NCTM

On May 21st, the VMT staff and a few volunteers traveled to Spencer, NC to take a tour of the North Carolina Transportation Museum.


Despite being qualified museum professionals ourselves [*cough*], we were happy to receive a guided tour to tell us about the exhibits, the collection, and the facilities. Here, we've stopped to learn a bit inside the museum's automobile exhibit, Bumper to Bumper.










Unlike the VMT facility, the museum in Spencer occupies multiple buildings, each housing a different exhibit. Luckily, we enjoyed great weather in Spencer, though our Fearless Leader (center) came to regret a long sleeve shirt in the heat.











The NCTM is also home to the North Carolina Transportation Hall of Fame. This is a terrific idea, honoring figures integral to North Carolina's transportation heritage. Orville and Wilbur Wright are among the first people honored here. This inspired us to consider such a tribute in Virginia. To our knowledge, no such honor exists in the Commonwealth, and who better to do it than the VMT?













The primary exhibit in the museum is its collection of railroad equipment and rolling stock, housed ingeniously inside the Spencer Shops round house. This is an ideal building to house this collection, and boy is it big. The pieces in their collection are in immaculate condition. Here is the Southern Railway #6900. We'd get up close and personal with another Southern engine soon.







Steve, practicing his Deer-In-The-Headlights look. It's ok, Steve, you can climb on these exhibits.














In a reminder of home, the railway post office car included a slot for our native Roanoke. Interestingly enough, there is an enigmatic slot labeled only "Virginia." Were Roanoke and Richmond so important that they were the only Virginia cities worth their own slots? Meanwhile, Greensboro got two slots, twice as many as Philadelphia or Washington, D.C..






Easily the most exciting aspect of the museum are the live train rides. Here, the VMT crew head to board their chariot, another Southern diesel humming in the distance.

The museum's live train rides cover the length of the Spencer Shops, traveling by old and new buildings. Tour guides talk about each over an intercom as the train passes them.






Museum work has its perks. For example, when invited on a tour of another museum, you get to ride in the cab of one of their engines!

Here, the engine passes the Gift Station (right) and the backshops building (left) still under renovation. When finished this building will house a larger aviation gallery and other exhibits.

The engine is on its way back to the round house.




Also, we got to take a ride on the turntable itself. Many thanks to our kind hosts at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. Come on up and see us and let us return the favor!