Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway and Museum

Explore Our Collections

Explore Our Collections

Welcome to the collections of the Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway and Museum. We are dedicated to preserving the rich railroading heritage of northwest Ohio for future generations.

Preserve the history of railroads of northwest Ohio through educational museum displays and motorcar/train rides.

Our mission drives everything we do. We place special emphasis on artifacts connected to the historic Clover Leaf Route (Toledo, St. Louis & Western Railway) during its most active years, while also preserving other significant pieces from local and regional railroading history.

Our museum collection continues to grow steadily. We are actively acquiring historically significant artifacts through purchases from reputable sellers and through generous donations of items from individuals, families, and organizations.

In addition to donating or selling physical railroad artifacts, we welcome financial contributions to our dedicated endowment fund for acquisitions. These funds enable us to pursue important pieces that become available and ensure the long-term growth and care of our collection.

If you are interested in contributing to our endowment fund for acquisitions or have questions about supporting our preservation efforts, please visit our Contact Us page.

To donate or sell historical railroad assets (physical items), visit our dedicated donations page.

Housed in our climate-controlled museum building, the indoor collection features a thoughtfully curated selection of smaller, detailed artifacts. These include tools, lanterns, signals, documents, photographs, uniforms, china, paper ephemera, and other items that offer intimate glimpses into railroad operations, daily life of railroaders, and the human stories behind northwest Ohio’s rail heritage.

View Indoor Collection →

Our outdoor displays feature large-scale preserved equipment set in an open-air environment. Highlights include vintage locomotives such as the 1920 Detroit Edison No. 202, the 1941 Whitcomb No. 1, and the 1953 ALCO S4 No. 5109, along with cabooses, freight cars, and other rolling stock. These impressive pieces let visitors experience the size, engineering, and operational power of historical railroad machinery up close.

View Outdoor Collection →

We invite you to explore both collections at your own pace—whether you begin indoors with our detailed artifacts or outdoors with our impressive rolling stock. Each offers a unique window into our shared railroad heritage.

Plan your visit today and experience living history at the Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway.