The North Carolina Transportation Museum

Spencer, North Carolina is the home of the North Carolina Transportation Museum. Located just a few miles east of Salisbury, the museum sits on the main road in town making it easy to find.

Originally this location was the steam engine repair facility for the Southern Railway system. Currently a complex of 15 buildings, only four are open for display although the museum is hard at work to restore the huge Back Shop which was used to perform major overhauls on the steam locomotives. The plans are to make it the main display area and it will have a variety of vehicles and locomotives on display as well as house classrooms.

The buildings that are open for display are the Barber Junction building which is being used as the visitor center, the Master Mechanics office which houses the Wagons, Wheels and Wings exhibit, the Flue Shop which has the Bumper to Bumper (automobiles) exhibit area and the Roundhouse which houses many of the locomotives and train cars, some of which are open for display.

The museum itself is free and during peak tourist season there are train rides and rides on the turntable by the roundhouse. There is a lot of interesting information (like how bleached blue jeans were an accident) and the complex has a lot of potential when the other buildings are eventually restored and completed. I think in five years the museum will be quite impressive, but for now it is certainly worth your time to stop by and wander the grounds. My one complaint would be that neither of the private train cars owned by Mr. Duke (Duke University) or Charles Schwab (investments) were open for display although you could look inside the windows of the Schwab car.

Once you finish your tour of the museum, there is a nice complex of shops across the street to peruse. After all, you didn't spend any money at the museum, right?