National Museum of Transportation

National Museum of Transportation
A Burlington Zephyr and a Frisco 2-10-0 on display at the National Museum of Transportation.
Overview
HeadquartersKirkwood, Missouri, U.S.
Reporting markMOTX
LocaleGreater St. Louis, U.S.
Dates of operation1944 (1944)–Present
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Other
Websitewww.transportmuseumassociation.org

The National Museum of Transportation (TNMOT) is a private, 42-acre transportation museum in the Kirkwood suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1944,[1] it restores, preserves, and displays a wide variety of vehicles spanning 15 decades of American history: cars, boats, aircraft, and in particular, locomotives and railroad equipment from around the United States. The museum is also home to a research library of transportation-related memorabilia and documents.

At the southwest corner of the property is West Barretts Tunnel. Built in 1853, it is one of a pair of tunnels that were the first to operate west of the Mississippi River.[2] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

The museum has its own railway spur to an active main line formerly owned by the Missouri Pacific Railroad, now by the Union Pacific Railroad. This has allowed the museum to take possession of large and unusual pieces of railroad equipment. A miniature railroad operates around a loop of track near the parking lot and a full-sized restored trolley operates Thursday–Sunday from April through October.

Vehicles and equipment

Railroad

The museum's grounds include Barretts Tunnel, one of the first railroad tunnels west of the Mississippi River.

Among its railroad items are:[3]

Automobiles

The engine compartment of a 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car displayed inside the museum.

The Earl C. Lindburg Automotive Center contains 25 vehicles,[5] including:

Boats and aircraft

On display are a Missouri River towboat and two airplanes: a C-47 Skytrain at the main gate and a T-33 Shooting Star.

In 2021, the museum opened a permanent exhibition of some 100 model airplanes donated by Sanford McDonnell, each with a connection to the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation.[8]

Beginning in June 2024, employees from Boeing volunteered to restore an F/A-18 Super Hornet that will eventually be displayed at the museum. This particular fighter is the F/A-18 E1, the first F/A-18 Super Hornet ever made.

See also

References

  1. ^ "St. Louis Post-Dispatch 24 Jul 1994, page Page 33". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  2. ^ "Barretts Tunnels". Abandoned Rails. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
  3. ^ "Railway Equipment". The National Museum of Transportation. National Transport Museum Association. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
  4. ^ Hughes 2, Renee (4 October 2022). "Virgin Hyperloop Pegasus Pod at TNMOT!". National Museum of Transportation. Retrieved 18 February 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "St. Louis Post-Dispatch 17 Jun 2018, page H01". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  6. ^ Lassa, Todd (July 21, 2006). "Road Test: 1964 Chrysler Turbine Car". Motor Trend. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  7. ^ Vaughan, Daniel (March 2010). "1960 Di Dia 150 - Overview". Conceptcarz.com. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
  8. ^ "St. Louis Post-Dispatch 25 Jun 2021, page G10". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
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38°34′19″N 90°27′43″W / 38.572°N 90.462°W / 38.572; -90.462