I had the pleasure of visiting the Austin Steam Train Museum. The museum is home to the Austin & Texas Central Hobby Railroad.

The Austin & Texas Central (A&TC) refers to a model and live steam railroad founded by John Carroll Enders, Sr., in 1931. Inspired by the H&TC, Enders developed a personal railroad that evolved from O scale to HO scale and eventually to live steam, with a permanent site established at the Hi Iron Ranch near Manor, Texas, in 1972. The railroad hosted numerous live steam events and continues under the stewardship of Enders’ grandson, Stephen Balkum.

The following pictures are from my visit. I hope they will inspire you to visit the museum and schedule a trip on one of their trains.

Please see The Austin Steam Train Association for more information about the Austin Steam Museum and train rides

Please see The Evolution of Transportation in Texas: From Early Settlers to Modern Railroads for a great overview of railroad transportation in Texas.