Illinois Railway Museum

Illinois Railway Museum
Aerial overview of the museum
LocaleUnion, Illinois
Coordinates42°13′40″N 88°31′43″W / 42.22778380°N 88.52859170°W / 42.22778380; -88.52859170
ConnectionsUnion Pacific Railroad
Commercial operations
Built byElgin and Belvidere Electric Company
Original gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Reporting markIRMX
StationsMainline: 2
Streetcar loop: 5
Length4.6 mi (7.4 km)
Preserved gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preservation history
1953Opened as Illinois Electric Railway Museum
1956Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company right-of-way acquired
1961Named Illinois Railway Museum
1964Museum relocated
1966Illinois Terminal Railroad interurban car 415 first operated
1968First steam locomotive operated
1972First storage barn erected
1981Streetcar loop constructed
Late 1980s/early 1990sRailroad line built
HeadquartersUnion, Illinois
Website
irm.org
Route map
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
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.

  1. ^ "Illinois Railway Museum - The Largest!". CNN iReport. September 28, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  2. ^ Green, Joey (2017). Vacation on Location, Midwest. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press Inc. p. n.p. ISBN 978-1-61373-725-5 – via Google Books.