The Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum keeps Bellevue’s rail history on display
Run by volunteers, the museum near downtown displays locomotives, cabooses and passenger cars from the railroads that built the town.
Bellevue owes its existence to railroads, and the Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum makes sure visitors know it. On a lot near downtown, the museum displays a collection of rolling stock, signals and railroad memorabilia gathered by volunteers since the 1970s.
The name
The museum is named for two railroads that shaped the town: the Mad River & Lake Erie, one of Ohio’s first railroads, which reached Bellevue in 1839, and the New York, Chicago & St. Louis, known as the Nickel Plate Road or NKP. We tell that history in Around old Bellevue.
What is on display
The collection includes locomotives, cabooses from several railroads, passenger and mail cars, and smaller items such as lanterns, signals and timetables. Visitors can walk through some of the cars. Among the pieces is Wabash No. 671, one of the museum’s best-known exhibits. Volunteers, many of them retired railroaders, lead tours and share stories.
A working rail town
Trains still rumble through Bellevue constantly, thanks to Norfolk Southern’s huge yard, which we covered in our story on yard jobs. Railfans come from around the country to watch and photograph trains, and the museum is often part of their visit.
Visiting
The museum is generally open on weekends and some weekdays from spring through fall. Admission is modest, and donations help pay for paint, repairs and insurance. Hours and events are on the museum’s website. The museum also welcomes volunteers, including people with no railroad background.
More rail and farm coverage is in Farm & Rail.