1 / 2Railroading Heritage of Midwest America
📍 Silvis, NY
Non-profit railroad heritage organisation in Silvis, Illinois preserving and operating historic steam and diesel locomotives from 1945–1964. Open for special events including Train Days and open houses; school field trips accommodated.
Oohh, where do I start?? The RRHMA in conjunction with NRE, with its facilities, rolling stock, rail equipment, and both steam and diesel motive power has been fantastic!! I'm attending Train Days in April (4/25, 4/26, 2025) visiting from Texas. The facilities are outstanding, the engines a wonder, and the full time crew and hosts are attentive and helpful. Persons by the names Jon Strand, Steve, Zack and an unknown vested gentlemen were all terrific to talk to!! The mini shop walk and dinner were great!! Let's see what the car show and shop tour are all about!!
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Best for train-enthusiast families and school groups wanting hands-on access to real working heritage locomotives. The open-house and Train Days format delivers exceptional close-up access. Not a drop-in attraction — check the event calendar and plan the visit around a scheduled opening.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →19 Google reviews
Robert Bayer
11 months ago
“Oohh, where do I start?? The RRHMA in conjunction with NRE, with its facilities, rolling stock, rail equipment, and both steam and diesel motive power has been fantastic!! I'm attending Train Days in April (4/25, 4/26, 2025) visiting from Texas. The facilities are outstanding, the engines a wonder, and the full time crew and hosts are attentive and helpful. Persons by the names Jon Strand, Steve, Zack and an unknown vested gentlemen were all terrific to talk to!! The mini shop walk and dinner were great!! Let's see what the car show and shop tour are all about!!”
Daniel Smith
11 months ago
“Absolutely amazing to see railroad history being preserved and restored! Came here for one of their open houses and was not disappointed! To see a running DDA40X and a freshly painted warbonnet is amazing! They have both 5511 and 3985 taken apart right now, and it’s incredible to be able to get up close and look inside these two incredible locomotives. I cannot wait until they get one of those two steamers fired up. I will be back to see it!”
Steven Pahl, Sr
3 years ago
“Not yet open to the public in Silvis, Il. This is a worthy organization in the restoration and operation of “Heritage” railroad steam and diesel/electric locomotive and passenger cars. Donations are excepted and used to restore these classic pieces of railroad history!”
Melissa Piliponis
a year ago
“We visited here with my daughter's class for a field trip. It was super informative and lots of fun. Looking forward to attending more events here.”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RHMA) works in partnership with NRE to restore and operate historic locomotives including Union Pacific DDA40X and warbonnet-painted steam engines. Visitors at open houses get close access to engines in various stages of restoration. Train Days events in April draw enthusiasts from across the country. Field trips with educational programming are available for school groups.