Rochester And Genesee Valley Railroad Museum

About Us
The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum is a project of the Rochester Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, Inc. The museum is run solely by dedicated volunteers and works in partnership with the New York Museum of Transportation to bring the visitor a unique dual museum experience in the railroad and transportation history of Rochester and Western New York.

The R&GV Railroad Museum was founded in 1971 when the Rochester Chapter purchased the Erie Railroad's Industry, NY depot from the then Erie-Lackawanna Railroad for a $1.00. Over the years museum volunteers have carefully restored the Industry depot to its 1930's appearance.

Beyond the depot, the museum's volunteers have built a five-track yard around the depot which allows for the display of some of the museum's railroad equipment. In 1995, volunteers drove the golden spike on a two mile, standard gauge demonstration railroad that joins the R&GV Railroad Museum to the New York Museum of Transportation. The following year joint public museum operations began offering track car rides between the two museums for visitors.

The R&GV Railroad Museum currently rosters over 40 pieces of railroad rolling stock including seven serviceable diesel-electric locomotives, two steam locomotives which are currently under restoration to operating condition, six cabooses, seven freight cars, and several passenger cars amongst other railroad rolling stock. The museum also owns the last remaining Rochester Subway Car #60 which is currently undergoing a multi-year restoration to operating condition.

In 1998, the museum also constructed a 60 foot by 140 foot, two track restoration facility. Work still continues to install the permanent track to the building and complete the interior of the building which will include a locomotive inspection pit and a concrete floor.

The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum is also home to a large collection of historic construction equipment. When you decide to build and run a railroad, you quickly learn how useful it is to have your own construction equipment. With a dedicated group of volunteers who maintain and restore the equipment, the collection has grown to over fifty pieces; most of them serviceable. The historic construction equipment collection is a real asset to the R&GV Railroad Museum!

The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum is operated solely by volunteers and we encourage you to come help out.