he Southeastern Narrow Gauge & Shortline Museum is located in Newton, North Carolina, northwest of Charlotte, and represents a unique preservation effort dedicated to to the rich history of narrow gauge and shortline railroading in the southeastern United States. Based at the historic Newton Depot, which has been relocated and restored to reflect its original early 20th-century design, the museum complex highlights the vital role smaller railroads played in the economic and industrial development of the region. Newton was served by the narrow gauge Chester & Lenoir, which arrived in 1882 but was converted to standard gauge by 1902. The museum campus straddles the former mainline of the Carolina & Northwestern Railway, a Southern Railway subsidiary. This line ran north to Lenior and south to Gastonia and beyond, but today only a short segment remains in Newton: a Norfolk Southern industrial branch serving one online customer south of the museum and connecting to the Asheville mainline.

The museum grounds feature three structures: The Newton Depot was saved from demolition by the railroad in 1995 and moved to its present location in 1997. The inside includes a meeting room and many exhibits on regional railroad history, including the technological innovations that allowed narrow gauge and shortline railroads to thrive despite the challenges of difficult terrain and limited resources. The Alexander Railroad is heavily featured, as the shortline has been a generous benefactor to the museum. Next door, the Model Railroad Center features a half dozen layouts in various gauges as well as a gift shop. One HO layout models the mainline railroad in the Newton area.

Outside and across the track, the Alexander Railroad Pavilion was opened in 2016 to house and feature an interesting dual-gauge collection of historic locomotives, railcars, and rolling stock. The museum's primary partner is the Alexander Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, which owns a majority of the equipment and museum artifacts, and performs the restoration work. The collection is anchored by some of the oldest wooden narrow gauge rolling stock preserved in the southeast. Steamer #50, a Cooke Mogul built in 1922 for sugarcane work in Cuba, came to the museum after longtime display in Florida. Prized in the collection is Alexander #6, a 1953 Alco switcher donated by the shortline and still in operation. Expansion plans will provide the switcher more trackage for running.

In addition to its static displays, the Southeastern Narrow Gauge & Shortline Museum offers guided tours and educational programs designed to engage visitors of all ages. Special events, such as train-themed festivals and model railroad exhibitions, provide additional opportunities for visitors to connect with railroad history in an interactive way. The museum is operated by the Newton Depot Authority and the Alexander Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.