The Railway Museum of Catalonia (; ) is a museum in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Catalonia, Spain). The museum has a large collection of historic railway locomotives and other rolling stock in a former station and roundhouse. It is located close to the railway station in Vilanova i la Geltrú, 40 km south of Barcelona.

History

The museum opened in 1990 and is located in a former engine shed, built at the end of the 19th century. About 900 workers repaired and maintained locomotives there until 1967, when these activities ceased.

The main building, attached to the museum, contains a library and a collection of railway items such as caps, miniatures, and machinery. The museum also has an auditorium where a film about the history of the railway in Catalonia is shown daily. The reception where visitors enter is the original ticket office from a railway station in the village of La Granada.

In 1972, MOROP, an association that federates national associations of railroad and model railroad enthusiasts, held their nineteenth congress in Barcelona.Associació d'Amics del Ferrocarril de Barcelona The antique locomotives displayed at the congress were stored in the facilities that would later house the museum. In 1981, the centenary of the commercial rail line between Barcelona and Vilanova, the creation of a Railway Museum in the old engine shed was proposed. Renfe and the autonomous government of Catalonia initially led the project. Later the town council of Vilanova joined.

The museum opened on August 5, 1990. In 1993 Renfe made the Vilanova museum a subsidiary of the main museum in Madrid, the Museo del Ferrocarril de Madrid, and the Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles In 2010 the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya established a master's program on Railway systems and Electrical Traction in the museum's facilities in Vilanova.

The museum's collection comprises more than sixty vehicles from all periods of history, diverse countries of origin and different technologies, including 28 steam locomotives from the late 19th century and a copy of the first steam locomotive used in the Iberian Peninsula, still used in demonstrations on the first Sunday of the month. The collection also includes diesel and electric locomotives, coaches, a Bogie type Harlan, a signal bridge, and an original interlocking lever frame table used in the Barcelona central railway station.

The museum's library contains more than 6,100 volumes in its catalog, including works on trains and vehicles, rail traffic documentation, history and legislation, statistics, and infrastructure. The library also houses 400 video recordings and 10,000 photographs.

Locomotives

RefYearObjectNicknameManufacturerDescriptionImage — 1948 Replica 2-2-2 locomotive Mataró Maquinista Terrestre y Marítima Replica of First locomotive in the Iberian Peninsula to serve the first line (Barcelona-Mataró).Madrid, Zaragoza y Alicante 1681854Steam locomotive 120/2112MartorellSharp, Stewart & Co. ManchesterOldest original locomotive in Spain. Shown in the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.MZA 2461857Steam locomotive 030/2013MamutE. B. Wilson and Company Second oldest original locomotive in Spain, used for general purposes. Andaluces 4 1871 Steam locomotive020-04AndalucesSA John Cockerill Smaller locomotive used in urban areas and for serving factories. MZA 571 1879 Steam locomotive040-2019 Vilanova Sharp, Stewart & Co. In Vilanova i la Geltrú since 1949. Norte 1653 1881Steam locomotive030-2110Perruca Andre Koechlin & Cie Served the North East lines of Spain.Oeste 9 1881 Steam locomotive220-2005 Richard Hartmann For Passenger trains. Oeste 77 1884 Steam locomotive120-2131 Maschinenfabrik Esslingen For Passenger trains. Alcantarilla–Lorca 4 1884Steam locomotive030-2369 Bicicleta (bicycle) Sharp, Stewart & Co. For passenger trains. Alcañiz - La Puebla de Híjar, 41885 Steam locomotive020-210 Teresita/Clot SA John Cockerill Manoeuvring locomotive. Mollet - Caldes, 6 1887 Steam locomotive030-0233CaldesMaquinaria Terrestre y Marítima Initially used for passenger trains, then for manoeuvring. Andaluces, 6 Steam locomotive220-2023Bobadilla Beyer, Peacock and Company For passenger trains. MZA 651 1901 Steam locomotive230-4001 Compound Hanomag Former express locomotive. Ferrocarril Central de Aragón, 11902Steam locomotive030-2471 FCA 1 Marcinelle et Couillet For Passenger trains. Ferrocarril Central de Aragón, 53 1906 Steam locomotive060-4013Mallet-Compound Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (subcontracted to Esslingen) Used for hauling heavy materials. Norte 31011909 Steam locomotive230-2085 Hanomag For Passenger trains. MZA 1155 1913 Steam locomotive240-2135Mastodonte Henschel & Sohn General-purpose locomotive. Ferrocarril Central de Aragón, 741927Steam locomotive240-2074 Mastodonte Tubize General-purpose locomotive. 115 km/h maximum speed. FCA 101 Steam locomotive462F-0401 Beyer-Garratt Euskalduna, Bilbao Temporarily transferred to a depot near the town of Lleida. MZA 18081939 Steam locomotive241F-2108Linda Tapada Maquinista Terrestre y Marítima (Barcelona) General purpose locomotive. RENFE 151.5001 1942 Steam locomotive151F-3101Santa FeMaquinista Terrestre y Marítima Heavy and powerful locomotive. Renfe Steam locomotive Renfe240F-2591 Euskalduna (Bilbao) Renfe1953 Locomotores de Vapor 141F-2101/2348Mikado North British Locomotive Company A Mikado locomotive in this museum was the last steam locomotive in service in Spain. Norte & Renfe 7001 1928 Electric locomotive270-001 Chata Electric locomotive. Norte & Renfe 72061928Electric locomotive272-006Crocodile Electric locomotive. Estado i Renfe 1004 1929 Electric locomotive280-004 CAF SECHERON (Gipuzkoa) Used on narrow-gauge lines in the Pyrenees. Renfe 78071954Electric locomotive278-007Panchorga USA Electric locomotive initially in passenger service, then as a freight locomotive.Renfe 7652 Electric locomotive Alstom276-052 For express train haulage. Norte & Renfe 91651935 Automotor590-165 EUA Light autonomous for short distances. Ou (Catalan for "Egg") 1940 Dresina de via i obres Transport for service personnel (12 seats). 3T1950 Locomotive350-003Talgo II Talgo trains For Hauling Talgo expresses.1801 1958 Diesel locomotive318-001 Marilyn American Locomotive Company (ALCO) Servicing Galicia (North-West) lines. Talgo 1983 Diesel locomotive Talgo354-001 Virgen de Covadonga Krauss Maffei (Alemanya) For haulage of Talgo expresses. 2005 T 1964 Cabin of the Talgo III locomotiveVirgen del Carmen For hauling Talgo Expresses.RENFE 281(previously 1000)1927Electric locomotive RipollCAF This locomotive was built to serve the Ripoll-Puigcerdà line. ND

Image Gallery

See also List of museums in Catalonia

References

External links