Nairobi Railway Museum

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Nairobi Railway Museum
Locomotive 87 KUR, Karamoja.jpg
KUR 87 Karamoja at the Museum
Nairobi location map.png
Red pog.svg
Nairobi Railway Museum
Location in Nairobi
Established1971 (1971)
Location
  • Station Road
  • 00200 Nairobi
  • Kenya
Coordinates 1°17′35″S36°49′21″E / 1.29306°S 36.82250°E / -1.29306; 36.82250
Type Railway museum
Owner Kenya Railways Corporation
Public transit access Nairobi railway station
Website Nairobi Railway Museum

The Nairobi Railway Museum is a railway museum in Nairobi, Kenya, adjacent to Nairobi railway station. Containing exhibits from the defunct East African Railways, it was opened in 1971 by East African Railways and Harbours Corporation. It is operated by Kenya Railways. [1]

Contents

An unusual exhibit at the museum Railway Bike.jpg
An unusual exhibit at the museum

The museum has maintained its rail connection. This allows for the efficient movement of museum exhibits for maintenance and placing items in the collection.

The three operational steam locomotives are stored securely under cover within the main railway works. Visitors must request an appointment to view them. [1] They have not been used for several years. One of the display locomotives, 301 (2301) was used in the 1985 movie, Out of Africa .

The museum's collection also includes early diesel locomotives and passenger coaches. Friends of the Railway Museum East Africa (FORM East Africa), a concern encompassing Railway and Locomotive enthusiasts, has assisted in sourcing and securing artifacts for the museum.[ citation needed ]

In January 2011, a working miniature railway was installed to enhance activity at the museum. This miniature train was formerly used to promote Kenya Railways (KR) on exhibitions, such as the Nairobi Show. It consists of a locomotive with a petrol-engine, and several coaches made of wood.

Exhibited locomotives

The museum exhibits a number of engines, including: [1] [2]

RailwayNumberNameBuilderClass Wheel arrangement EAR&H numberStatus [3] Image
Kenya-Uganda Railway 327 Vulcan Foundry ED1 2-6-2T EAR 1127Display
KUR 327.jpg
87 Karamoja Beyer, Peacock & Company EC3 4-8-4+4-8-4 EAR 5711Display
Locomotive 87 KUR, Karamoja.jpg
2401Vulcan FoundryEB3 4-8-0 Display EAR 2401.jpg
2409Vulcan FoundryEB34-8-0Operational stored in the main works 3020 in the Workshop for maintenance.jpg
5505Beyer, Peacock & CompanyGB 4-8-2+2-8-4 Display Garratt Locomotive (7513035242).jpg
393 Nasmyth Wilson EE 2-6-4T EAR 1003Display [4]
Tanganyika Railway 301*Beyer, Peacock & Company DL 4-8-0EAR 2301Display
Tanganyika Railways 4-8-0 (7513042176).jpg
East African Railways 2921 Masai of Kenya North British Tribal 2-8-2 Display Nairobi railway museum 01.jpg
3020 Nyaturu North British Tribal 2-8-4 Operational stored in the main works Making Naivasha 01.png
3123BavumaVulcan Foundry Tribal 2-8-4Display Nairobi railway museum 04.jpg
5918 Mount Gelai Beyer, Peacock & Company Mountain 4-8-2+2-8-4Operational stored in the main works 5918 Plunges on.png
5930Mount ShengenaBeyer, Peacock & CompanyMountain4-8-2+2-8-4Displayed at the Uhuru Gardens
Locomotive 5930.jpg
6006 Sir Harold MacMichael Société Franco-Belge Governor 4-8-2+2-8-4Display 5930 the largest Garratt in Africa.jpg
Magadi Soda Company Hugh F Marriott WG Bagnall 0-4-0ST Displayed outside the main railway station
Hugh F. Marriott.jpg

The museum's WG Bagnall engine, Hugh F Marriott, was built in Stafford, England, in 1951. It operated as a switcher at the Magadi Soda Company until 1970. In 2020, it was moved to a display outside Nairobi railway station. [5] *301 was used in the 1985 movie Out of Africa . [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Wall, Graeme (30 October 2009). "Nairobi Railway Museum". Greywall. Greywall Productions. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  2. Wall, Graeme (30 October 2009). "Named Locomotives of East African Railways". Greywall. Greywall Productions. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  3. "Locomotives in Kenya". SteamLocomotive. Sunshine Software. 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  4. Currently plinthed in Jamhuri Park, Nairobi
  5. "Laying the First Rail in Mombasa, May 30, 1896". Worldview 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  6. William Rthi (6 July 2014). "Nairobi Railway Museum, where time stood still - Daily Nation". Nation.co.ke. Retrieved 28 June 2016.