St. Louis, MO museum a paradise on rail
Where can you see an 1863 steam locomotive, an FT diesel, the world’s largest tank car, a streetcar and the Katy Flyer? Maybe on a poorly planned model railroad layout, but certainly at the Museum of Transportation in suburban St. Louis, a paradise for the rail history buff and railroad modeler, no matter what era or location he or she models. The St. Louis Museum of Transportation houses one of the largest and best collections of transportation vehicles in the world, proclaims John White, curator emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution. In addition to 150 pieces of railroad rolling stock, the museum includes 100 road vehicles, aircraft and even a towboat. The 1863 steam locomotive is the Daniel Nason, the oldest locomotive in the collection and one of the oldest steam locomotives in the U.S. The 4-4-0 was built by the Boston & Providence Railroad and is the last surviving “insider,”…