The historic railroad structures at the Georgia State Railroad Museum site include a partial roundhouse with operating turntable, partial machine shop, Tender Frame Shop, Blacksmith Shop, Boiler House, Storehouse & Print Shop, Lumber and Planing Sheds, Coach and Paint Shops, and a partial Carpentry Shop which now houses Savannah Children's Museum. Many of these structures are open for visitors to explore.
The Historic Railroad Shops complex is among the finest remaining examples of Victorian railroad architecture and design and is the most intact antebellum railroad repair complex in the country. It was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. On-site displays include antique shaft driven machinery, locomotives and railroad stock, model train layouts, an operating turntable, and the oldest portable steam engine in the United States. The Historic Railroad Shops offers a valuable educational experience for students and has also become a popular local tourist attraction.
The complex has been maintained as the Georgia State Railroad Museum and a general industry museum by the Coastal Heritage Society with the assistance of the City of Savannah.
Site historyedit
The Central of Georgia Railroad started as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833, and built a passenger station, freight terminal and some shops in the Louisville Road area of Savannah around 1836. However, none of those structures remain today. By the mid-1840s the railway had expanded to 190 miles (310 km) of track, and the CG began construction of new shops in 1851.[6] The first completed building was the carpenters' shop in 1853, followed by the original roundhouse, machine shop, tender frame shop, blacksmith shop and several other buildings in 1855. Additional buildings were constructed at the complex into the 1920s.[7]
The roundhouse, turntable and other structures were rebuilt in the late 1920s after a major fire in 1923, as well as to accommodate larger locomotives and rolling stock.[6] Passenger trains operated to the Central of Georgia Depot until 1971.[8]
Transition to museumedit
The Southern Railway purchased the CG in 1963 and closed the Savannah shops.[7] Subsequently, the railway transferred the complex to the City of Savannah. The Coastal Heritage Society, a non-profit organization, opened the museum on the site in 1989.[9]
Museum facilitiesedit
Museum attractions include:
Massive roundhouse with an operating turntable (length 85 feet (26 m))
^ ab. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
^ abEric N. DeLony (February 15, 1978). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Central of Georgia Railway: Savannah Shops & Terminal Facilities" (pdf). National Park Service. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) (includes 7 pages of drawings) and Accompanying 13 photos, from 1976, 1973, and 1962 (of which 3 show the Depot that is part of the NHL)(32 KB)
^U.S. National Park Service. "Central of Georgia Railway: Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities." National Register of Historic Places No. 78000970. 1978-06-02.
^(PDF). National Park Service (via Google cache). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 15, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
^ abCoastal Heritage Society, Savannah, GA (2009). "Central of Georgia Savannah Repair Shops and Passenger Station: Historic Building Inventory and Phases of Construction." April 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
^ abGeorgia State Railroad Museum, Savannah, Georgia (2008). "Central of Georgia Railway Repair Shops." Brochure.
georgia, state, railroad, museum, formerly, roundhouse, railroad, museum, museum, savannah, georgia, located, historic, central, georgia, railway, site, includes, parts, central, georgia, railway, savannah, shops, terminal, facilities, national, historic, land. The Georgia State Railroad Museum formerly the Roundhouse Railroad Museum is a museum in Savannah Georgia located at a historic Central of Georgia Railway site It includes parts of the Central of Georgia Railway Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities National Historic Landmark District 1 3 The complex is considered the most complete antebellum railroad complex in the United States The museum located at 655 Louisville Road is part of a historic district included in the National Register of Historic Places 4 Central of Georgia Railway Savannah Shops and Terminal FacilitiesU S National Register of Historic PlacesU S National Historic Landmark DistrictEntrance to the Georgia State Railroad Museum at the former Central of Georgia Railway Savannah Shops and Terminal FacilitiesShow map of GeorgiaShow map of the United StatesLocationWest Broad Street and Railroad AvenueSavannah GeorgiaCoordinates32 04 33 N 81 06 05 W 32 07571 N 81 10126 W 32 07571 81 10126Area33 2 acres 13 4 ha Built1853ArchitectAugustus Schwaab Et al Architectural styleLate 19th and 20th Century Revivals Late VictorianNRHP reference No 78000970 1 Significant datesAdded to NRHPJune 2 1978 2 Designated NHLDJune 2 1978The museum is across the street from the Central of Georgia Depot and Trainshed also part of the historic district The complex was constructed in 1853 by the Central of Georgia Railway CofG before the outbreak of the American Civil War Savannah Shops and terminal buildings were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976 a listing which was expanded in 1978 to include additional buildings in the complex 2 3 5 The historic railroad structures at the Georgia State Railroad Museum site include a partial roundhouse with operating turntable partial machine shop Tender Frame Shop Blacksmith Shop Boiler House Storehouse amp Print Shop Lumber and Planing Sheds Coach and Paint Shops and a partial Carpentry Shop which now houses Savannah Children s Museum Many of these structures are open for visitors to explore Contents 1 Description 2 Site history 3 Transition to museum 4 Museum facilities 5 Gallery 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksDescription editThe Historic Railroad Shops complex is among the finest remaining examples of Victorian railroad architecture and design and is the most intact antebellum railroad repair complex in the country It was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service On site displays include antique shaft driven machinery locomotives and railroad stock model train layouts an operating turntable and the oldest portable steam engine in the United States The Historic Railroad Shops offers a valuable educational experience for students and has also become a popular local tourist attraction The complex has been maintained as the Georgia State Railroad Museum and a general industry museum by the Coastal Heritage Society with the assistance of the City of Savannah Site history editThe Central of Georgia Railroad started as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833 and built a passenger station freight terminal and some shops in the Louisville Road area of Savannah around 1836 However none of those structures remain today By the mid 1840s the railway had expanded to 190 miles 310 km of track and the CG began construction of new shops in 1851 6 The first completed building was the carpenters shop in 1853 followed by the original roundhouse machine shop tender frame shop blacksmith shop and several other buildings in 1855 Additional buildings were constructed at the complex into the 1920s 7 The roundhouse turntable and other structures were rebuilt in the late 1920s after a major fire in 1923 as well as to accommodate larger locomotives and rolling stock 6 Passenger trains operated to the Central of Georgia Depot until 1971 8 Transition to museum editThe Southern Railway purchased the CG in 1963 and closed the Savannah shops 7 Subsequently the railway transferred the complex to the City of Savannah The Coastal Heritage Society a non profit organization opened the museum on the site in 1989 9 Museum facilities editMuseum attractions include Massive roundhouse with an operating turntable length 85 feet 26 m Numerous historic railroad buildings Historic machinery and stationary steam engines Steam and diesel Office cars and cabooses Daily tours and activities sometimes including a short site tour by rail Model railroadGallery edit nbsp CG locomotive no 223 in front of the roundhouse The locomotive is a Baldwin C 3 class 2 8 0 built 1907 ended service 1952 nbsp EMD GP35 diesel locomotive 2715 a former S amp A locomotive on display at the Historic Railroad Shops November 26 2003 nbsp Central of Georgia Railway Museum nbsp The roundhouse in 2015 nbsp River Street Streetcar being housed at the Central of Georgia RR MuseumSee also edit nbsp National Register of Historic Places portal nbsp Trains portal nbsp Georgia U S state portalCentral of Georgia Railway Company Shop Property List of National Historic Landmarks in Georgia U S state National Register of Historic Places listings in Chatham County GeorgiaReferences edit a b National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service January 23 2007 a b Central of Georgia Railroad Shops and Terminal National Historic Landmark summary listing National Park Service Archived from the original on January 31 2009 Retrieved April 20 2008 a b Eric N DeLony February 15 1978 National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Central of Georgia Railway Savannah Shops amp Terminal Facilities pdf National Park Service a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help includes 7 pages of drawings and Accompanying 13 photos from 1976 1973 and 1962 of which 3 show the Depot that is part of the NHL 32 KB U S National Park Service Central of Georgia Railway Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities National Register of Historic Places No 78000970 1978 06 02 UNESCO World Heritage Site Tentative List Nomination for Central of Georgia Railroad Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities PDF National Park Service via Google cache Archived from the original PDF on March 15 2018 Retrieved December 16 2015 a b Coastal Heritage Society Savannah GA 2009 Central of Georgia Savannah Repair Shops and Passenger Station Historic Building Inventory and Phases of Construction Archived April 7 2012 at the Wayback Machine a b Georgia State Railroad Museum Savannah Georgia 2008 Central of Georgia Railway Repair Shops Brochure Passenger Trains Operating on the Eve of Amtrak Trains magazine http ctr trains com media import files pdf f 7 7 passenger trains operating on the eve of amtrak pdf Archived 2012 08 26 at the Wayback Machine Coastal Heritage Society Georgia State Railroad Museum Accessed 2011 06 11 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Georgia State Railroad Museum MLK Blvd Visitor Information Center Georgia State Railroad Museum Coastal Heritage Society Georgia Magazine page Georgia State Railroad Museum in Savannah Georgia Rail Georgia com HawkinsRails Georgia State Railroad Museum scrapbook Historic American Engineering Record HAER No GA 1 Central of Georgia Railway Savannah Repair Shops amp Terminal Facilities Bounded by West Broad Jones West Boundary amp Hull Streets Savannah Chatham County GA 2 photos 17 measured drawings 122 data pages 1 photo caption page HAER No GA 1 A Roundhouse 23 photos 2 photo caption pages HAER No GA 1 B Machine Shop 12 photos 1 photo caption page HAER No GA 1 C Blacksmith Shop 8 photos 1 photo caption page HAER No GA 1 D Tender Frame Shop 12 photos 1 photo caption page HAER No GA 1 E Brick Storage Vaults under Jones Street 2 photos 1 photo caption page HAER No GA 1 F Combination Smokestack Water Tank amp Privies 8 photos 1 photo caption page HAER No GA 1 G Engine Boiler amp Pattern Building 14 photos 2 photo caption pages HAER No GA 1 H Lumber Storage Shed 5 photos 1 photo caption page HAER No GA 1 I Electrical Shop 2 photos 1 photo caption page HAER No GA 1 J Carpentry Shop 11 photos 1 photo caption page HAER No GA 1 K New Storehouse 5 photos 1 photo caption page HAER No GA 1 L Paint amp Coach Barn 10 photos 1 photo caption page Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Georgia State Railroad Museum amp oldid 1202948983, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
