Click here and join me as I ride a train at the Heart of Dixie Railroad in Calera, Alabama!
Seriously, today I ride a train at the Heart of Dixie Railroad!
I’m calling this one Heart of Dixie Railroad – WOW!
Wasn’t sure what to expect at the Heart of Dixie Railroad but it exceeded my expectations!
Just a really well run operation and the volunteers were so friendly at the Heart of Dixie Railroad.
According to Wikipedia
The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum is the official state railroad museum of Alabama. Dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and operation of historically significant railway equipment, the museum is located at 1919 Ninth Street, Calera, Alabama, on I-65 approximately 30 miles south of Birmingham.
According to the Heart of Dixie website:
The Heart of Dixie Railroad Club
Half a century ago a group of Birmingham area railfans organized a chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society (NRHS) called the Heart of Dixie Railroad Club. Their goal was to preserve the sights, sounds, and artifacts of railroading for future generations. Fifty years later the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum is still carrying out that mission at its museum location in Calera, Alabama.
In November of 1962, an exciting event for railroad enthusiasts was taking place in Birmingham. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N) had restored the famed Civil War locomotive The General to operation and was touring the L&N system with the engine as a public relations tool. The General’s visit to the Magic City brought together area railfans, and the idea of forming a Birmingham chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society was born. The first meeting was held in November at the Transportation Building on 1st Avenue North with thirty members present. Over the next several months members began the work of organizing their new chapter, which would be called The Heart of Dixie Railroad Club. An application for a charter was submitted to the NRHS and officers were selected. Members quickly got to work organizing meetings and railroad-themed outings.
In addition to special events, the Club enjoyed regular monthly meetings where the members could get together to discuss chapter business and enjoy a railroad-themed presentation. Many of the early meetings were held in the Alabama Power Company’s headquarters auditorium, or in the assembly room of the Transportation Building, or at Handley Memorial Presbyterian Church, which was pastored by the father of David P. Morgan, the well-known editor of Trains Magazine. Chapter officers for the first year were Elliot Eggleston, President, Don Christie, Vice- President, and Charlie Hudson, Secretary & Treasurer.
The Original Railroad Park
The Heart of Dixie Railroad Club quickly went to work to assemble a collection of railroad equipment for preservation and display. The first item received was wooden caboose No. 5368 donated by the Seaboard Air Line Railway. The first steam locomotive was 2-8-0 No. 38, donated by the Woodward Iron Company. The Chapter had to quickly get to work securing a location to store the cars and locomotives they were to acquire. The Heart of Dixie was fortunate when the St. Louis ~ San Francisco Railway (Frisco) allowed the Club to lease for $7.50 per month an unused team track located behind the Frisco freight house at Powell Avenue and 18th Street South. You may now know this location as now “Railroad Park”. The club was able to restore several pieces of equipment in order to participate in the Southern Railway steam program. Heart of Dixie equipment was pulled behind locomotives such as SOU 4501, SOU 630, N&W 1218, N&W 611 and several other mainline steam locomotives. The main source of revenue for museum restorations were from operating steam excursions throughout Alabama.