Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum

The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum is located just south of Birmingham in Calera, Alabama.  From Interstate 65 exit 228, head west just over ½ mile and turn left (south) onto Ninth Street.  The museum is about ¼ mile down the street. While there are billboards along the Interstate, directional signage at the exit and in town would be beneficial.

The museum includes a rail yard, two depots, a collection of steam and diesel locomotives, maintenance-of-way equipment, passenger cars and signaling equipment.  In addition, offices, restrooms and a large gift shop are onsite.  The museum is the official railroad museum of the state and conducts excursions on several days throughout the year along six miles of its own track between Calera and Springs Junction.  The museum owns another four miles of right of way to the old Shelby Iron Works in Shelby, Alabama.

We visited on a Saturday in early November, 2013.  No trains were scheduled to run on that day, so we could roam throughout the complex.

The Calera Depot houses the ticket office and is the former Wilton Depot of the Southern Railway from the early 1900s

The Woodlawn Depot is a former L&N Freight Depot originally built in 1904

This Davenport 0-4-0 fireless locomotive was built in 1953 for the Barry Generation Plant of Alabama Power

This Baldwin 2-8-0 Consolidation was constructed in 1924 for the  Battson-Hatten Lumber Company in Mississippi

The Lima 0-6-0 was built in 1944 for the US Army Transportation Corps

EMD SW-8 2019 was built in 1951 for the US Army and saw service in Korea

Locomotive 2022 is another 1951 SW-8 that was used in Korea

Locomotive 2 is a 1951 Whitcomb 25-ton light switcher built for the US Air Force in 1951

EMD SW-1 904, built in 1942 for Memphis Union Station, was badly damaged by a fire set by vandals

Another US Army veteran is this Fairbanks-Morris H12-44 built in 1953

Passenger cars include open-air converted flat cars

This Sante Fe Chair Car was used on the El Capitan between Chicago and Los Angeles beginning in 1950

Chicago and North Western bi-level Gallery Car 7710

Restored interior of C&NW 7710

Built by the Budd Corporation in 1953 for the Santa Fe, the car was named by Chooch & Warbucks in 2007

Burlington Northern extended-vision caboose 10522 was built in 1970 by International Car Company

Wheelsets stored outside the shop

"Philadelphia Turntable Company No. 384"

150 ton derrick built for Southern Railway in 1926

Working collection of crossing signals

A visitor center, gift shop, offices and rest rooms are housed in this modern building

There is no admission charge to visit the museum, but there is a charge for train excursions.  Contact the museum for current schedules and prices.  Memberships are available and donations are accepted.

The museum website is http://www.hodrrm.org/.