Wikipedia

Gold Coast Railroad Museum

The Gold Coast Railroad Museum (reporting mark GCOX)[1] is a railroad museum located in Miami, Florida, adjacent to Zoo Miami.

Gold Coast Railroad Museum
Gold Coast Railroad Museum is located in Florida
Gold Coast Railroad Museum
Location within Florida
Gold Coast Railroad Museum is located in the United States
Gold Coast Railroad Museum
Gold Coast Railroad Museum (the United States)
Established1956
LocationMiami, Florida, U.S.
Coordinates25°37′02″N 80°24′03″W / 25.6172°N 80.4007°W / 25.6172; -80.4007
Websitegcrm.org

Description

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The Gold Coast Railroad Museum was founded in 1956. The museum was built on the former Naval Air Station Richmond. With over three miles of tracks, the old base was an ideal place to build a railroad museum.

The Gold Coast Railroad Museum is one of three Official State Railroad Museums in Florida.[2] It became a Florida state railroad museum in 1984 when it received statutory recognition by the Florida Legislature as meeting the four statutory criteria, including: its purpose is to preserve railroad history, it is devoted primarily to the history of railroading, it is open to the public, and it operates as a non-profit organization.

The Gold Coast Railroad Museum promotes historical trains and railroads. It houses over 30 historic trains including historic railroad cars like the Presidential Pullman "Ferdinand Magellan” and engines like the Florida East Coast "153.” The museum strives to teach railroad history using artifacts, movies, and railroading materials. The museum includes many interactive displays.

The museum's train rides allow guests to board vintage trains and get a taste of the past. On Most Saturdays, guests can ride in standard gauge railway cars and can also ride in the cab of the train's locomotive. The separate 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge Edwin Link Children's Railroad also offers rides.[3]

Located at a latitude of ~25.62 degrees north, the Gold Coast Railroad Museum possesses the southernmost active railroad trackage in the continental United States.

Exhibits

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One of the most important exhibits is the Presidential Car Ferdinand Magellan. The museum also has a collection of model railroad equipment.

Locomotives

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Gold Coast Railroad Museum/
Zoo Miami
Legend
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Standard gauge
train rides
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Edwin Link
Children's Railroad
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Miami Military Museum
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gold Coast Railroad Museum
Zoo Miami
 
  
 
 
 
 Asia Station
 
 
 
 
 Main Station
 
 
 
Maintenance facility
 
 
 
 
 Africa Station
 
 
 
 Amazon Station

Several of the diesel locomotives are operational and active. Some of the locomotives on location are:

Steam locomotives

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Diesel-electric locomotives

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Other locomotives

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East Swamp & Gatorville Railroad 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge[5] 4-4-0 Locomotive #3. Built by Crown Metal Products; donated by Edwin Albert Link. Originally coal-powered, but now runs on compressed air.

Freight and Passenger cars

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The Freight Cars, Passenger Cars & other Cars on display include:

  • Port Everglades Stake Car No. 1103
  • SCL Fruit Boxcar No. 593188
  • FEC Heavyweight Passenger No. 136
  • ACL Wood M-3 Caboose No. 0322
  • SAL Heavyweight Combine No. 259
  • US No. 1 "Ferdinand Magellan"
  • Southern Railway Express Agency Baggage No. 359
  • US Army Hospital Car No. 89436
  • FEC Anniversary Smooth-Side Car No. 1996
  • ACL Observation-Tavern-Bar No. 254
  • SAL Tavern-Lounge No. 6300
  • WP "Silver Crescent" CZ-10/WP 881
  • CB&Q Sleeper "Silver Vale" No.490
  • SAL Diner/Kitchen No. 6112
  • CB&Q Sleeper "Silver Slumber" No.4901
  • WP Baggage "Silver Stag" No.802
  • FEC Lightweight Chair Car "Belle Glade"
  • SAL Sleeper/Lounge "Silver Palm" No.54 (Privately Owned)
  • CB&Q Baggage "Silver Treasure" No.908 (Privately Owned)
  • SCL Waffle-Sided Boxcar No.126307
  • Belcher Oil Tank No. 105
  • Belcher Oil Tank No. 121
  • FRISCO Drop-End Gondola No. 60053
  • SCL Self-Driven Steam Crane No.765157
  • USAX Flat Car No. 35703
  • USAX Air-Dump Car D.66
  • Burro Crane No.15
  • MHAX Helium Car No.1202
  • NASA KSC Railroad Skirt Car No. 171
  • Illinois Central Gulf Caboose No.199477
  • Metra Gallery Car No.7680
  • Metra Gallery Car No.7667
  • Metra Gallery Car No.7670
  • Metra Gallery Car (Cab Control) No.8723
  • Metra Gallery Car (Cab Control) No.8726
  • Long Island Railroad P-72 Commuter Car No.2916
  • Illinois Central Gulf Caboose No.199479
  • Chessie Steam Special PC-100
  • Chesapeake & Ohio Power Car 914101 (Privately Owned)
  • ACL Cafe Car "Swarthmore College"
  • SCL "Vassar College" No. 765348
  • SCL "Cameron Pass" # 765310

Rolling stock

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The Gold Coast Railroad Museum has over 50 pieces of railroad rolling stock and equipment. They are currently in the process of selling of some of the equipment to continue to operate a financially stable museum.[6]

Model railroading

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The Gold Coast Railroad Museum exhibits include a number of model railroads in many scales, including N, HO, O27, and G scale. The collections and equipment on display have been donated or loaned to the Museum for the public's enjoyment.

Publications

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  • Steam N' Steel Newsletter - published monthly
  • Model Railroad Magazine - published online

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Railinc, Search MARKs Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine, accessed September 2009
  2. ^ Florida Statutes, Section 15.045
  3. ^ "Gold Coast Railroad Museum - Train Rides". Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2014-02-16.
  4. ^ "NASA Railroad rides into sunset". Florida Today.
  5. ^ Crown Metal Products Locomotive Roster
  6. ^ "Florida's Gold Coast Railroad Museum offers 20 pieces for sale in transition plan | Trains Magazine". Trains. 2019-08-13. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
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