After our visist and excursion on the Strasburg Rail Road, I walked across the street to the Railroad Museum of Pennsyvvania and sat on the bench since we could not enter the museum until 12:15 PM. I decided to take pictures of the locomotives on display outside.
Railroad Museum of PennsylvaniaThe Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is located on the east side of Strasburg along Pennsylvania Route 741 and is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission with the active support of the Friends of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.
The museum's collection has more than 100 historic locomotives and railroad cars that chronicle American railroad history. Visitors can climb aboard various locomotives and cars, inspect a 62-ton locomotive from underneath, view restoration activities via closed-circuit television, enjoy interactive educational programs and more. It was created to provide a historical account of railroading in Pennsylvania by preserving rolling stock, artifacts and archives of railroad companies of the Commonwealth. However, the museum has branched out over the years, acquiring some pieces that are not directly related to Pennsylvania, but are important to the history of railroading.
In addition to full-size rolling stock pieces, the museum offers a number of other commodities, which include several model railroad layouts, a hands on educational center, a library and archives and a smaller exhibit gallery on the second floor.
Building and groundsThe initial display building opened in 1975 as the first building constructed to be a railroad museum, and featured an operating turntable from the Reading Company. The original building was roughly 45,000 square feet in size and included an observation bridge leading across Rolling Stock Hall, allowing visitors to see the trains from above. In June 1995, Rolling Stock Hall was expanded to 100,000 square feet.
Today, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania covers 18 acres. This includes Rolling Stock Hall, a second floor changing-exhibit gallery, an observation bridge, a hands-on education center called Stewards Junction, an extensive library and archives, a restoration and paint shop and an outdoor storage and display yard. Rolling Stock Hall and the second floor are both handicapped accessible. The yard is subject to weather closure.
A newly designed entrance and gift shop were opened in June 2007. Some larger or more modern engines and cars are displayed outdoors, but a new roundhouse to store some of the larger locomotives is to be built in the near future.
HistoryFor 1939-1940 New York World's Fair, the Pennsylvania Railroad had displayed a number of historic locomotives and cars they had collected over the years. After the fair had ended, the PRR decided to preserve the equipment that was displayed, along with various other locomotives and rolling stock. The equipment was stored away in a roundhouse in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, and looked after by employees. With the state looking to establish a railroad museum and PRR successor Penn Central looking to rid itself of the collection in the late 1960s, it was decided the museum was to be built directly next to the Strasburg Rail Road in Strasburg. The engines were moved to the Strasburg Rail Road, where they were stored while the museum was under construction. A large number of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Historic Collection was sent to Strasburg coupled together, forming the "Train of Trains."
The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania was officially opened to the public on April 1, 1975. As the museum acquired more equipment, they required more space, so in 1995, Rolling Stock Hall was expanded by 55,000 square feet. In the next few years, the addition of a roundhouse is expected to be built to house some of the larger locomotives that are currently stored outside. In all, the museum holds roughly 100 pieces of rolling stock, some nearing 200 years old.
LocomotivesSome of these engines had operated on the Strasburg Railroad for a number of years before being put back on display. PRR 1223, famous for its use in the 1969 film "Hello, Dolly!" and PRR 7002 (originally 8063), a re-creation of the famous original PRR 7002, which set an unofficial land speed record in 1905 by traveling at 127.1 miles per hour. Both were leased to the Strasburg Rail Road and retired permanently in 1989.
Other historic locomotives are featured at the Museum, including the famous "Lindbergh Engine", PRR 460, which completed a 6-year cosmetic restoration November 2016, and the oldest PRR locomotive 1187, built in 1888. The 1187 is placed over a pit, so visitors may go underneath and see the locomotive's underside. The official steam locomotive of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, PRR 3750, famous for pulling President Warren Harding's funeral train, is on display outside. Two replicas are also included in the Pennsylvania Historic Collection, the John Bull (locomotive) (originally built in 1831) and the John Stevens (originally built in 1825).
Other locomotives in the collection include two PRR GG1 locomotives, the original prototype PRR 4800 and PRR 4935, Amtrak E60 603, and the Tahoe, a 2-6-0 built in 1875 for use on the Virginia & Truckee Railroad. They also have two fireless steam locomotives (Bethlehem Steel 111 and Pennsylvania Power & Light 4094-D), and examples of the three most common geared locomotives: a Shay locomotive (Leetonia Railway 1), a Heisler locomotive (Chicago Mill & Lumber Company 4), and a Climax locomotive (W. H. Mason Company 1). The museum's most recent acquisition is Amtrak AEM-7 915 donated by Amtrak in 2015.
CarsThe museum also has a large collection of rail cars. Many of these are examples of cars seen on the Pennsylvania Railroad, including a P70 passenger car, a B60 baggage car and an N5 caboose. There are also several wood-bodied freight and passenger cars. Also on display is PRR 1651, one of the first all-steel passenger cars.
Our visit
Pennsylvania Railroad DD-1 class electric locomotive 3936 and 3937, built by the railroad in 1911. 1910 ushered in an era of great expansion on the PRR with one of their largest projects being the opening of Pennsylvania Station on Manhattan Island. Tunnels were dug under the Hudson and East Rivers to connect the station to PRR mainlines. With these new underground tunnels, the amount of smoke produced by steam engines made their use off limits in the tunnels.
This meant a new locomotive was needed; so the electrics entered to fill the need for a smokeless mover through these tunnels. Through a joint project, PRR and Westinghouse developed what would be the DD-1’s that got their power via a third rail running parallel to the standard tracks. Despite having two road numbers the engine ran as one locomotive. DD-1 3936-3937 ran into the Penn Central Period and would finally be retired after 57 years of service in 1968.
Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 4935, built by the railroad in 1943. The much talked about GG-1 was the result of a desire to have a reliable, fast, powerful and numerous other requirements all in one electric locomotive package. In the end, the final product proved to be better than anyone including PRR could have hoped for. Two separate electrics were ordered initially before a decision was made on which electric to go with. One set was ordered to be built by Baldwin with GE components that was essentially two 4-6-0’s articulated back to back, the class GG-1. Baldwin and Westninghouse built the other set equivalent to a 4-8-4 locomotive on a rigid frame, the class R1. The former was the clear choice after some trials and the GG-1 was officially adopted by the PRR.
The first of PRR GG-1’s No.4800 has the distinction of being not just the first GG-1 built, but also being the only one to have a riveted body instead of welded body. 4800 was given the name "Old Rivets" affectionately and served until almost 1980.
Amtrak AEM-7 915 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1975. Prior to the adoption of the AEM-7, there was little in the way of of new electric locomotives in the United States. The E60 was the newest but sadly it would not prove to be an apt replacement for the GG-1. With that reality in mind, in the late 1970's, Amtrak turned to Europe and their long history of electric rail service for the next successor. One of the most successful examples they turned too was built by Allmanna Elektriska Aktieboag (ASEA) of Sweden and with some adaptation for the North American railroads the AEM-7 was chosen.
AEM-7s stateside were built under license by Electro-Motive Division at their La Grange, Illinois facility. AEM-7’s were adopted by other east coast railroads as well but Amtrak allotted for 54 of the 65 purchased. If there was to be a worthy successor to the GG-1, it was the AEM-7 as after around 35 years of service, they were finally retired and 915 arrived at the Museum in 2015.
Reading Railroad 56-seat coach/14-seat smoker observation car 1 built by Budd Company in 1937. The Reading Company launched a new premier passenger service from Philadelphia to Jersey City. In search of a name for the new streamliner, the Reading held a contest among Philadelphia school children, paying the winner $250. The Crusader debuted on December 12, 1937 to a great fanfare. Sleek and elegant, the train was designed for passenger comfort and operating efficiency. The five-car train included a diner in the center and an observation coach at each end, thereby eliminating the time-consuming need to turn the whole train around at each terminal. Two of the Reading's G3a class Pacific-type steam locomotives were clad in a matching cloak of stainless steel to complete the train.
It was sold to Canadian National where it was numbered 304 and remained in service until the early 1980's. then was purchased by Friends of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in 1983 and moved to Strasburg.
The museum opened at 12:15 PM and I went inside and showed my NRHS badge to gain entrance.
Railroads Transformed The Pennsylvania Landscape display board.
Faster, Sleeker, Safer display board.
Linking People To Products Like Never Before display board.
Pennsylvania Railroad 4-4-0 1223, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1905. The locomotive was retired in 1950 and later borrowed by the Strasburg Rail Road beginning in 1960. It would once again return to steam service in 1965. It also pulled daily tourist trains and special excursions on the Strasburg Rail Road from 1965 until 1989.
This locomotive had a star-lit career, appearing on the silver screen in "Broadway Limited" (1941) and "Hello, Dolly!" (1969), as well as several television documentaries and commercials.
Pennsylvania Railroad 4-4-0 7002 built by the railroad in 1902. It gained fame on June 12, 1905, when it reportedly set a ground speed record of 127.1 mph, making up time west of Crestline, Ohio. In 1939, the Pennsylvania Railroad prepared to send this engine to the World’s Fair in New York, only to find it had been unceremoniously scrapped. The Pennsylvania Railroad chose another locomotive, 8063 as a "stand in" at the Fair. With no time to change its appearance, it debuted as 8063. In 1983, it was leased to the Strasburg Rail Road, where it operated until 1989. By the 1949 Chicago World’s Fair, the locomotive was shown off in all its glory as 7002, under the banner of being the World's Fastest Locomotive.
Bethlehem Steel Corporation 0-4-0F 111, built by Heisler in 1941. Fireless steam locomotives use no fire to make steam. Instead, steam, generated by a stationary steam engine, is charged into the locomotive's boiler, which heats up the water already in the boiler to make more steam. One advantage of the fireless locomotive is that it does not produce smoke or sparks, which is particularly beneficial when operating in industries where a fire hazard exists.
Pennsylvania Power Light Company 0-8-0F 4094, nee Hammermill Paper Company 4 built by Heisler in 1940. In an era when large industries often purchased their small switch engines, hired their own crews, and performed the work themselves, the fireless steam locomotives became very popular. Onsite boiler houses provided a steady source of steam, and the locomotives were like a thermos bottle on wheels, filled with enough steam to operate for several hours and undertake work in such areas as munitions factories and textile mills.
This engine was originally built and streamlined for its appearance at the 1940's New York World’s Fair to show off Heisler's manufacturing capabilities and is the only 0-8-0 fireless, and ultimately, the largest one of its kind ever built.
Pennsylvania Railroad Cog 0-4-0 "John Stevens" built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1939. It was gifted to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in 1979 by Penn Central Corp and is a reproduction of an 1825 steam locomotive experiment produced for New York World's Fair exhibit.
Reading Company 0-6-0T 1251 built at the Reading shops in 1918. Known as a roundhouse "goat", 1251 was an industrial switching engine used to move locomotives in and out of the shops. Since the Reading shops built more than 620 completely new locomotives and rebuilt hundreds of others, 1251 was kept busy for many years. It was the last standard-gauge steam locomotive in daily operation on a class one railroad in the United States.
Cumberland Valley Railroad combine built by the railroad in 1855. The line gained great importance during the Civil War, shuttling troops and supplies toward the front line in the South. This car may have played a role in that effort. It became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad's "relic" collection and was displayed at numerous expositions and public events. It incorporates an unusual walkway alongside the baggage compartment, a feature that may have been added after it was built. There is also an extra baggage-room window along the gallery. This car is believed to be one of the oldest surviving wooden passenger cars in the United States.
Virginia & Truckee Railroad 20 "Tahoe" built by Burnham, Perry, Williams & Company, (Baldwin Locomotive Works) in 1875. With 1,445 employees in 1870, Baldwin was building hundreds of locomotives each year, including this one built for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad in Nevada, where it hauled silver ore and bullion from the mines of the Comstock Lode.
The ornately decorated "Tahoe" once featured brass trim, finished woodwork, gold leaf, and a bonnet style smokestack (an original feature that was restored) as part of the original Baldwin paint scheme, typical of the 2-6-0 locomotives of the 1870s. During its lifetime, its fuel supply changed from wood (1875) to coal (1907) to oil (1911).
Pennsylvania Railroad 4-6-0 5741, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1924. This was the standard Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotive for commuter service for two decades.
Pennsylvania Railroad E7A 5901, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1945. Due to be scrapped shortly after retirement, quick thinking on the part of railroad employees saved the locomotive, hiding it for a time in an abandoned section of the Harrisburg roundhouse. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission raised the $20,000 scrap value to purchase it in 1976. The 5901 and sister engine 5900 were the first diesel-electric passenger locomotives built for and delivered to the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Pennsylvania Railroad 0-4-0 94 built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1917. It was retired in 1956 and all the remaining PRR 0-4-0 switchers retired the following year. It is the sole surviving Pennsy A5s and was loaned to the museum by Penn Central in 1969 and then finally donated outright in 1979.
Pennsylvania Railroad baggage combine "4639", built in 1894 in the Pennsylvania Railroad's Altoona Shops. Complete with ornate kerosene lamps and coal stove, this car was outshopped with six-wheel trucks for heavy-duty mainline service. This car has been displayed at world's fairs and transportation exhibits from coast to coast, and has been loaned to the Strasburg Rail Road through the courtesy of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
Pennsylvania Railroad GP9 7006, built by the railroad in 1955. It was gifted to the museum in 1985 and was repainted in its original PRR livery at Altoona in 2002.
Pennsylvania Railroad GG-1 4935 built by General Electric and Pennsylvania Railroad in 1943. As the Pennsylvania Railroad embarked on its ambitious electrification project in the 1930's, it continued to develop and test new locomotive designs. The goal was to produce a new electric locomotive capable of pulling heavy passenger trains at speeds of up to 100 mph. The Pennsylvania Railroad chose the GG-1 as the foundation of its new roster of electrics.
After a prototype was built, the Pennsylvania Railroad hired industrial designer Raymond Loewy to improve upon the overall appearance of the GG-1 for the production models. Among his many refinements to the look of them were their welded, instead of riveted, bodies and iconic "cat's whiskers" pinstriping. When 4935 was restored in 1977 to its 1943 appearance and re-dedicated in Washington’s Union Station, Loewy placed his signature on the locomotive’s nose. 4935 also pulled the last run of a Railway Post Office in July 1977.
Conrail GP30 2233, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1963. It was one of the last locomotives painted Conrail blue by former employees at the former Pennsylvania Railroad/Penn Central/Conrail Juniata Shops.
Pennsylvania Railroad E44 4465 built by General Electric in 1963. Referring to its pair of three-axle trucks and boxy carbody, train crews often called the E44's "bricks". The unit served the PRR in freight service for five years before becoming part of Penn Central and finally Conrail. Amtrak considered using the big electric for maintenance-of-way service on the Northeast Corridor until newer federal regulations addressing the use and disposal of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), a toxic chemical used to cool the transformer, made its operation cost prohibitive. This sole unit was officially turned over to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania on April 27, 1991 and was the last electric locomotive built for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Pennsylvania Railroad 40 foot box car 19103, built by the railroad in 1961.
Penn Central covered hopper 32367, built by the railroad in 1955. The Pullman Standard Company developed common design and construction techniques that standardized rail cars of all kinds. The covered hopper carried bulk commodities of cement, sand and other dry aggregates in hoppers that could be found on railroads large and small.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company ordered 400 Pullman Standard cars as kits and sent them to their own large shop complexes for assembly. Pullman Standard built an additional 300 cars for the Pennsylvania in their own Butler, Pennsylvania facility.
The car was marked with a yellow "S" by Penn Central to denote the fact that it was used by the company’s "S"tores department, which used it to haul locomotive sand to terminals around the system.
Pennsylvania Railroad ore jenny 13182, built by the railroad in 1964. Iron ore, essential in steel production, is one of the heaviest products to be shipped by rail. Specialized cars, known as "jennies", were built to replace open hoppers in transporting this commodity. The smaller jenny was cheaper to build and maintain, as well as lighter and more efficient to operate. Jennies were unloaded by rotating upside down in a rotary dumper.
In winter, railroads needed to find solutions to deal with the tendency for ore to freeze inside the cars. They tried coating the exterior of the cars with foam to prevent freezing and inserting steam pipes into pockets to thaw frozen loads.
Western Maryland Railway exclusive business car 203, built by the Pullman Company in 1914 and designed as a mobile office for high-ranking railroad executives. It was built for the use of Carl R. Gray (1867-1939), president of the Western Maryland Railroad and other senior officers and included accommodations for up to four executives, with a dining room, kitchen, pantry, crew quarters, lounge and two master bedrooms, each with a shower. The interior was remodelled in 1954 by Dorothy Draper, decorator of hotel and automobile interiors.
Business cars were used to entertain clients, prospective shippers, customers and business partners, as well as the occasional perk of a private excursion. It was also used to observe the condition of the track and the performance of the train crew. An onboard staff consisted of a train secretary, steward and chef. The Rockefeller family were frequent guests, and were said to have filled the observation room with a large sandbox when their young grandchildren were along.
Pennsylvania Railroad B-1 5690 built by the railroad in association with Westinghouse Electric & Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company in 1934 and retired in 1971. Passenger trains required servicing at major terminals, needing to be broken apart, cleaned, serviced, inspected and reassembled for their next departure. The passenger coach yards needed small and powerful switchers that could be operated on the overhead electrified wires. As passenger revenues declined in the 1950's and 1960's, railroads scaled back on both electrified coach yards and these switching locomotives.
5690 was constructed with the last group of B1 electric switchers, often running around the clock moving empty passenger cars across the yards and spent most of its life in New York's Sunnyside Yard.
Pennsylvania Railroad instruction car 492445, ex. Pennsylvania Railroad air brake instruction car 1928, nee Pennsylvania Railroad Railway Post Office Car 6517 built by the railway in 1910 and retired in 1966. One of the most critical components on any train is its brake system. An employee's knowledge of the proper use and maintenance of these complex systems could mean the difference between life and death. Consequently, railroads required employees to complete training and exams on a two-year schedule. To reach the thousands of employees across the Northeast, the railroad sent the instructor and the classroom to the students.
The interior of the car includes an instructor’s office and walls lined with cutaways and working examples of each type of brake system in use on the railroad. The car's restoration is one of the most thorough and historically documented projects at any railroad Museum to date.
Locomotive simulator from Norfolk Southern 2898.
Pennsylvania Railroad baggage-railway post office 5403, built by the railroad in 1892. Railroads began delivering mail in their earliest days, initially hauling mail in bulk. In 1864, postal clerk George Armstrong initiated the idea of sorting the mail in transit, and the Railway Post Office concept caught on quickly. Railroad postal workers picked up the mail at station stops or grabbed it en route from a mail crane with a long metal hook. They sorted it into racks and pigeonholes in the car for either direct delivery or transfer to another train or some other mode of transportation.
In 1871, the Railway Mail Service employed 650 clerks in Railway Post Offices traveling more than 12 million miles a year. By the 1950's, air travel and automated sorting machines began moving mail faster than the Railway Post Office. The last run of the Railway Post Office was in 1977; although, bulk mail was delivered by Amtrak until 2004.
This car is the only known railway postal car lighted by the Frost Carburetter System of Car Lighting, which ran on gasoline and lighted each car independently with a "vastly enlarged volume of light".
Vulcan Iron Works Valley shop switcher built by Vulcan in 1930. It spent its entire operating life switching at the shop and was retired in the 1960's. In 1973, it was bought by Harold Cox and Ed Blossom, who moved it to Dushore, Pennsylvania, where they were restoring streetcars. Blossom then donated it to the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton in the 1990's, where it was to be used to move trolley cars in places where there were no overhead wires. Declared surplus, it was donated to the railroad museum in 2006.
W.T. Smith Lumber Company 2 truck Heisler 4 built by Heisler in 1918. At some point, W.T. Smith sold it to the Angelina Hardwood Lumber Company, of Ferriday, Louisiana where it was renumbered 6. It then went to the Chicago Mill & Lumber Company of Tallulah, Louisiana, where it was renumbered 5.
Seeking to add examples of all the major Pennsylvania locomotive builders, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission bought 5 from Chicago Mill & Lumber in 1965 for the museum. It was repainted as Heisler 4 before going on display.
W.H. Mason Lumber Company Climax 4 built by Climax in 1913 and retired in 1956. Pennsylvania lumberman Charles Scott approached the Climax Manufacturing Company, makers of farm implements and oil-drilling rigs, to design a steam locomotive to help get timber off the mountain. 4 was sold to W. H. Mason Lumber in Elkins, West Virginia in 1948 where it worked for another eight years before being sold to the Edaville Railroad, a heritage railroad then operating in South Palmer, Massachusetts. Edaville ceased operations in 1991 and the steam engine was sold to the museum the following year.
Leetona Railway Shay 1, ex. Ely-Thomas Lumber in Fenwick, West Virginia 2 1954, exx. Beech Mountain Railroad 16 1953, exxx. F.C. Cook 16 1950, exxxx. J. Natwick and Company in Alexander, West Virginia 16 1949, exxxxx. Cherry River Boom and Lumber in Richmond, West Virginia 16, nee Enterprise Lumber 4 built by Lima Locomotive & Machine Company in 1906.
Retired in 1964, the locomotive was bought by the museum in 1966 and restored to look like one of the Shays that operated on the Leetonia logging Railway in the Pine Creek area of Pennsylvania, although it never actually worked on the Leetonia. The ten mile line connecting Leetonia with the New York Central at Tiadaghton through the rugged Pine Creek gorge had a relatively short life. Opened in 1899 it ceased operations in the early 1920's by which time most of the lumber had been milled out. None of the Shays that operated on the Leetonia has survived.
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie caboose 508 built by the railroad in 1950 and retired in 1991. The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, established in 1875, connected the steel centers of Conellsville, Pittsburgh and Youngstown, Ohio. Only 120 miles long, the P&LE served most of the major industries in the region, providing it the most revenue per mile of any railroad in the United States. This lucrative traffic earned the road the nickname "Little Giant" and made it an attractive acquisition for the New York Central. The Central, which owned a controlling interest in the railroad, used the line to compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad.
The P&LE also had strong ties with its eastern interchange partners, the Baltimore and Ohio and Western Maryland. The B&O ran most of its freight via the P&LE through Pittsburgh since its own mainline faced sharp curves and steep grades. The Western Maryland interchanged large amounts of freight as part of the "Alphabet Route", a cooperative venture between several eastern railroads to provide competitive long-haul service. Despite being controlled by the NYC and later Penn Central, the P&LE remained profitable and was not included in the 1976 Conrail merger. With its on-line and interchange traffic curtailed by the decline of the steel industry and mergers, the P&LE was finally force to merge, becoming part of CSX Transportation in 1992.
Controlled by the New York Central, the P&LE adopted many of the larger road's designs for equipment, including cabooses. 508 is one of 10 bay window cabooses built to NYC plans As freight cars grew taller, the traditional cupola-style caboose provided limited forward visibility. Climbing the ladder to the cupola also presented a challenge and safety risk on a swiftly moving train. 508 is believed to have spent most of its career in and around the Aliquippa Yard in Beaver County. Railroad Museum volunteer Earl Kinard purchased the caboose upon its retirement, accompanying it to Lancaster County and subsequently donating the car to the Railroad Museum.
American Car and Foundry tank car 4556 built by the company in 1939. Pennsylvania, the state with the first oil well, also built the railroad tank car. The early design had two large vertical vats on a flat car. It evolved into horizontal iron and, later, steel tanks with one or more domes to facilitate loading and allow for expansion of liquid during travel.
The American Car and Foundry Company, which had its origins in Milton, Pennsylvania, became one of the nation's largest builders of tank cars. This car consists of three separate compartments, each equipped with its own dome and unloading port. It could haul multiple cargoes on a single trip and could also be loaded and unloaded quickly. Heating coils kept its lading fluid in colder months.
Fruit Growers Express refrigerator car 57708, built by Fruit Growers Express in 1924. Before the advent of the refrigerated car, Americans were limited to foods that could be grown locally. This new transportation technology not only kept produce fresh but also revolutionized the meat-packing and brewing industries by centralizing production. Before mechanical refrigeration, ice was the key. Workers loaded blocks of ice through roof-top hatches. As the ice melted, the water drained through chutes in the corners. Insulated walls, three inches thick, and a built-in circulating system driven by the car's wheels cycled the cool air from floor to ceiling.
Pennsylvania Railroad baggage car 9356, built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1926. Baggage cars had a variety of uses on American railroads. The staff included a baggage clerk and his staff of handlers to handle shipping crates, mail bags, express packages, steamer trunks, and parcels. They hauled the load on a motorized wagon to the loading platform where strong backs heft the varied cargo onto the car.
In some cars, such as the 9356, the work was carried out en route, requiring a work desk, pigeonhole sorting racks, steam heat, electric lighting, water cooler, safe, and a restroom for the agent.
Pennsylvania Railroad P58 1651, built by the railroad in 1906 and retired in 1930. Prompted by the enormous safety hazards of coal-burning steam locomotives using the new Hudson River Tunnels, the Pennsylvania Railroad developed the first prototype of its new steel passenger cars. The 1651 proved unsatisfactory as a genuinely "fireproof" car, because of the amount of combustible materials still present. As a result of this dissatisfaction, it was the only one of its kind ever built, though it paved the way for a new production model.
Although there were combustible materials still in the car, most were treated to resist flame. Steam heat replaced the coal-fired, pot-bellied stoves, and electric lights replaced oil lamps. To minimize the dangers of "telescoping", the engineers had specially designed enclosed vestibules at each end of the car. For public comfort, the 1651 had both reversible and non-reversible seats, restrooms, and drinking water.
Delaware & Hudson wooden box car 19607, built by American Car and Foundry Company in 1907 and retired in 1970.
Lehigh Valley wooden box car 75073 by the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1935 and retired circa 1970./P>
Pennsylvania Railroad hopper car 33164, built by Schoen Pressed Steel Company in 1898. It is the earliest all-steel Pennsylvania Railroad freight car in existence.
Pennsylvania Railroad coach P70 1006, built by Standard Steel Car Company in 1928 retired in 1967. Steel cars became the new standard for safety and service, as well as durability and cost-effectiveness. The original steel cars followed the designs of earlier wooden coaches. Engineers quickly saw advantages in the new construction methods that made cars longer, lighter, long-lasting, and cheaper to build. The new cars could be modernized with lounges, observation sections, air conditioning, steam heat and rotating seats.
The Pennsylvania Railroad quickly set the standard for all-steel service, ordering passenger-baggage, baggage-mail, mail and dining cars of similar construction and used several manufacturers to build a total fleet of over a thousand P-70 coaches.
Pullman Company 8 lounge-buffet-solarium "Lotos Club", nee 10 lounge-observation "El Quivira" built by Pullman Company in 1913 retired in 1967. Named after a fashionable men's literary club in New York City, the car is typical of the all-steel sleeping and lounge accommodations of the heyday of railroad travel. These cars came in many different dining and sleeping arrangements and ran on different railroads. They were noted both for comfort and the fine service of the Pullman Porters, African-American men hired by the Pullman Company to serve as sleeping car porters.
The club-type cars were placed wherever and whenever they were needed, often offered for use for private parties. Family and friends of Elmer Layden, one of the famed "Four Horsemen”"of Notre Dame, leased this car for its final run from Chicago to South Bend for a Notre Dame football game.
Coudesport and Port Allegheny snowplough built by the Russell Company between 1889 and 1894. Heavy snowfall and icy weather could bring a railroad to a halt, disrupting both freight and passenger service. Snow plows were the railroad's first line of defense in a raging snowstorm. Early wedge plows attached to engines were considered dangerous if it were to hit a fallen tree or hidden debris on the track. The design of this Russell snowplow allowed for greater visibility, giving a crew member perched in the pilot house the ability to see obstructions ahead, and increased strength with its heavy, timber-frame construction.
This plough was designed for single track use and includes a "flanger" underneath that removed snow and ice from the insides of the rails. The flanger could be raised or lowered to avoid damaging switches and grade crossings.
Pennsylvania Railroad 2-8-0 2846, built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1905 and retired in 1956. At the dawn of the 20th century, the Pennsylvania Railroad billed itself as the "Standard Railroad of the World", emerging as a clear leader in American railroading. Most of the road’s freight trains were pulled by various "H" class locomotives. Even among a class of 2,029 units, no two H6 locomotives were exactly the same.
2846 received special accessories over its lifetime. These included a superheater to further dry the steam on its path between the boiler and the pistons; a power reverse lever on the engineer's side; and a rare pipe from the steam dome to the pilot wheels on the fireman's side used in winter to discharge steam over frozen switch points.
Lehigh Valley bobber caboose 9606, built by the railroad in 1890 and retired 1937. The caboose served as the conductor's office where he kept track of the train's paperwork, including its freight shipments. The car also provided accommodations for long journeys and nights away from home. The conductor often shared this office with a brakeman who assisted in throwing switches, coupling cars and protecting the end of the train.
With a short, rigid, four-wheeled truck and un-cushioned couplers, this type of caboose earned the nickname "bobber", referring to its rough ride. Fortunately, "bobbers" were usually limited to slower and shorter branch line runs.
Reading Railroad electric multiple unit 800 built by Bethlehem SteelCompany in 1931 and retired in 1980. On July 26, 1931, regularly scheduled, electric train service began to suburban Philadelphia communities, and electric multiple-unit passenger cars were intended to replace steam on these lines. These multiple-unit passenger cars accelerated faster and afforded passengers other amenities such as electric heat and reduced noise and smoke. 800 and other Reading multiple-unit cars had spring-loaded high-voltage bus connectors on the roof that energized the other cars when contact was made. This permitted the operation of a multiple-unit train with only one, but typically two, pantographs raised – a departure from needing every pantograph raised. This virtually eliminated sparking and reduced wear and tear on the overhead wires.
A 10.8 mile commute from Philadelphia to Chestnut Hill that once took 40 to 44 minutes by steam train was reduced to only 29 minutes by electric train.
Pennsylvania Railroad 2-8-2 460 built by the railroad in 1914. On June 11, 1927, Charles Lindbergh was honored for making the first solo, nonstop, transatlantic flight. This event in Washington, D.C. was filmed by several news companies, many of whom sent their film by airplane to theaters in New York City. One company, the International News Reel Corporation, sent their film by railroad. The train, pulled by engine 460, raced toward New York City at a top speed of 115 miles per hour. Even at that speed, it was still beaten by the airplane. However, the films delivered by airplanes still needed to be developed, while the films aboard the train were processed en route and were shown in theaters first.
Huntingdon & Broad Top Mountain Railroad caboose 16, built the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1913 and retired in 1954. Introduced in 1903, the ND class cabin or caboose was the first to use steel in its under frame. Previous cabooses used only wood. Although only used in the under frame, the use of steel added strength to the car and gave the crew some measure of protection if struck from the rear.
Cabooses were designed so that the crew could observe and protect the train and its contents from damage. They were also used as rolling offices for freight conductors and as quarters for the crew. Since cabooses were only intended for the crew and not for the movement of goods, they were considered non-revenue equipment, which meant they made the railroad no money. For this reason, railroads were slow to adopt steel in their construction.
Pennsylvania Railroad test car 490398, built by the railroad in 1961. Because railroads often billed clients on the tonnage of goods handled, it was necessary to have accurate scales built on special sidings. Scales needed to be calibrated on a regular basis. Specially-designed cars were built to maintain a fixed weight. They were built of metal to avoid splintering and absorption of humidity. Unnecessary shelves and ridges were eliminated, and even air brakes were omitted to avoid variance in weight.
Once weighed in on a master scale, the maintainers sealed and locked the car's compartments. It was then ready to serve as a test car to assure the accuracy of the scales. The sound construction and regular maintenance led to the car's unusually long service life. When retired, this scale test car was the oldest car in continuous service on a Class 1 railroad in the United States.
Pittsburgh, Youngstown and Ashtabula Railroad hopper, built by Barney and Smith Car Company in 1895 and retired in 1939. Pittsburgh, Youngstown and Ashtabula Railroad connected the steel mills of Pittsburgh with the shores of Lake Erie. Their primary commodity was coal. Early coal hoppers were made mostly of wood, lacking the capacity and endurance of the steel hoppers to come.
The prototype for this car was known as the "Potter Gondola Car", named after Pennsylvania Railroad Superintendent, G.L. Potter. It features sloped end sheets and discharge doors that assist unloading with the help of gravity, the first step in the evolution of hopper cars from gondolas.
John Bull replica passenger car used by John Bull replica 2-4-0 1, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1940.
John Bull replica 2-4-0 1 built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1940. The original John Bull was purchased by the Camden and Amboy Railroad from British locomotive builder Robert Stephenson and Company. Shipped to America in parts, and without any instructions, young engineer Isaac Dripps assembled the locomotive in ten days. Many modifications were soon made, including a tender, a headlight and the first cowcatcher.
When it absorbed the Camden and Amboy Railroad in 1871, the Pennsylvania Railroad acquired the original John Bull, restoring it for the Centennial Exposition in 1876. In 1884, the Pennsylvania Railroad donated the locomotive to the Smithsonian Institution, which allowed them to operate it at fairs and expositions for more than 50 years. For the 1940 New York World’s Fair, preservation concerns prevented the railroad from operating the original John Bull, so they built a working replica, which also ran at the 1948-1949 Chicago Railroad Fair.
The replica locomotive was used under steam for a 1946 Pennsylvania promotional film and at the 1948-49 Chicago Railroad Fair. Once in the collection of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, the replica John Bull was restored and operated under its own power several times between 1983 and 1999.
Pennsylvania Railroad specialized baggage car 6, built by the railroad in 1882 and retired in 1909. From the earliest days of railroading, merchants recognized the appeal of using the fast passenger train schedules for shipping. As business flourished, the railroad developed specialized baggage cars to handle everything from passengers’ luggage to express parcels. An on-board baggage handler ensured that all baggage arrived safely at the proper station.
Baggage cars were usually grouped at the “head end” of the train immediately behind the locomotive, for safety, security, and ease of unloading. Once railroads began hauling valuable shipments, they installed bars in windows, strong locks on doors, and provided baggagemen with firearms for protection.
Pennsylvania Railroad Express Car 6076, built by the railroad in 1899 and retired in 1939. Mail and express shipments made up some of the railroad's most lucrative business. The railroad companies developed the express car to handle high value shipments, adding heavier doors and locks and fewer and smaller barred windows. The railroad leased this car to the Adams Express Company, a forerunner of the Railway Express Agency, and later FedEx or UPS. Adams Express Company further modified No. 6076, adding small ventilators, floor drains, and a gutter running down the center of the interior. These changes indicate that the car saw service as a market car, hauling produce. Sometime after 1919, 6076 became a tool-and-block car used for maintenance-of-way service.
Pennsylvania Railroad coach 8177, built by the railroad in 1896 and retired in 1939. As the 19th century grew to a close, railroads were increasingly under attack by lawmakers and the travelling public, demanding greater safety. The 8177, though still primarily constructed of wood, added several safety appliances. These included the automatic coupler and air brake, now mandated by federal law.
An early semi-enclosed vestibule provided protection from the elements and the rocking of the train as passengers and crewmembers crossed between cars. A ladies’ lounge area and separate bathrooms at opposite ends of the car for men and women also provided privacy. These improvements provided a smoother and more comfortable ride as well. As with many other wooden passenger cars, 8177 was transferred to maintenance-of-way service in the 1910's.
Pennsylvania Railroad business car 3556, built by the railroad in 1886. The late 19th century passenger train featured many elegant details: stained glass clerestory windows, golden oak panelling, silver-plated chandeliers and rich, red plush seat cushions. 3556 also had toilet facilities and a "brass spigot" connected to a water tank for drinking water. Despite their opulence, however, these wooden cars were always a safety hazard. The impact from train collisions could cause an engine to "telescope" another coach from the rear, crushing passengers and upsetting hot stoves, setting the cars ablaze. The development of steel body passenger cars in the early 20th century made train travel much safer and the 3556 was replaced by an all-steel passenger coach.
Pennsylvania Railroad tank car 500001, built by the railroad in 1966. It was named the "Rail Whale" in an employee contest and remained in service for the Pennsylvania Railroad's successors, Penn Central and Conrail, and was retired in 1995. The Rail Whale is one of two prototypes made and is the sole survivor of its class.
RTT flat car 150643 built by Bethlehem Steel in 1965. It accumulated over 3.7 million miles in service and was donated by TTX Company of Chicago.
Amtrak E60CH 603, nee Amtrak 964, built by General Electric in 1976. In 1975, Amtrak was a young experiment of an entity and they needed to acquire new electric locomotives to replace their fleet of ageing GG-1s. General Electric was making the E60C electric locomotive currently but it was only being used for industrial coal operations over limited mileage at the time thanks to its durable build and 6,000 horsepower. So Amtrak decided to go with the workhorse thanks to its affordable price versus other options for passenger service. The E60s were essentially retired by the end of the 20th Century for the more ideal AEM-7. However they saw a brief resurgence after the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks. With many forced to switch to trains after the jets were grounded, E60s were brought out to pull longer and heavier passenger trains that otherwise would of required two AEM-7’s. This quick resurgence was brief and the workhorse was finally retired.
Leigh Valley RDC 40, built by Budd Company in 1951 and retired in 1981. The RDC was first conceived during the summer of 1948, and was developed in response to a plea by the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad. They sought to replace their worn-out fleet of 1930-era gasoline powered passenger cars with new equipment. The Budd Company took up the challenge and ultimately succeeded in building a car that was both aesthetically pleasing and economical. Luckily the RDC had mass appeal and was sold to 25 North American Railroads and others across the world with some still in service today.
Lehigh Valley coach 40 and its siblings were delivered to the Lehigh Valley Railroad in August 1951 for service on the 26.4 mile branch line between the Hazleton and Lehighton on the mainline. The last service this piece had was on SEPTA's Fox Chase line ending in 1981. The only exception to this retirement was an experimental run on the Strasburg Rail Road in 1988.
Pennsylvania Railroad coach 1650, built by the railroad in 1908. These cars were experimental prototypes built to meet the new demands for all-steel fire-resistant cars. This desire for all-steel cars was the result of the new tunnels built under the Hudson River into New York City. The thought of an accident occurring in the long tunnels with wood cars lit by flame was a terrifying prospect; so safer, more fire-resistant cars were a necessity for the PRR. These prototype builds had reversible seat backs for quick change of directions, electric lighting, steam heat from the locomotive, mens' and ladies restrooms and drinking water dispensers. These cars laid the ground work for the future modern PRR coach cars and are very unique pieces to the Museum.
Pennsylvania Railroad observation car "Tower View", built by Pullman-Standard in 1948 and retired in 1968. "Tower View" and her twin "Mountain View" were built to bring up the rear of the PRR's premier train, the Broadway Limited. Both of these cars are great examples of luxury observation cars. In their own ads, the PRR described the "Tower View" as featuring sofas, easy chairs, refreshment buffet, lounge and other refinements. Even more than that, the "Tower View" boasted a double bedroom and two master bedrooms with showers, radio and wood panelling. The Broadway was combined with the all-coach General at the end of 1967 and the "Tower View" was retired. The Broadway, with the "Tower View" in tow, was the last all-Pullman train to operate on the continent when it ceased to be exclusively Pullman at the end of 1967.
Pennsylvania Railroad 4-6-2 3750, built by the railroad in 1920 retired in 1958. When thinking about the Pennsylvania Railroad, the two locomotives that generally come to mind are the GG-1's and the K4's. K4 locomotives are the result of the PRR searching for more powerful and efficient locomotives to be their new standard passenger power. The K4s Pacifics blended the best attributes of other successful locomotives including E-6 Atlantic and earlier Pacific locomotives. The K4s speed and power made it the standard for passenger trains and were assigned to every division and schedule on the railroad, from locals, to mail, express and the "Blue Ribbon" fleet. The engines proved so successful they outlasted most other classes of the Pennsy’s steam power and worked alongside diesel electrics until the last days of steam.
Pennsylvania Railroad 4-8-2 6755, built by the railroad in 1930 and retired in 1957. It was the largest steam locomotive to operate on the PRR system. Although designed for dual service, it was used mainly on fast freight services.
Lewisburg, Milton & Watsontown Mack/Brill Railbus 20. This Pennsylvania trolley line acquired the new railbus in 1921, which was built with a Mack Truck chassis and engine and a body built by Brill. In 1928, it went to Pennsylvania Railroad and in 1931 to Artemus-Jellico, a Kentucky shortine. Buffalo Creek & Gauley Railroad acquired the railbus in 1941 then it was moved to Strasburg Rail Road in 1969 and finally donated to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in 2001. In 2019, the railbus was in the process of being cosmetically restored by the museum.
Pennsylvania Railroad 2-8-0 7688, built by Lima in 1915. This steam locomotive, represents the culmination in development of the most numerous general type of steamer on American railroads, the "Consolidation". The heaviest and most powerful Consolidation built for the Pennsylvania Railroad were the H10-class engines. By 1924, the PRR had over 3,000 "Consolidations" in daily use, pulling freight trains everywhere on the railroad’s 13-state system. During World War II,. 7688 was pressed into troop train service, as evidenced by added steam heat lines, train-line signal connections and large "standard"-type automatic coal stoker.
Pennsylvania Railroad caboose 477947, built by the railroad in 1942 and retired in 1985. World War II put great stress on America's railroads with the need to move more freight and passengers than ever before. With the entire economy turned toward wartime production, railroads had to use readily available materials to build new rolling stock. This car provides a clear example with its four porthole windows on each side, making use of glass manufactured for battleships.
This caboose outlived the Pennsylvania Railroad and would end its service, along with most cabooses, during the 1980's and 1990's. Cabooses were replaced by an End of Train device, which was attached to the last car of the train. This device flashed a red light, marking the rear of the train, and sent critical train operating information to the crew. This light-weight and inexpensive device eliminated the expense of manning and maintaining a heavy car, which made the railroad no money. When train crews were assigned to a particular caboose, many added their own décor, personal comforts, and even pin-up art.
Pennsylvania Railroad 3-bay covered hopper car 255750 built by the railroad in 1950.
Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad NW2 81 built by Electro Motive Division in 1946. Maryland & Pennsylvania for the most part was a very active short line that operated between York, Pennsylvania and Baltimore, Maryland. MPA ended up being more progressive than most of the larger railroads with their adoption of three new diesels in 1946, 81 being among them. It worked switching duties in the yard and branchline for MPA faitfully until it was leased and sold to PH Glatfelter Paper Company in the 1980's where it was used at their Spring Grove plant. Glatfelter donated the locomotive to the Railroad Museum in 1997.
Leigh and New England two-bay hopper 14518, built by American Car and Foundry Company in 1952 and retired in 1959. From the 1920's to the 1950's, hopper cars like this one carried most coal, stone and sand. The typical car was 34 feet long, had two hopper bays on the floor and held 50 tons of coal. This car has its structural supports on the inside of the steel sheathing, allowing for slightly greater capacity.
The Lehigh & New England Railroad was one of many railroads built to carry the anthracite coal reserves of eastern Pennsylvania with numerous branches to mines and quarries. The railroad ended its operations in 1961 after the use of anthracite declined.
Erie Railway 250 ton self-propelled crane 03302, built by Industrial Brownhoist Corporation in 1955 and retired in 1944. Maintenance-of-way equipment of all sizes has played an important role in railroads since their beginning. The equipment is seldom seen working behind the scenes but helps railroads to stay open and running efficiently. One of the unfortunate things that inevitably happens in railroading is wrecks and unlike when an accident occurs on a highway there is not much of an option for trains to simply change routes. So to keep their traffic running smoothly, wreck trains and their crews would be on call at all hours to clear tracks in the event of an accident.
The Museum's Brownhoist Crane was built for the Erie Railway originally before passing to the Erie-Lackawanna and finally Conrail. The Erie Railway had three of these 250-ton wreck cranes and several smaller ones to keep their 2,000 plus miles of trackage open. Wreck cranes of this size were frequently used for re-railing locomotives and cars or lifting whole pieces that may have rolled onto their sides. When it came to operating these cranes, it required a great deal of skill to avoid further damaging pieces and often pushing the crane to its limits. Another factor that further complicated matters was the operators were often pressed for time because in these situations time is money with tracks being closed stalling traffic on the respective railroad. Working on a wreck train was not the most glamourous work done by railroad workers but it was an absolutely necessary job that kept railroads running.
Pennsylvania Railroad horse express 90014 "Saratoga Springs", built in 1928. It was acquired by Juniata Terminal Company from Conrail in 1985, which had converted it to maintenance-of-way power car PRR 490014 at Renovo. It donated it to the State sometime in the early 1990's.
Baldwin Locomotive Works S-12 1200 built by Baldwin in 1951. Originally assigned to the United States Navy as 65-00369 and the Marietta Transportation Depot at Marietta, it would be assigned to the Navy Ordinance Depot in East Earl, New Jersey; where it came to the Museum in 1991.
Monongahela Connecting C-415 701 built by American Locomotive Company in 1968. Monongahela Connecting was an intra-plant railroad serving two large steel complexes for Jones & Laughlin that crowded both sides of the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh. Their locomotives dealt in the movement of coal for coke ovens, taconite pellets, limestone for blast furnaces, and molten iron, among other industrial tasks.
MCRR 701 was one of 26 C415s built at the time and one of thirty diesels MCRR owned. Later in life it was spared the scrapper as it was stored away on sister railroad Alquippa and Southern, where it was purchased by the Friends of the RRMPA in 1992 for scrap price.
Pennsylvania Railroad Metroliner coach-snack bar 860, built by Budd/General Electric and Westinghouse in 1968. Metroliners were born in the 1960's out of the realization that highways and airways between Washington, New York and Boston would soon become saturated with traffic and that passenger rail was viewed as the only viable solution. There of course was much more behind the inspiration for the Metroliner than just that as politics were said to of played a part as well. Originally set to debut with the PRR, development too so long that it would not see use until Penn Central and the early years of Amtrak.
This car was a self-propelled passenger car used in train sets made up of similar cars and had 30 seats on either end with the snack bar in the middle. (Most were later converted to vending machines.) The Metroliner ended up being very popular with passengers for its short life, despite a myriad of issues the car may have had.
Pennsylvania Railroad 2-8-2 520, built by Baldwin in 1916. 520 served until nearly the end of PRR steam operations and hauled one of the last steam passenger trains on the system, a railfan special between Enola Yard in East Pennsboro Township and Northumberland. It was then added to PRR's historic collection in Northumberland.
Amtrak 10-6 sleeper 2798 "Toronto Island 1973, ex. Penn Central 4334 "Toronto Island" 1970, nee Pennsylvania Railroad 8451 "Scioto Rapids" built by Budd Company in 1949.
A flat car with a water spout on it.
Wooden outside-braced boxcar, history unknown.
Museum scene.
Conrail hopper car 477757, nee Pennsylvania Railroad 477577, built by the railroad in 1929.
A scene behind the museum, after which I returned inside.
Reading Company T-1 cab model.
Amtrak Train Information board.
Reading Lines locomotive cab.
Reading Company H-24-44 cab model.
Railroad simulator.
Fireman shovelling coal into the firebox.
Locomotive bells.
Railroad police display.
Railroad switchman.
Locomotive headlight display.
The railroad telegraph.
The model railway.
Trains Inspire display.
Models Bring Railroading To Life In Miniature Scale.
Alexander Johnston Cassatt, 7th President of the Pennsylvania Railroad 1899-1906. I then went upstairs.
NRHS members contemplating Pennsylvania Railroad 1187.
Marty Smith near Pennslyvania 7002.
Other NRHS members by Conrail 2333.
Three NRHS members on the bridge.
Looking down on the "Olomana".
Other members admiring the GG-1.
Elijah Martin and his mother, Patricia Martin.
Waimanolo Sugar Co. 0-4-2T 3 "Olomana" from Oahu built by Baldwin in 1883. It spent its life moving four-wheeled railcars piled high with cut sugar cane from the fields to the refinery. Because of its small size and relatively light-weight, it would be relatively easy to move on temporary tracks from one field to the next.
Since Olomana is a tank engine, it carries its fuel and water on the locomotive itself. The fuel, which was originally coal, was stored at the rear, and the water was carried in the U-shaped "saddle tank" that drapes over the boiler. This steam engine arrived in California in the late 1940's after its purchase by Gerald Best. Best and Disney animator Ward Kimball restored and operated the locomotive on Kimball's private railroad. A frequent visitor to the railroad was Kimball’s boss, Walt Disney, who occasionally operated the locomotive.
Some of the museum's track speeders.
The museum's hand car.
Posters line the walls in the hallways to the trains. After such a nice visit, I thanked the docents for an excellent experience then everyone boarded the buses for the journey to Shady Maple Smorgasbord.
Photograph courtesy Dawn Holmberg. The room at Shady Maple where everyone enjoyed the wide variety and plentiful amount of food, where you will never leave hungry. After dinner, there was time to browse the huge gift shop on the lower level.
On the way back, we took the Pennsylvania Toll Road and returned to the Harrisburg Hilton and upon my return, I went to Subway and bought Elizabeth dinner as she was manning the regristration room until 8:00 PM. I worked on a story until it was bedtime.
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