Railroad Museum shares Sioux City’s rail memories

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Sioux City Railroad Museum
Visitors can roam the Sioux City Railroad Museum.

Sioux City was once home to one of the largest railroad repair shops in the Midwest. As part of the Milwaukee Road railroad company, the northwest Iowa city had the company’s second largest repair complex. Milwaukee was the largest for the company.

Today, the former repair shop serves as the Sioux City Railroad Museum. Situated on 30 acres, the repair shop serviced engines and train cars for more than 60 years for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railway (better known as the Milwaukee Road). The grounds once encompassed 50 acres with about 30 buildings.

Sioux City Railroad Museum
Rail workers’ garb.

In 1981, the railroad company went bankrupt, forcing the Sioux City repair shop to close. Over the next several years, the area fell into disrepair. About 25 years ago, a grant was approved for the Siouxland Historical Railroad Association to take over the property and develop it.

Visitors can check out engines, cabooses and other cars in the repair shop. Tools and work areas can also be viewed.

Sioux City Railroad Museum
Engines, cars and equipment inside one of the repair shops.

I enjoyed walking the grounds and checking out the engine turnaround area. It’s not in use today, but the area is well managed and you can imagine the days of cars being moved in and out of the work shop and being turned around.

Sioux City Railroad Museum
The rail yard’s turnaround site.

The museum mixes outdoor and indoor attractions. Most of the train cars on the grounds have been refurbished. Other cars need refurbishment, but are still available for viewing.

Sioux City Railroad Museum
A Milwaukee Road railway caboose.

The repair yard offers train enthusiasts a variety of attractions to enjoy. Rail tracks, a water tower and signs join the train cars and engines for enjoyment.

Sioux City Railroad Museum
A look at the repair yard.

A large model train display takes up a small building. It was fun watching several model trains run along the tracks in front of well-crafted display models.

Sioux City Railroad Museum
Model train display.

We enjoyed our visit to the Sioux City Railroad Museum. It doesn’t take a lot of time to visit the grounds, but the $5 admission can’t be topped. We recommend visiting the museum, which is open late March through December.

For more information, please visit www.siouxcityrailroadmuseum.org or www.visitsiouxcity.org.