The Gold Coast Railroad Museum was founded in 1956. The museum was built on the former Naval Air Station Richmond. With over three miles of tracks, the old base was an ideal place to build a railroad museum. The Gold Coast Railroad Museum is one of three Official State Railroad Museums in Florida. It became a Florida state railroad museum in 1984 when it received statutory recognition by the Florida Legislature as meeting the four statutory criteria that: its purpose is to preserve railroad history, it is devoted primarily to the history of railroading, it is open to the public, and it operates as a non-profit organization. The Gold Coast Railroad Museum promotes historical trains and railroads. It houses over 30 historic trains including classic railroad cars like the Western Pacific "Silver Crescent” and engines like the Florida East Coast "113.” The Museum strives to teach railroad history with the use of artifacts, movies, and railroading materials. The Museum includes a number of displays that are interactive. The Museum's train rides allow guests to board vintage trains and get a taste of the past. On certain days, guests can ride in standard gauge railway cars and can also ride in the cab of the train's locomotive. The separate narrow gauge Edwin Link Children's Railroad also offers rides.
The Museum has both steam and diesel locomotives on display. Several of the diesel locomotives are operational and active. Some of the locomotives on location are:
The freight cars and other railroad cars on display include: US Dept of Interior-Bureau of Mines Helium Field Operations - Helium Transportation Car MHAX #1202 Frisco Line Railroad Gondola Car #60053 Port Everglades Railroad Flatcar #1103 Seaboard Coast Line RailroadSteam Crane #765157 Burro Crane #15 Southern Railway Boxcar #260909 Southern Railway Boxcar #27416 Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Boxcar #126307 Belcher Oil CompanyTank Car #105 Belcher Oil Company Tank Car #121 United States Army Side Dump Ballast Car United States Army Flatcar #35703 Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Caboose #0322 Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Boxcar #593188 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Shuttle Rocket Booster "Skirt" car #NALX 171
Rolling Stock
The Gold Coast Railroad Museum has over 40 pieces of railroad rolling stock and equipment. They are currently in the process of selling of some of the equipment to continue to operate a financially stable museum.
Model Railroading
The Gold Coast Railroad Museum exhibits include a number of model railroads in many scales, including N, HO, O27, and G scale. The collections and equipment on display have been donated or loaned to the Museum for the public's enjoyment.
Publications
Steam N' Steel Newsletter - published monthly. Model Railroad Magazine - published online.
