Wisconsin has a rich railroad history and you can discover it in the heart of Western Wisconsin. In the little town of Colfax, the Colfax Railroad Museum gives visitors a chance to stroll pass old trains and take in a big and fascinating lesson on the state’s railroad past. For years, this place was abandoned, but it’s been completely transformed into an amazing Wisconsin train park perfect for a day trip. Here’s what’s waiting for you at the Colfax Railroad Museum.
The museum is located in the heart of Colfax, pop. 1,100, a village in Dunn County. Train tracks run right through the center of the village and the museum is located at an old stone depot.
Google / Robert Stephenson
The railroad has been a fixture in Colfax for a very long time. The current depot is actually the third in the village – it was built in 1914-15 out of sandstone that was quarried nearby. The facility was damaged by a powerful storm that swept through the area in 1958.
Google / Robert Stephenson
For a time, the depot was abandoned. But today it’s a small but impressive museum with a growing collection of equipment from railroads that once serviced the western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota region.
Google / Robert Stephenson
The museum’s property is home to an impressive collection of old train cars and locomotives. The collection includes the Soo Line caboose number 273, the Barney & Smith Soo Line coach number 991, the Soo Line GP-30 number 703, a Porter 2-6-2T steam engine, and more.
Google / Robert Stephenson
The trains and cars aren’t showroom-pristine examples of machinery, and they aren’t shiny replicas either. These were all working trains – and they bear a few scars from their decades in service.
Google / Tammy Miller
There are many pieces of railroad history in the museum, including old signs, lights and lanterns as well as a huge collection of railroad china. The artifacts show what railroad customers and employees encountered in day-to-day life and how the technology changed over time.
Google / Tammy Miller
The Colfax Railroad Museum is open May-October. Group tours are welcome. Learn more on the museum’s website. Once you’ve taken in the railroad museum, there’s a lot more to discover in the area. Here’s a place where you can find some ancient volcanoes!
Google / Robert Stephenson
Google / Tammy Miller
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Address: East Railroad Avenue, E Railroad Ave, Colfax, WI 54730, USA
