National NY Central Railroad Museum completes new track

ELKHART, Ind. -- Crews have been hard at work over the past year laying down a new track for the museum’s amusement style train ride.

Volunteers laid 1,500 spikes and 4,000 ties all by hand, with the final golden spike being driven into the track last week.

The golden spike represents a piece of history, symbolic to the 1869 connection of East and West Coast Railroads, which were also connected by a golden spike.

The track will be inaugurated this Saturday at the museum’s Halloween event. There will be treats for kids, games and activities, and free train rides on the newly renovated NIBCO Century Flyer track.

The museum also turned one of its real passenger cars into a haunted rail car, complete with interactive Halloween decor like a true haunted house.

The fun helps support the work the museum does year-round, including renovations like its newly added Lionel train display, originally displayed in Robertson’s Department Store in South Bend.

The next steps include adding ballast, park benches and a stationmaster house to the track, bringing the experience closer to one you would have on a real train.

The museum relies on volunteers to help make projects like these possible. If you’re interested in volunteering, you don’t need to have any special railroad training or knowledge beforehand.

Just contact the museum directly at 574-294-3001 to learn more about volunteer opportunities.