🚂🚂🚂Tuscumbia Train Depot Museum Built 1888

Tuscumbia was the first railroad in Alabama and the fourth in the USA.
Located at 204 West Fifth Street, Tuscumbia.
Constructed in 1888 by the Memphis and Charleston Railroads

Tuscumbia Train Depot  back view

Tuscumbia Railroad: First Railroad west of the Alleghenies

Tuscumbia Rail Depot front view 

In 1948, a new depot was built along Shop Pike in Sheffield, and the 5th Street Depot was
donated to the City of Tuscumbia for a Community Center.
My grandparents celebrated their 50th Anniversary at the 5th Street Depot in 1976.

Golden Anniversary Celebrations 1976
5th Street Community Center (Old Tuscumbia Depot

The bell came from a real Tuscumbia steam engine, and school children love to ring it. 

JW Kiser, who had worked for the railroad, convinced the Southern Railroad to donate the bell to Woodward Avenue Baptist Church. It was used to signal children that it was time for Sunday School.

The church no longer used the building,  which was donated to the Tuscumbia Train Depot on October 21, 2007.

Waiting for the train & a Long stick used for sending messages

Railroads use lights and hand signals so that trainmen and workers can "talk."  The signs were first used over 130 years ago, before people had radios. Railroads needed men who could send signals from far or near. Many times, the signalman would be too far away to use a whistle or horn. Colors, lights, and hand signals were all used.

Color Signals

On the railroad, different colors have to mean Something to send a message. Flag color signals are:

Red - Stop

White - Go

Green - Go slowly  - caution!

Blue flags are placed on a car or other object on which men are working.

STOP! Swing the lantern across the tracks.

SLOW DOWN! Hold at arm's length when the train is moving.

GO is straight up and down.

GO BACK! Swing up and down in a circle at half an arm's length across the track, when the train is moving.

TRAIN HAS PARTED! This tells the trainmen that cars have come loose, going up and down in a circle at the whole arm's length when the train is running.

DO NOT GO! APPLY BRAKES! Swing straight above your head when the train is standing.

GO! RELEASE BRAKES! Hold at arm's length above your head when the train is standing.

Ticket Counter
When the ticket window opened, it averaged about 30,000 tickets a year. 

WWII of the 718 R.O.B. UNIT -CIT F.T.O.

The fighting 718th Railroad Operating Battalion brought home a souvenir from Germany when they captured a railway station in Germany.

https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfThe718thRailrayOperatingBattalion

The 718th was given the territory from Folligny to Mayenne and to Rennes, a substantial section of the French railroad, to operate. Along with this came the responsibility of maintaining a single track from Pontabault to Cayenne and from Ponterson to Fougeres, and a double track from Folligny to Dol, with French maintenance of a double track from Dol to Rennes. 

Railroad operations were conducted under permissive block during blackout conditions. 

Flagging with a fusee and a lantern was permitted only in emergencies during the blackout. Crews going out on a run never knew when they might get back. 

The carriage owned by the Keller Family used to pick up teacher Anne Sullivan. 

This carriage, owned by the Keller Family, was thought to be used by Captain Arthur Keller to pick up Anne Sullivan at the Tuscumbia Train Station. 

Anne rode in the buggy with Captain Keller down the long drive that was lined with magnolias to Ivy Green. Anne spotted Helen waiting for her on the front porch. Tporchherchange the livporchof both Helen and Anne forever.