It was a humid and mildly hot day in Union, Illinois and my family and I were getting ready to board a train to nowhere. Not with a destination in mind of course, but with the railcar itself as the destination as we were exploring the Illinois Railway Museum! Of the available options, Jake and I ultimately elected to jump on an old sleeper car for railway employees. Soon enough we rolled out of the station. Pulled by an antique engine followed by 4 unique vintage cabooses.
The car was rather spartan, with backless benches for seating, a now antique fireplace, and a sink. One thing that made the car unique however was a pair of topside seats that delivered an exceptional view of the surrounding corn.
Corn wasn’t the only thing to see though as the top seats also gave an outside view of the train and the track ahead. Although there was an option to take those seats, I found myself appreciating the ground level. To be fair I am not really a ladder person and that was the only way up or down for that matter!
One Way in One Way Out
We chugged through and past the museum’s campus, out to the corn fields over maybe 20 to 30 minutes. After a brief stop and a history lesson from the tour guide, we started back to the station. Unfortunately, however, it wasn’t long before the vintage train paused, and we were told by the conductor that the engine was overheating. It was a warm morning, so it was fair that the engine like us was a tad bit toasty.
The plan was to limp back to the station, unfortunately as hard as the little engine thought to itself “I think I can” it couldn’t move. At least not by itself. So, the conductor called a friend for push or pull.
Ultimately, what had been intended to be a 45-minute train ride turned into an hour and a half. In that time, we made friends with strangers who too were stuck on our caboose.
Our group had split and gone in 3 of the cabooses and we could see the crew from the back of our car. We waved and took pictures of each other. For safety reasons, no one could switch cars, although bits and pieces got passed along like bubbles and snacks.
Once the train was hooked up to a new engine we slowly rolled back to the museum. By that time it was nearly lunchtime.
Luckily, they offered us free lunch at the diner for our not-as-smooth-as-usual adventure.
Illinois Railway Museum: After the Train Trouble
After a quick lunch at the diner our large group of nearly 15 went to see the model trains. The kids in our crew were mesmerized by the large display, running around and chasing the several trains. There were even buttons to bush to make the trains whistle or turn on lights throughout the model track.
Shortly after that, everyone went their separate ways. Most people left. Some noted that it was getting to be nap time for one of the toddlers in the party, while others seemed adventured out.
My parents, my sister, and I however were bound and determined to explore as much of the Museum as we could.
I enjoyed learning about Chicagoland’s modes of transportation present and past! Including traveling on the old CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) trolley cars while listening to stories about the Metra.
We even all braved another train trip. This time on a steam engine. We got on a Pullman train, which reminded me of a Hogwarts-styled train car. There were doors to a private cabin with benches. There were also mini apartment-like accommodations with a bed, cabinets, and an attached bathroom! Everything looked super luxurious.
After a long day of transportation, we took the only way to travel to the museum, a car! Homeward bound we zoomed in a minivan.
If you are interested in checking out the Railway Museum tickets range from $11-$18 depending on the day. The museum also offers a family package for 2 adults and up to 3 children for prices between $55 and $70, roughly a $10 savings. As for food, I would recommend packing a picnic lunch as the museum diner food was decent but rather pricey for what it was.
