Travel Town Museum

Travel Town Museum

Travel Town Museum is a railroad museum located in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California. It was established in 1952 with the donation of SP 0-6-0 3025 as its first locomotive. It features a collection of historic steam locomotives, diesel locomotives, passenger cars, and freight cars.

Visitors to Travel Town can explore the museum's collection of trains and related exhibits, take a ride on a miniature train that circles the museum grounds, and learn about the history of railroading in California and the United States. The museum also offers educational programs and special events throughout the year, such as guided tours, holiday train rides, and steam locomotive demonstrations.

Travel Town is open to the public free of charge, although donations are accepted to support the museum's ongoing preservation and educational efforts. The museum is a popular destination for families with young children, train enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the history of transportation in the United States.

For more information, please visit the official Travel Town Museum web site.

Steam Locomotives on Display

AT&SF 2-8-0 664. Photo by Wes Barris.

AT&SF 2-8-0 #664

AT&SF 2-8-0 #664 was a steam locomotive operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) in the United States. Originally numbered 891, this was part of the 664 class of steam locomotives, which were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the early 1898.

The 2-8-0 wheel arrangement, also known as a Consolidation type, was a common freight locomotive design in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The "2-8-0" designation refers to the arrangement of the locomotive's wheels, with two leading wheels, eight driving wheels, and no trailing wheels.

AT&SF 2-8-0 #664 served the AT&SF for over five decades on Santa Fe's Northern, Southern, Panhandle, Plains, and Gulf Divisions. The engine's appearance changed very little during its 55-year career, and the locomotive was in active service when the Santa Fe Railroad donated it to Travel Town.

Photos



Conrock 0-6-0ST #1

Conrock 0-6-0ST #1

#1 was built in 1925 by Alco (Cooke Works) for Reliance Rock in Azusa, CA. Consolidated Rock Products (Conrock) acquired the locomotive in January, 1929. #1 was a tank-type locomotive and weighed 65 tons. Specifically, it was a saddle-tank locomotive where the water tank, in the shape of a saddle, was draped over the boiler of the locomotive. With fuel carried in a bunker behind the cab, there was no need for a tender, making this type of locomotive very suitable for yard switching duties.

Conrock #1 was donated to the museum in 1958 by Consolidated Rock Products.

Photos


Camino-Placerville & Lake Tahoe 3-Truck Shay #2

Camino-Placerville & Lake Tahoe 3-Truck Shay #2

This 3-Truck Shay was built in 1922 by Lima Locomotive Works for the Little River Redwood Company in Crannell, CA as their #4. Little River Redwood merged into Hammond & Little River Redwood in 1931. In 1935 the engine was sold to the Camino, Placerville & Lake Tahoe as their #2. In 1936 it was sold to Michigan-California Lumber Company. It was donated to the museum in 1955 by Michigan-California.

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Los Angeles Harbor Department 0-4-0ST #31

Los Angeles Harbor Department 0-4-0ST #31

#31 was built in 1921 by the Davenport Locomotive Works. 31 was used to haul rock in the Catalina Island quarry. The rock was used in the construction of the Los Angeles Harbor and breakwater.

Destined to be scrapped, 31 was rescued from a scrapyard and donated to the museum in 1952 by the City of Los Angeles.


Los Angeles Harbor Department 0-4-0ST #32

Los Angeles Harbor Department 0-4-0ST #32

#32 was built in 1914 by Alco (Rogers Works). 32 was used to haul rock in the Catalina Island quarry. The rock was used in the construction of the Los Angeles Harbor and breakwater.

Destined to be scrapped, 32 was rescued from a scrapyard and donated to the museum in 1952 by the City of Los Angeles.

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Pickering Lumber 3-Truck Heisler #2

Pickering Lumber 3-Truck Heisler #2

#2 was built by Heisler in 1918 for the Hetch Hetchy Railroad. It was used during the construction of the O'Shaughnessy Dam which was to provide a water source for San Francisco and surrounding areas. After the completion of the dam, it was sold in 1923 to the Standard Lumber Company (Pickering Lumber). It was donated to the museum in 1957 by the Pickering Lumber Corporation.

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Sharp & Fellows 2-6-2 #7

Sharp & Fellows 2-6-2 #7

#7 was built as a 2-6-0 in 1902 by Alco (Dickson Works) for the Minnesota Land and Construction Company. It was sold to the Dulutn, Virginia & Rainy Lake Railway in 1903. In 1909 it was sold to C. H. Sharp Construction Company who added a two-wheel trailing truck. It was then used in the construction of the Santa Fe Railway system from Kansas to California. During WWI, #7 served at Camp Kearney, San Diego. It was donated to the museum in 1955 by the Sharp & Fellows Contracting Company.

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Santa Maria Valley 2-8-2 #1000

Santa Maria Valley 2-8-2 #1000

This 2-8-2 was built in 1920 by Alco (Schenectady Works) for the Hetch Hetchy Railroad as their #4. It was used during the construction of the O'Shaughnessy Dam which was to provide a water source for San Francisco and surrounding areas. After the completion of the dam, it was sold to the Newaukum Valley Railroad in Washington and renumbered 1000. In 1944 it was sold to the Santa Maria Valley Railroad. It was donated to the museum in 1953 by the Santa Maria Valley Railroad.

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Southern Pacific 0-6-0 #1273

Southern Pacific 0-6-0 #1273

SP 1273 was built in 1921 by the Southern Pacific (Sacramento Shops). It was donated to the museum in 1957 by the Southern Pacific.

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Southern Pacific 0-4-0 #20

Southern Pacific 0-4-0 #20

#20 was built as an 0-4-2T in 1880 by Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Market Street, Park & Cliff Railroad in San Francisco. Because it was used on a "Street Railroad", it was constructed with a wooden shell representing a street car. Supposedly, this was to prevent it from frightening horses. Locomotives like this were sometimes called "Steam Motors" or "Steam Dummies". This locomotive changed hands and was renumbered many times. In 1905 it was converted to an 0-4-0T before being used as a shop switcher by the Southern Pacific. It has been on permanent loan since 1954 by the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Southern California Chapter.

Photos


Southern Pacific 4-4-2 #3025

Southern Pacific 4-4-2 #3025

3025 was built in 1904 by Alco (Schenectady Works). It was built with very tall drivers (81 inches) for passenger service on the California coast and possibly used on the Daylight, Starlight, and Lark trains. It was donated to the museum in 1952 by the Southern Pacific.

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Stockton Terminal & Eastern 4-4-0 #1

Stockton Terminal & Eastern 4-4-0 #1

This 4-4-0 was built in 1864 by Norris-Lancaster. This was one of 10 locomotives used to construct a railroad line between Sacramento and San Jose. Those 10 locomotives were lettered "A" through "J". This locomotive was letter "G" and named "Mariposa". It was then acquired by the Central Pacific and became their second #31, replacing a previous #31 which has suffered an explosion. It was sold to the Stockton, Terminal and Eastern in 1914. It was donated to the museum in 1953 by the Stockton Terminal & Eastern Railroad.

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Union Pacific 0-6-0 #4439

Union Pacific 0-6-0 #4439

4439 was built by Baldwin in 1918 for the Union Pacific. 4439 was one of many 0-6-0s that worked in switching yards. 4439 worked for many years in Cheyenne, WY and then on the Loas Angeles Harbor Belt line. It was retired in 1957 due to an order by the Air Pollution Control Board. It was donated to the museum in 1957 by the Union Pacific.

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Western Pacific 2-8-0 #26

Western Pacific 2-8-0 #26

26 was built in 1909 by Alco (Schenectady Words) for the Western Pacific. It spent time working in Utah and Nevada. It was donated to the museum in 1954 by the Western Pacific Railroad.

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1st Generation Diesels

(and Electrics)

California Western RS-12 #56

California Western RS-12 #56

56 was built in 1955 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works as the McCloud River 33. A total of 50 RS-12s were built by Baldwin. This model had 1200 hp with AAR a type B-B wheel arrangement. In 1969 it was sold to the Chrome Crankshaft Company and then in 1970 sold to the California Western Railroad in Fort Bragg. There is was renumbered as their 56.

56 came to Travel Town with the intention of operating on Travel Town's own proposed railroad through Griffith Park to the Los Angeles Zoo.

Photos


American Locomotive Crane #1887

American Locomotive Crane #1887

This crane was built in 1943 by the American Hoist & Derrick Company. Its lifting capacity is 40 tons (50 tons with outriggers). It was donated to the museum in 1999 by the Boeing Corporation.


Pacific Electric #1544

Pacific Electric #1544

1544 was built in 1902 by the North Shore Railroad. It is a one-of-a-kind electric locomotive constructed from two steam locomotive slope-back tenders. It reportedly drew such large amounts of current that other electric cars on the line would slow to a crawl, and therefore, was not considered a success. It was purchased in 1917 by Pacific Electric and used on various construction projects in Los Angeles until being retired in 1952. It was donated to the museum in 1953 by the Pacific Electric Company.

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Travel Town #52

Travel Town #52

"Charley Atkins" was built in 1941 by EMD for the US Navy and served at the Torpedo Station on Goat Island, RI. It later served at the Naval Air Station, North Island, San Diego. In 1962 it was transferred to the McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft Corporation in Torrance, CA. It was donated to the museum in 1988 by the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation and became the first display locomotive at the museum to move under its own power since 1961.

References

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Wes Barris