Texas State Railroad Turntable
The East Texas Weekend Preview — Ever so often, you can catch a historic wonder in action along this railway in the piney woods.
Located in the middle of Maydelle, its hard to miss the massive, rounded structure right beside the railroad that cuts through town.
This fascinating piece of engineering is known as the Texas State Railroad Turntable or “Famous 1890’s Turntable.”
As the name suggestions, this circular platform is designated to move a multi-ton steam engine in various directions to change course for its next desired destination.
Despite being well over a century old, this specific turntable is totally functional and available to occasionally admire.
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From time to time, the Texas State Railroad will perform a demonstration during one of the various journeys between Rusk and Palestine, TX. To witness the turntable firsthand, you can stay up to date on the train’s activities by checking out their excursion calendar. (By the time of publishing this article, it looks like their next demo will be on September 10th, 2026.)
The experience is extraordinary as the train operators fire up this old machine. Letting out a funny *put-put sound, the steam engine will begin to spin at a quite surprising speed.
It’s almost like magic happen before you every eyes, making this a must-see for any East Texas explorer.
The Texas State Railroad Turntable can be found at: 316 US-84, Rusk, TX 75785
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