A rare S-10, super-heated switcher built in 1918, this steam locomotive was used in railyards to move freight and passenger cars from one track to another up until 1956. The locomotive arrived at our museum on September 3, 2002. (See these in Google Photos)

This 1923 wooden car carried produce that was kept fresh by depositing large blocks of ice through the roof at both ends of the car. Colloquially, these cars were given the nickname of 'reefer' - short for refrigerated boxcar. Built by the Fruit Growers Express (FGE), which itself was owned by most major railroads at the time, there were thousands of these cars were in service at their peak. Companies like Pacific Fruit Express and Santa Fe Refrigerator Despatch were also creating their own reefers and could be seen throughout the country. The reefer arrived at our museum on June 11, 2009. (See pictures of labels and signage here) (Photos of items inside here)

The Railway Post Office/Railway Express Agency (RPO/REA) car was constructed in 1924 using steel. For over 100 years, American railroads had an exclusive contract with the U.S. Postal Service to transport long-distance mail. Dedicated mailmen would sort parcels while the train was in transit, a tradition that began as early as 1862. The RPO car arrived at our museum on April 4, 2012.

Built in 1916, this caboose, along with many others, ran on the end of freight trains up until the early 1970s. Cabooses were the offices for the conductor, as well as a home-away-from-home for the train crew. Modern technology displaced the caboose in favor of simpler devices and systems of increased safety. The caboose arrived at our museum on February 27, 2002. (See these in Google Photos)