One thing you can’t ignore in Richmond is the ominous loudness of passing trains. This ghostly sound usually hits me late at night, while I’m walking to my car or laying in bed. RVA has an abundant railway history. The Richmond Railroad Museum educates visitors not only of the history of train usage in Richmond and other Virginia areas, but also houses many train cars and train relics, as well as offering train rides, or “excursions.”
One thing you can’t ignore in Richmond is the ominous loudness of passing trains. This ghostly sound usually hits me late at night, while I’m walking to my car or laying in bed. RVA has an abundant railway history. The Richmond Railroad Museum educates visitors not only of the history of train usage in Richmond and other Virginia areas, but also houses many train cars and train relics, as well as offering train rides, or “excursions.”
Located at 102 Hull Street, just across the 14th St Bridge from Shockoe Bottom, The Richmond Railroad Museum is donation-based, and open to visitors Saturday and Sunday afternoons. I happened to visit on a particularly busy day, the Earth Day festival, which was also the same day as the nearby 17th Street Farmer’s Market. When I entered the museum, I was quickly given direction around all of the different rooms. It is clear those working the museum are very educated and passionate about their work.
Volunteer Randy Ridgely explained the history behind the museum. The building, formerly known as Hull Street Station, was completed in 1915, and apparently, “before the floodwall was built, the museum fell victim to flood many, many times.” The continued restoration of the Railroad Museum is a strong indication of the dedication Richmonders have to preserve history.
From there, I was free to roam around the museum, looking at various artifacts from the past. While viewing railroad spikes, lanterns, and other implements of the railroad trade, I couldn’t help but be aware of how different the lives of people in this era were. Though not very long ago, the tools of the railroad industry evoke hard labor, and make the tools of today, such as laptops or smartphones, seem incredibly far removed from the time these were in use. The passage of time became even more evident when volunteer Calvin Boles explained the transformation of the railway to me. He explained that the caboose, which is available at the museum to wander around in, “is no longer a working car for any trains running today because they eliminated the need for them. In modern trains, all workers ride in the engine car.”
Way before cell phones, email, or even radio existed, “hoops” or “y’s” on which messages were hung, then grabbed by train workers as they went by, were used to relay messages from stations to trains. The museum also houses a re-creation of a station master’s office where one can view items from the telegraph system, which was also used to send messages between trains and train stations. Throughout the museum were many other interesting items, such as travel-size toiletries and prints you can take home for a five dollar donation.
At the end of the museum, before the gift shop, visitors are directed to a model room, where volunteers are currently creating a large-scale model railroad, complete with miniature landscape details. You could feel the enthusiasm from the hobbyists working on the models, with lots of work in store to awe visitors.
From the gift shop, you could further get into the old-timey train spirit by purchasing hats, handkerchiefs, or train whistles, and there is more kitty-logo merch than you can shake a stick at! With much memorabilia, train excursions, and also floodwall tours from now until October, the Railroad Museum is a super nostalgic, educational, and cute way to spend an afternoon.
