The historic railroad structures at the Georgia State Railroad Museum site include a partial roundhouse with operating turntable, partial machine shop, Tender Frame Shop, Blacksmith Shop, Boiler House, Storehouse & Print Shop, Lumber and Planing Sheds, Coach and Paint Shops, and a partial Carpentry Shop which now houses Savannah Children's Museum. Many of these structures are open for visitors to explore.
Description
The Historic Railroad Shops complex is among the finest remaining examples of Victorian railroad architecture and design and is the most intact antebellum railroad repair complex in the country. It was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. On-site displays include antique shaft driven machinery, locomotives and railroad stock, model train layouts, an operating turntable, and the oldest portable steam engine in the United States. The Historic Railroad Shops offers a valuable educational experience for students and has also become a popular local tourist attraction.
The complex has been maintained as the Georgia State Railroad Museum and a general industry museum by the Coastal Heritage Society with the assistance of the City of Savannah.
Site history
The Central of Georgia Railroad started as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833, and built a passenger station, freight terminal and some shops in the Louisville Road area of Savannah around 1836. However, none of those structures remain today. By the mid-1840s the railway had expanded to 190 miles (310 km) of track, and the CG began construction of new shops in 1851.[6] The first completed building was the carpenters' shop in 1853, followed by the original roundhouse, machine shop, tender frame shop, blacksmith shop and several other buildings in 1855. Additional buildings were constructed at the complex into the 1920s.[7]
The roundhouse, turntable and other structures were rebuilt in the late 1920s after a major fire in 1923, as well as to accommodate larger locomotives and rolling stock.[6] Passenger trains operated to the Central of Georgia Depot until 1971.[8]
In 1989 during the filming of Glory, City Manager Don Mendonsa and Historic Savannah President Gordon Matthews toured the site. Troop were there in uniform ready for filming. Gordon suggested to Don that Scott Smith, who had led the restoration of nearby Ft. Jackson, had the talent and experience to begin the restoration project. At that point a sign on a wall identification of the two drinking water stations - one for whites and one for black. SCAD students had crawled under fences to use many of the walls for graffiti then. Scott brought his blend of historian, engineer, communicator to then start the project with the support of the City of Savannah.
Transition to museum
The Southern Railway purchased the CG in 1963 and closed the Savannah shops.[7] Subsequently, the railway transferred the complex to the City of Savannah. The Coastal Heritage Society, a non-profit organization, opened the museum on the site in 1989.[9]
Museum facilities
Museum attractions include:
Massive roundhouse with an operating turntable (length 85 feet (26 m))
^U.S. National Park Service. "Central of Georgia Railway: Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities." National Register of Historic Places No. 78000970. 1978-06-02.
