Planes, trains and automobiles: The Wheels Museum is celebrating 30 years — here are five items that honor transportation history

Editor’s note: Journal Arts Editor Adrian Gomez tells the stories behind some of the hidden gems you can see across the state in “Gimme Five.”

Transportation has evolved immensely.

Today, electric cars are zooming across cities, meanwhile the days of coal-powered trains are less in vogue.

Yet, when one enters the 21,000-square-foot Wheels Museum in Downtown Albuquerque, they are immediately transported to a time when the rail lines ruled as “the” mode of transportation.

Planes, trains and automobiles: The Wheels Museum is celebrating 30 years — here are five items that honor transportation history

It’s a place where Leba Freed feels at home.

“The Wheels Museum started in 1994,” Freed says. “It’s a 30-year anniversary this year. We’ve been in seven locations over our time. It’s a special place.”

Located at 1100 Second St. SW, Wheels Museum is currently housed in what the Santa Fe Railroad once referred to as The Storehouse, a long and narrow structure built in 1914.

Back then, an enormous inventory of all manner of parts and supplies for the larger maintenance shops and the entire Santa Fe railroad system in general were kept there.

Today, there are more than 10,000 items from the various eras in railroad history. Not bad for a museum that is run by all volunteers and keeps the admission free.

Freed says the museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving and creating educational exhibits about the history of transportation in Albuquerque and New Mexico with emphasis on the impact on the development of the area.

“Our collections embrace the history of the railroads, the impact of the rail yards on Albuquerque, as well as automobiles, horse and wagon, and other modes of transportation,” she says. “Almost everything is donated and people have given us exhibits. We’re bursting at the seams and we’re looking at other buildings.”

Though there are thousands of items, Freed has picked five standout pieces that are on display for the community to learn about.

1. Wheels Museum building

Built in 1914, Freed says the location and building speak volumes about the museum’s mission.

Wheels Museum is located on the site of the historic Santa Fe Railroad Shops in Downtown Albuquerque. The Albuquerque shops serviced steam locomotives operating on the Santa Fe Railroad.

“This is a building that divided 30,000 locomotive parts a day,” she says. “The workers repaired all of the locomotives here. This is where it all happened. It was the center. Travel was determined on how fast locomotives were repaired here. There’s so much history.”

2. Photography exhibit housed at Wheels Museum

Freed says there’s a permanent photography exhibit that tells the story of the workers who were the heart and soul of the operation.

“We have magnificent photographs of the men and women who worked here,” she says. “There are a few photos where they have coal all over their faces. They worked hard as a team of 2,000, who came together daily for their job. They helped with the war effort. Then women came in at midnight to clean the locomotives.”

3. White ice cream cart with bells

Freed says a white ice cream cart with bells was donated to the museum a few years ago and it almost wasn’t accepted into the permanent collection.

“We had a former board member who didn’t want it in the collection. That board member has since left and it’s now part of our museum,” she recalls. “This is a piece of history because it is also a mode of transportation.”

Freed says there was a visitor who saw the ice cream cart and was reminded of his father.

“He said this is how his father made a living,” she says. “This is the story of New Mexico and how we’ve used wheels to make a living.”

4. Don Morgan train

Inside the building, Freed says there is a train constructed by Don Morgan.

“This wonderful train can have 25 people riding around in it,” she says. “It’s a fantastic way to take a look at the museum.”

5. Wooden FP-303 airplane

Freed says there was a man that came into the museum and gifted the museum a wooden FP-303 airplane kit.

“I couldn’t find anyone to build it,” Freed says. “Two men volunteered to build the airplane. It took about 800 hours and has about a 28-foot wingspan.”

Freed says it’s already built and will be on display soon.

“We want people to see what it takes to construct a real airplane,” she says. “We’ll have it up soon in the museum for everyone to enjoy.”