What to expect

The Conneaut Railroad Museum was founded in 1964 in order to preserve the railroad heritage of the community.  The museum building, originally constructed for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad in 1900, was acquired from the New York Central.  Over the years, museum members and volunteers have expended countless hours toward restoration and maintenance.  The facility is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places.  Adjacent to the building is the museum’s “train”, consisting of steam locomotive number 755, donated by the Nickel Plate Road, and, a hopper car and caboose, donated by the Bessemer & Lake Erie.  Access is provided to the 755’s cab and to the caboose interior. Conneaut was the major repair facility for the Nickel Plate Road’s steam locomotives.  But, as diesels became more numerous, that era was ending.  The shops were closed in June of 1958.  The following month, locomotive 746, sister to the 755 displayed at the museum, powered the railroad’s last steam-powered freight train, arriving in Conneaut on July 2nd. The 755 was one of the last steam locomotives to be shopped at Conneaut.  She was stored in the roundhouse in anticipation of an increases in traffic, but that need, unfortunately, never materialized.  In 1964, the Nickel Plate Road donated her to this museum.  She remains as a tribute to the many men and women who worked in Conneaut’s railroad industry. The Museum’s grounds and station platform include additional displays, and park benches offer a place to relax, and to watch some of the 50+ trains which pass daily on the adjacent CSX tracks. A favorite for all kids who visit the museum is the model railroad display.