There is a popular online myth that a stack of pennies or a single penny could derail a train.
A railway approved way to have a squished souvenir penny to remember your visit to the Train Museum.
While that myth is entirely fictional, there is a grain of truth behind it: A larger, harder object placed on the tracks might cause derailment. Foreign objects on the train tracks can damage the rails and the wheels over time. Small dents and chips lead to uneven wearing and flat spots on the equipment. Combined, this could cause derailment. This is why it is illegal to place anything on train tracks.
Now a stack of pennies would not stay stacked when rolled over by a train. However, there is a real danger to stacking objects in front of a train: physics. If the train rolls over an object just right, it can shoot out at high speeds instead of being flattened. The item becomes a projectile that will damage whatever it hits, including humans.
Trains can be surprisingly silent, and if you are focused on placing items on the track, you may not notice an approaching train until it is too late. Trains are heavy, fast-moving objects that take a long time to stop, which is why it is considered trespassing to walk on and around train tracks outside of designated crossing areas.
The NRM has a penny press machine inside the Snoqualmie Depot so you can still have your penny flattened at the train museum without risk to yourself or others. The penny press is located within the Gentlemen’s Waiting Room of the Depot.
For the safety of yourselves and our volunteers, when visiting the Museum please do not play on the tracks or move things around. Never intentionally place objects on the tracks.
