Railroad museums and heritage railways acquire, preserve, and research the artifacts and history of rail transportation technology. Railroad museums and heritage railways use these artifacts to enable visitors to experience and learn about the role rail transportation played making possible the development and growth of our cities, farm lands and Nation; and how rail transportation gave new meaning to the American Dream.

Technology has been a central part of our history as a product of innovation, a carrier of change, and a tool we use in our daily lives which helps us shape our future. Changes in technologies have changed the way we produce goods, the way we travel and transport goods, and the way we communicate. Evolving technologies have made an ever increasing amount of information available almost instantly.

Technology began to make a difference as early as as about 3500 B.C. when people began to replace their stone tools and weapons with bronze ones. Bronze tools and weapons were more efficient than the stone ones giving those who owned them a competitive edge. Between 1500 and 1000 B.C. iron emerged as a more affordable replacement for bronze. Iron furnace improvements enabled iron makers to continue to improve the quality of the iron and eventually make steel. The development of the steam engine in 1690 revolutionized the way goods were manufactured.

The advent of a steam engine capable of moving itself and a string of cars behind it more efficiently than a horse, they gave birth to what future historians will surely look back to as beginning of the transportation age, closely intertwined with the industrial age which it created it, as one of the great ages in the history of mankind.

Railroad Museums Throughout the West are dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, research, exhibition and interpretation of railroad artifacts for the public's learning and enjoyment. Preservation, research and interpretation of these objects helps communicate the lessons of history, in order that present and future visitors may learn from the past. A partial list of railroad museums in California and Nevada is provided on this web site.

Orange Empire Railway Museum preserves and exhibits artifacts and documents of the rail transportation industry in order to educate the public on the technology, history and impact of the rail transportation industry in the West and more specifically in Southern California. A virtual Visit to Orange Empire Railway Museum is provided as an introduction. Digital Network Express is proud to support the Museum in this endeavor.

Heritage Railroads Throughout the West operate passenger trains along a section of original right of way, often using vintage railway cars and locomotives, for the public's learning and enjoyment. Preservation, research and interpretation of these historic railway lines provide passengers with a first hand experience riding the railroad and help communicate the lessons of history, in order that present and future visitors may learn from the past. A partial list of heritage railroads in the American West a is provided on this web site.

Digital Network Express is dedicated to the belief that preserving a record of what we have done as people within a state and within a nation is important for future generations as they look to the past to understand the world they live in, the past their world is built upon, and for lessons to help determine their future.

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Photo by Richard Boehle
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