Locomotives
Coaches, palace cars, and everything in between
Besides the Warbonnets, the museum also has a number of steam and diesel locomotives.
Center for Transportation and Commerce #1983.
This General Electric 80-tonner was built in 1958. The museum uses it to switch the railyard, as well as pull the caboose for weekly caboose rides on Saturday.
Union Pacific Engine #410
This Fairbanks-Morse H20-44 was built in 1954, and was the last engine of its type built. It was donated to the museum by the Portland Cement Company in 1984. The museum painted the engine in Union Pacific colors to commemorate UP’s important role in Galveston’s history.
Center for Transportation and Commerce #555
Built by Alco in 1922, this 2-8-0 Consolidation class locomotive spent most of its life hauling copper on the Magma Arizona Railway. It finally retired from Magma in 1968, making it one of the last steam locomotive to run on an industrial shortline railroad. It starred in several movies before coming to the museum in 1978.
Waco, Beaumont, Trinity, & Sabine Railway #1
This 2-6-2 Prarie Class Locomotive was built in 1920 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. The engine was acquired by the Waco, Beaumont, Trinity and Sabine Railway in 1949, and was donated to the museum in 1981. During its’ rail service, it was affectionately known as the “Wobbley, Bobbley, Turnover and Stop”, due to the line’s frequent issues. The locomotive is now named Mary and Elizabeth Too, after Mary Moody Northen, who was instrumental in founding the Galveston Railroad Museum. Mrs. Northen was known to say that her name was “Mary … and Elizabeth too” which led to the spelling of the engine’s name.
Southern Pacific #314
This 4-6-0 Ten Wheeler class locomotive was built by Cooke Locomotive Works in 1892, making it the museum’s oldest locomotive as well as the oldest surviving Ten Wheeler in Texas. This type of locomotive was commonly used as a passenger carrier to early 20th century Galveston.
Oregon, Pacific, and Eastern Engine #112
This locomotive was built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1923 and is a Class B Shay locomotive. Shays were famous for using a geared drive train as opposed to the piston and driving arm found on most steam locomotives. This gave them a low top speed but excellent torque, making them popular on logging railways.