The Boone Library is housed in a 100 year old L & N freight station that was moved from the Woodlawn area of Birmingham, Alabama to the museum. It is named after long time member and benefactor, the late William (Bill) Boone.
The Collection
The Woodlawn Station building houses most of the library’s holdings. These include over 1400
books; 1100 DVDs/Videos/CDs; rail-fan periodicals, some dating back to the 1930s; employee
magazines—e.g. Ties, L & N Magazine, etc; industry publications—e.g. Railway Age dating back
to 1910; reference books, atlases and encyclopedias; maps, track diagrams, and equipment
blueprints; passenger and employee timetables; photos and slides; and, other memorabilia.
A former U.S. Air Force Guard car attached to the Woodlawn building holds a large assortment
of technical manuals, rule books, ICC reports and other rail-related print materials dating to the
early 1900s.
Our books on American railroads are subdivided by region and also cover passenger trains and
cars, freight cars, steam and diesel locomotives, railroad history, rail fiction and biographies,
depots/stations, international railroads, traction, etc.
The library also houses a collection of children’s rail books both fiction and non-fiction.
Our DVD/Video collection is subdivided like our book holdings. While focused on American
railroads, past and present, it also includes international railroads as well as movie classics and
kid-oriented DVDs. Library CDs feature photo collections of American and southeastern railroad
steam locomotives dating from the 1920s to the 1960s.
We are currently working on a computerized catalogue of all library holdings. When this is done
the catalogue will be linked to this website so that members and the public can find specific
items held by the library.
The Boone Library is open Saturdays from 10AM to 4PM and by appointment on other days. For
appointments call the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum's office at 205-668-3435.