The town of Darwin, born on the banks of the railway and marked by the boom of trains that crossed Argentina between the end of the 19th century and the mid-20th century, protects a strong railway identity that it recovers through the Railway Museum, an institution that through of different elements and images recalls the golden years of the activity and highlights local history.
Motivated by the organization of the first Railway Worker Festival, the Museum was created in 2010 with the aim of showing the population the material linked to the railway and highlighting its importance not only for the province, but for the town that was a strategic point of the road that linked Bahía Blanca with Zapala and completely crossed the lives of its inhabitants.
Currently, travelers visit it from Tuesday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. who stop to visit this gem on the side of Route 22.
A growth story
Although the first station was founded in 1898, ten years later a new one had to be built as activity was becoming more and more fluid, to the point that in 1934, with the population increasing, houses were built for railway workers.
With this very marked identity, the museum was transformed into an exhibition place where there are currently elements that were contributed by neighbors or workers who lived in Darwin and turned this space into one of the most picturesque and important spaces that the province and the Patagonia Argentina in its entirety.
It is a very complete institution in which all railway sections are represented, including the locomotive shed, towed material, the station, track and works, as well as the health system, Primary School No. 34 and the Darwin Club. that were born out of the need of working families.
In the facilities there are also photos that recall the local history and the social activity of the time and some unique and original elements that are preserved in optimal condition and allow you to travel to the past such as a coal bucket that was used to supply steam locomotives. and which has the image of the Queen of England engraved, very old telephones in excellent condition and some paper envelopes in which sweets were sold on board the train.
A life linked to the railway
One of the promoters of the Museum is Raúl Galván, who is currently in charge of visitor services: “I spent a lot of time wanting to make a Railway Museum, so I kept things from different places with that goal. The railway means a lot to me because my father was a railwayman, I was born from railway roots, I spent my childhood in houses in the railway colony, in contact with the train.”
As the years went by, Raúl’s life continued to be linked to his origins: “During my adolescence I traveled a lot on passenger and freight trains with my father, who took me on trips. Then I started working on the railroad, because before, the children of railroad workers had priority to enter and I took advantage of that opportunity very proudly. I dedicated myself to telecommunications and if I could go back in time and choose an activity I would choose the same one because I learned a lot,” he said.
Source (text and cover photo): Río Negro Government House Press
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