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Our Museum
is an open-air museum open from the first Saturday in May until the last
weekend of October. We have approximately 100 pieces of historic and
classic railroad equipment parked on the property. Not all equipment is
accessible for viewing because the Museum also serves as an operating
railroad and a restoration facility. Trains frequently move on the
property so we do not want visitors to step accidentally into the path
of moving equipment or to trip over parts that are waiting to be
installed on a rail car. If, during the season, you are interested in seeing a particular
piece of equipment that is on our property please call our office in
advance of the day you would like to visit. We will attempt to schedule
a volunteer to escort you. The office hours and phone number appear on
the left.
The ground is leased from the Noblesville Parks Department and is
part of Forest
Park. However, we operate independently of the park.
Almost everyone that performs museum operations and functions - from
the engineers that operate our trains to the people that cut the grass -
are volunteers. Most have full-time jobs so they are only available to
the Museum on weekends. Therefore, usually the Museum is only open on
Saturdays from 9am to 5pm and on Sundays from 10:30am to 4pm. If
particular trains depart earlier in the morning, then the grounds open
30 minutes before the first departure. An example is our train to the Atlanta
New Earth Festival. The first trains to Atlanta on those days depart
Forest Park at 8:30am so the Museum opens at 8am on those days.
Admission to the Museum is $3 for adults, $2 for children age 2 through
12 and free for children under 2 years of age.
Hobbs Station
In addition to railroad equipment awaiting restoration the Museum is
home to a train station that was moved from the town of Hobbs. During
most of the year our trains depart from just outside Hobbs Station. If
you are riding a train departing from the Museum then you will pass
through this station to get your tickets and board the train.
The room in which train tickets are sold also serves as a gift shop.
We sell t-shirts and sweatshirts decorated for our events or equipment.
We sell other souvenirs of the Museum such as pens, pencils and mugs
along with other rail-related items such as photos of classic
railroading and railroad equipment from the collection of Jay Williams.
We also offer cold beverages from Pepsi and usually have packaged snack
items for sale. When you come to ride a train you may want to make a
purchase in our gift shop.
The train station/gift shop can be reached by phone at (317) 776
7887. Please remember that the station is staffed only on weekends and
then, usually by only one person. We may be unable to answer your call.
You can leave a message but we may not listen to it until the end of the
day or possibly later.
The other half of Hobbs Station is our dispatching office and crew
reporting room. Each train that operates on our railroad must have
authorization from the dispatcher on duty. Every train's qualified crew
members (conductor, engineer and brakeman) must sign on and off duty in
the dispatchers office.
Equipment
Listed below are just a few examples of items in our collection.
 ITMZ
426 - EMD GP-7L
This unit was built for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis RR (Nickel
Plate) and was one of 25 units that was put into service at Frankfort, IN,
on July 22, 1953. Read more.
 ITMZ 200 - EMD GP-9
No. 200 was built in 1954 for the Union Pacific. The "GP" (General
Purpose, or Road Switcher) series of diesels were introduced by the Electro
Motive Division of General Motors with its
GP-7 in 1951, to replace steam engines on branch line, switching, and
miscellaneous duties. Read more.
 NKP
587 - Baldwin Light Mikado
Built in September 1918 this is perhaps the best
remaining example of a USRA light Mikado steam locomotive built by Baldwin. Read
more.
 Budd
Passenger Coaches
The fleet
of closed window coaches maintained by the ITM are streamlined, stainless steel
equipment manufactured by the Budd Corporation in 1937 and 1938. Read
more.
 NKP 1
This car served
as the premier business car for the Nickel Plate Road for many years. It was
built in February 1929 by the Pullman Standard Company. Read
more.
 FEC
90
Florida East
Coast (FEC) No. 90 is a private railroad car built in 1898. This car served as
a rolling hotel suite for Henry Morrison Flagler. Read
more.
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