This month’s Daytrippin’ is a trip to the North Carolina Transportation Museum located in Spencer, North Carolina. The museum is located on the 60+ acre property of the old Spencer Railroad Shops for Southern Railroad. This was the largest locomotive repair facility in the southeast and next to the Norfolk and Southern Main Line. The shop was referenced in the Johnny Cash song “Wreck of the Old 97”.
The museum has a large parking area and train station which is the ticket booth and boarding platform for the train ride. The shops are down a long sidewalk which give a great view of the enormity of the complex.
The museum has displays of various pieces of equipment including trains, planes, trucks, cars, and displays of railroad history. A number of the displays are interactive and great even for small children. The facility has a number of volunteers to answer questions and are always eager to assist in any way.
The centerpiece of the museum is a turntable and the massive roundhouse. The roundhouse is home to a large number of locomotives on display and a restoration shop to restore and maintain museum equipment. The back shop is a very large building that displays North Carolina Transportation history. They have a passenger plane and ground vehicles from Piedmont Airlines, fire trucks, and Tractor Trailers from Akers and Carolina Transport. They also have a nice assortment of other vehicle and antique artifacts with a tie to the history of the area.
In addition to the Roundhouse and Back Building the Flue Shop host the Bumper-to-Bumper automotive display that includes old patrol cars and other rare vintage vehicles.
Some things to do at the museum is to take a train ride. They offer turntable rides for a small fee and the complex has picnic tables to enjoy a snack. The Spencer Shops are located across the street from downtown Spencer and withing walking distance of food including some of the classic North Carolina BBQ.
The museum hosts numerous events throughout the year including a Fire Truck Festival, Easter Bunny Festival, Tractor and Train Show, numerous Auto Shows, and a Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine. The museum has something for all ages and keeps you well entertained. Events at the complex are very comfortable and do not seem crowded because of the size of the campus.
The museum is located 240 miles from Walterboro along I-85 in Spencer, North Carolina. The property is very large with numerous displays. You can easily spend hours looking at all the exhibits. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes, take your time, grab a lunch, and come back in the afternoon. The website has all the information you will need to make the most out of your trip, nctransportationmuseum.org.
