The museum is tasked with acquiring, preserving and supplying knowledge about Slovenian railway history on the basis of the national collection.

It is owned by Holding Slovenske Zeleznice, and is located in front of the former Ljubljana Šiška Railway station.

The notion of documenting the history of Slovene railways was born in the 1960s when it was becoming clear that the era of the steam locomotive was drawing to a close.

When the railwayman and woman of Slovenia elected to establish a museum of their own, they chose for its location the former locomotive shed at Ljubljana Siska.

In its formative years, historic vehicles were temporarily displayed only in the 'roundhouse', a semicircular shed forming the centrepiece of the depot.

This was housed in the former railway training school in Kurilniška Street, close by the main site of the museum.

Sound, sight and written communication systems played key roles in ensuring the safe operation of trains between stations.

In 1963, the radio-telegraph as introduced to Slovenian railways as its operations centres were equipped with the required transmitters and receivers.

The need for accurate timing presented itself only with the beginning of the railways in order to respond to the demand for regular and punctual traffic.

These hold the electric block repeaters that maintain communication with the main control frame in the stationmaster's office, from which route orders for trains are despatched.

It is the place where the traffic officer, the station 'chief', sees that all that is required to ensure the safe and regular operation of the trains is carried out.

Historic boundary stones, engraved with the individual railway companies, bear witness in the display to each period.

Such tracks make it possible, for some effort, to transport loads several times heavier than normal roads would allow.

The small trolleys employed to maintain the track and carry their equipment and material were allowed to travel on the ine only by special arrangement.