There is a unique museum in the capital of the state of Rondônia. This museum is dedicated to the history of the so-called "damn" railway - Ferrovia do Diabo - which connected Madeira and Mamoré. Although this transport artery is no longer active, the Museu da Estrada de Ferro Madeira Mamoré is still holding memories of that time.
Ferrovia do Diabo was built by 1912. For its time, it was an incredibly large-scale structure comparable to the Panama Canal. It is known that its creation cost many thousands of workers' lives. At the beginning of the 21st century, it ceased to function. The former power of the transport hub is now evidenced only by the walls of the museum. In 2005, it was included in the List of World Heritage Sites in Brazil.
The Madeira Mamoré Railroad Museum is one of the main attractions of Rondônia. Although its collection is not large: in 2014, a massive flood occurred on the Madeira River, which flows through Porto Velho. So some of the exhibits had to be removed to restore or preserve. Still, there is something to see: items from the old railway, fragments of tracks, and the Coronel Church locomotive. By the way, the latter was the first steam-powered locomotive in South America.
Also, on the territory of the Museu da Estrada de Ferro Madeira Mamoré, there are old technical buildings. For example, the main production building, built between 1908 and 1912. Once it housed foundries, carpentry, painting, and body shops, as well as engine repairs and casting of parts for the needs of ordinary citizens. An active working life continued there until 1972. Not far from the main building on the banks of the Madeira River, there are two loading and unloading warehouses, one of which exhibits a collection of the Railway Museum.
Another interesting object is the Porto Velho Station, built at the same time as the railway. It was intended for selling tickets, boarding and disembarking passengers. The building looks nice: the brickwork is quite well preserved, and in some places, there is a decor in the form of tiles.