Illinois Railway Museum

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Illinois Railway Museum
Aerial overview of the museum
Locale	Union, Illinois
Coordinates	42°13′40″N 88°31′43″W / 42.22778380°N 88.52859170°W / 42.22778380; -88.52859170
Connections	Union Pacific Railroad
Commercial operations
Built by	Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company
Original gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Reporting mark	IRMX
Stations	Mainline: 2 Streetcar loop: 5
Length	4.6 mi (7.4 km)
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preservation history
1953	Opened as Illinois Electric Railway Museum
1956	Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company right-of-way acquired
1961	Named Illinois Railway Museum
1964	Museum relocated
1966	Illinois Terminal Railroad interurban car 415 first operated
1968	First steam locomotive operated
1972	First storage barn erected
1981	Streetcar loop constructed
Late 1980s/early 1990s	Railroad line built
Headquarters	Union, Illinois
Website
irm.org
Route map Legend Elgin and Belvidere Electric west to Belvidere and Rockford Union Pacific Railroad Schmidt Siding 50th Ave. Central Ave. East Union Barn 9 North Depot St. Springfield Ave. Electric Park Boot Creek Johnson Siding Seeman Road 4 Mile Siding South Branch Kishwaukee River Elgin and Belvidere Electric east to Elgin

The Illinois Railway Museum (IRM, reporting mark IRMX) is the largest railroad museum in the United States.^[1][2] It is located in the Chicago metropolitan area at 7000 Olson Road in Union, Illinois, 55 miles (89 km) northwest of downtown Chicago.