I recently stopped by the Monticello Railway Museum while passing through Monticello, Illinois on a road trip.  Here are a couple of pictures from the too few hours I spent there.

Every kid's fantasy -- running the train!  (Don't tell anyone, but this is a static model that doesn't operate, but I can dream, can't I?)  Seriously, the Monticello Railway Museum has a "Throttle Time" program where for $75.00 you get a half an hour of "observation time" in an operating engine followed by half an hour of actually being the engineer (under another engineer's supervision of course!)  (Yes, I will be making my reservation very soon for my "throttle time"!)

Here is a picture that salutes the professionalism of the volunteers running this museum and restoring its equipment. 

Is it 1959 or 2001?  You tell me as there are no obvious giveaways.

For more information, visit the museum's home page.