It is not possible to overstate how big a year 2025 was for us. Between construction in the car barn, restorations, and everything in operations, this was a momentous year. Before we jump into 2026, let’s take a moment to look back on everything that happened this year.
Thank you to everyone who made this happen, from our car department who keeps our trains running, to our operations department who runs the trains and puts on all our events, to our museum services department who maintain the crucial connection between our museum and the public, to the most important ones of all: you, our visitors, who show up with your smiling faces every day we’re open and experience a unique slice of history.
Car Barn Extension
Of course the signature happening this year on everyone’s mind was the barn extension. With an all-volunteer workforce, we were able to add storage space for three more cars and a concrete floor, completing the project on time and on budget. Thanks to their efforts, we have more indoor storage space to protect our historic cars from the elements and our Restoration Dream Team can restore and maintain our collection better than ever before.
As if to outdo themselves, as soon as the dust had settled on the extension, the car department announced that they were beginning another extension to the south, to be completed during 2026.
(Re)acquisition of Rio De Janiero 1719
In our early days as a museum, we leased Rio De Janiero streetcar 1719 from Wendell Dillinger and ran it on our rails. Eventually, Mr. Dillinger was able to establish his own railroad and ran it there for several decades in Pennsylvania, ending 1719’s days running along the Fox River. After Mr. Dillinger’s passing in 2024, he willed his railroad to its employees, and through a broker we were able to purchase the car outright and return it to our rails. The car is in need of restoration, but thanks to our car barn extension, we have the space to do it, and hope to carry passengers in an open-sided car on hot summer days.
316 Restoration
After years of hard work, our Restoration Dream Team has brought CA&E 316 back to life after years out of service. This is one of the oldest and most beautiful cars in our collection, dating all the way back to 1913 (well over a century!) Complete with stained glass windows and a marble floor in the washroom, this is a beauty not to be missed!
Soo 117 Restoration
While all eyes were on 316, we also were able to restore Soo Line caboose 117 back to its original paint scheme. When it arrived on our property just two years ago, it was in a dark green livery with its windows painted over, dating from its days as a shoving platform after cabooses had been all but removed from service on freight lines. This year, thanks to the hard work of our Restoration Dream Team, we have restored it to its original beautiful white and red livery that it proudly wore trailing freight trains across the prairie.
Reimagined Members Day
Members Day has been a tradition of our museum for many decades, but this year we made it extra special, including the dedication of our car barn expansion and CA&E car 316, model railroads on display in the barn, rare nighttime trolley runs, and re-creating a historic photo. Over 100 people came out to witness our historic preservation, the best we have seen in many years.
Vintage Voltage Limited
For the first time in many years, we ran a joint fundraiser with the CTA involving an hours-long charter all over the city in a pair of 6000 series railcars that first carried passengers above the streets of Chicago in 1959. Nearly 80 passengers were able to experience vintage rapid transit cars on their home rails, taking in the skyscrapers of downtown, the State Street Subway, the Linden Yard Tunnel, and many other parts of the Chicago L system including a few not normally experienced by typical Chicago commuters.
Santa’s Trolley Express
To close out the year, we ran a revamped version of our beloved holiday train: Santa’s Trolley Express. Complete with hot chocolate, Christmas carol sing-alongs, visits from Santa, Mrs. Claus, and plenty of elves, storytelling, and reindeer humor, this beloved event instantly became a holiday classic for all the visiting families.
45 Cosmetic Restoration
Underpinning the success of Santa’s Trolley Express was the heated waiting area in CTA car 45. This was made possible by yet another project from our extremely prolific Restoration Dream Team, restoring the appearance of the car inside and out to how it looked when it carried passengers above the streets of Chicago. While more work remains to be done underneath to allow it to move under its own power, we can once again proudly display it.
Looking Ahead
We are never ones to rest on our laurels, and we have an even bigger year planned for 2026. Be prepared for:
- A second car barn extension to the south
- Air conditioning in the Wayne Depot
- Operations on Saturday and Sunday all season for the first time in the museum’s history
- All Aboard sensory friendly days
- Caboose train running more often
- Several new special events
- North Shore Line 715 turning 100 years old
- …and more!
With all of that, have a happy new year, and we will see you in the spring!