eastern shore railway museum

My wife and I took a little trip last weekend traveling the back roads of the lower Eastern Shore. We ended up in this cute little town of Parksley , VA. and the Railroad Museum located alongside the downtown park and farmers market. The trains were all locked so we had to settle for peering into the trains from the rear doors. Eventually we ended up at the museum building . The friendly attendant asked us if we had any questions and if we wanted to see any of the interior of any of the. Cars. She ended up giving us a thorough personalized tour of the interior of all the cars and the restores train station. Very informative and enjoyable. All for only a donation.

We stopped on a Sunday and the museum was not opened but the sign indicates it is okay to wander around and view the equipment on display which we did. There is no motive power, it is all about the railroad cars which is a bit different than most railroad museums. The town looks like time has passed it by and even the tracks in front of the museum do not show a great deal of use. When we are in the area again we will stop back and try to catch the museum when it is open so that we can see the displays in the cars. Grounds are nicely kept.

The focus of this museum on the cars instead of the engines gives a nice focus. It is good to see not only the different types of cars, but also to see them in different stages of restoration. This gives a good perspective on how much work it takes to restore these beautiful machines to the look of their former glory. A nice stop for an hour's diversion.(Note the museum closes at 4 PM. Even when it is closed you can view the cars from the outside with a little effort.)

Both my wife and I were quite surprised and happy with our experience at this museum. It is the first railway museum that I have been to that is more aligned with the rest of the train than the engines, and how these affected the growth and history of Parksley, VA and the Eastern Shore. They currently have two new restoration projects underway, and have a completed group of cars to tour. The tour also has a good amount of information on the different Pullman cars and two styles of cabooses to examine. The restoration projects and the tour are all "donation only" funded, so taking the family will not break you financially. The docents are well informed, and will answer any question freely. Parksley itself is a nice town to tour, being one of the first planned cities in the country. We will probably stop by this museum again in the future to see how the restorations are coming along.