Relics of the Rails: Nairobi’s Hidden Railway Museum

Among the prized artifacts stands a 110-year-old Master Clock

Tucked away at the western edge of the bustling Kenya Railways headquarters in Nairobi lies a time capsule of steel and steam: the Railway Museum. This understated sanctuary cradles the secrets of how Kenya’s capital morphed from a nascent railway camp to a thriving modern city.

Step inside, and you’re greeted by echoes of the Uganda Railway’s storied past—an engineering marvel that stitched the fabric of East Africa together. The museum’s treasures range from ship steering wheels to coal-burning shovels, emergency oil lamp containers, and fire buckets dating as far back as the early 1900s. Uniform buttons inscribed with the initials "UR" and dustbins from yesteryears tell tales of life along the railway line, where sweat and grit paved the way for progress.

Among the prized artifacts stands a 110-year-old Master Clock, originally installed as the platform timepiece at Nairobi Station in 1912. Astonishingly, it still ticks away, an enduring witness to the rhythms of train whistles and passenger footsteps. Nearby, a brass alarm bell labeled “Kavirondo 1912” and fire-fighting equipment from the coal-fired wagon era harken back to the volatile days of World War I.

During the war, the railway played a pivotal role in transporting troops and supplies. One of the museum’s most striking connections to this era is its collection of relics from the SMS Königsberg, a German warship sunk in the Rufiji River in 1915 during a fierce battle with British forces. Among the salvaged items are the captain’s dining table, complete with its original chairs, and an ornate sideboard that now graces the museum’s halls. Meanwhile, the ghostly remains of the Königsberg still slumber in the muddy waters of the Rufiji Delta, a haunting reminder of East Africa’s wartime past.

The museum also houses early railway signaling devices, including a lamp container once used to illuminate semaphore signals that guided Uganda Railway trains through the wilderness. For marine enthusiasts, models of vessels from the Uganda Railways’ Lake Victoria service offer a glimpse into a bygone era of maritime travel. Among them is the celebrated Clement Hill, launched in Kisumu in December 1906, and Nguvu, East Africa’s first berthing tugboat.

This unassuming haven is more than a museum; it’s a narrative of resilience, ingenuity, and the pioneering spirit that laid the tracks of Kenya’s history. For anyone with a love of locomotives or an appreciation of the past, Nairobi’s Railway Museum is a treasure trove waiting to be explored.