Company
|0-4-0ST
|29
|Built by Alco in 1923, 29 (previously known as the Brillion Pioneer) is one of the few steam locomotives to have operated at the museum. It pulled trains until it was banned by the City of Green Bay due to a chromium-lined chimney, which created toxic fumes. The 29 was donated in August 1961 by Mr. and Mrs. Harold Fuller. It is currently preserved in the climate controlled Frederick J. Lenfesty Center.
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|-
|Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (Soo Line)
|H-23 class ()
|2718
|Built by Alco in May 1924, 2718 was the first piece to ever arrive at the museum. While technically obtained after the 261, it arrived earlier in the day than the 261. For the first few years of its time at the museum, the 2718 pulled excursion trains on the Soo Line's mainline with sister locomotive 2719. It was formerly retired in the early 60s. The 2718 was donated by the Soo Line on March 10, 1958, and arrived at the museum later that year. It is currently sitting in the Victor McCormick Train Pavilion.
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|-
|Sumter & Choctaw Railway
|
|102
|Built in June 1924 by Baldwin, 102 is the only steam locomotive that still traverses the museum's working loop. While it arrived at the museum with a cracked boiler and has never steamed there, in 1988 the Green Bay and Western Railroad's Norwood shops built a faux tender for it using parts for a GE 45 ton diesel switcher. It is normally used for special events as the tender is underpowered and prone to overheating. The 102 was donated June 5, 1962 by the Marathon Paper Division of the American Can Co. It is currently sitting in the Victor McCormick Train Pavilion and its original tender sits outside, behind the building.
|150px
|-
|United States Army
|10-36E
|101
|Built by Baldwin sometime between 1916 and 1918, the 101 is the last example of its class in preservation. After serving the United States Army in country during the first and second world wars, the 101 was shipped to Korea in 1951 to fight in the Korean War. While in Korea, it became property of the Republic of Korea and during this time its cab was blown up. It was discovered by Col. George Simpson (who later became museum director) and reconstructed by Army Transportation troops. The 101 was donated in 1958 by President Sygman Rhee of the Republic of Korea. It is currently preserved in the climate controlled Frederick J. Lenfesty Center.
|150px
|-
|Union Pacific Railroad
|4000 class "Big Boy" 4-8-8-4
|4017
|Built by Alco in December 1944, Big Boy 4017 is one of the eight remaining Big Boy type locomotives. An impromptu attempt to bring the locomotive to steam in 1970 was reportedly attempted by visiting rail crew from the Flying Scotsman, but was aborted after 20 tons of coal failed to heat the boiler enough to produce steam. The 4017 is the only Big Boy with a tender (from Big Boy 4023) from the 1944 order of Big Boys, whose tenders held a larger fuel capacity. The 4017 was donated in July 1961 by Chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad, E. Rolland Harriman (for whom 4017 was once named).
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|}
Diesel locomotives
{| class="wikitable"
|+Locomotive details
| 2402 (CBQ 510)
|Ex-CBQ, previously restored back to its Fox River Valley Railroad appearance.
|
|-
|Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road)
|FM H-10-44
|767
|
|150px
|-
|Georgia Pacific Railway
|Alco S-2
| 73 (Ex - 63–146)
|EX-SBRR, Currently painted in Great Northern Orange and Green numbered 11 though it was never operated by GN
|150px
|-
|Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
|General Motors Aerotrain
| Trainset 2
| Comes with the main engine and two cars.
One of only two surviving trainsets
|150px
|-
|Green Bay and Western Railroad
|Alco C430
|315
|
|150px
|-
|Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad (Later Ann Arbor Railroad)
| Alco S-3
| 10
|
|150px
|-
|Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway
|EMD NW1
|D538
|
|150px
|-
|Wisconsin Central Ltd.
|EMD GP30
| 715
|Ex-SOO
|150px
|-
|Southern Pacific Transportation Company
|ALCO S-6
|1201 (Currently painted as GBW 106)
|Operational, mainly used for excursion runs around the museum property
|frameless|230x230px
|-
|United States Army
|Whitcombe 44-ton switcher
|106
|
|
|-
|United States Army
|ALCO RSD-1
|8651
|
|150px
|-
| Canadian National Railway
|EMD E9
|103
|Donated by Canadian National Railway 2/2024
|150x150px
|-
| Wisconsin Central Ltd.
|EMD SW1500
|1563
|Donated by Canadian National Railway on 11/13/2019
|150px
|}
Electric locomotives
{| class="wikitable"
|+Locomotive details
|
|-
|}
Maintenance of way cars
{| class="wikitable"
! Railroad
! Type
! Road number
|-
|Burlington Northern Railroad
|Jordan spreader
|973127
|-
|Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
|Dynamometer car
|30
|-
|Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad
|Flange plow
|100
|-
|Wisconsin Central Railway, subsidiary of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
|Wrecking crane
|W-1
|-
|Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
|Wrecking crane idler car
|X-
|-
|}
Cabooses
thumb|300 px|Kickapoo Valley and Western cupola caboose painted in the Milwaukee Road scheme
thumb|300 px|[[Chicago Great Western Railroad cupola caboose]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+Caboose details Drumheads are one of the rarest railroading memorabilia. When train cars were removed from service many of these were scrapped along with the cars they were on. The gallery features touchscreen displays with narration to provide more information on the route symbolized on the drumhead.
Capital campaign
As of 2019, the museum was working to raise money to build a roundhouse to surround its current buildings (except the train station) to shelter from the weather the locomotives and cars displayed in the open pavilion.
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
References
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<br />
Further reading
External links
- National Railroad Museum