Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

When we first thought to visit the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, in the small town of Strasburg, we did not expect much. Then, driving to the museum through Pennsylvania farmland, we thought how big could this train museum be since it appeared to be located in the middle of "nowhere." But... wow, this turned out to be a large, warehouse-like building accommodating many fully restored locomotives and rail cars, accompanied by displays and recreations of many railroad-related exhibits.  Turns out the museum has over one hundred locomotives and rail cars.  Below are photos and historical information on 20 of them.

The museum presents exhibits that tell the history of Pennsylvania's railroads, from their beginnings to the present day. The information includes the railroads and their manufacturers, support industries, workers, and travelers. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania has a collection of more than 100 locomotives and railroad cars made and/or operated in Pennsylvania. In addition, there are nearly 20,000 more minor artifacts, including tools, uniforms, and station signage.

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania was created in 1963, and a site was selected in Strasburg (pop. 3117) in 1965. The first phase of museum construction installed a 100-foot ex-Reading Company turntable and yard tracks. The second phase involved constructing the museum's 100,000-square-foot exhibit building. The museum opened in April 1975. Since then, 45,000 square feet have been added to the main building. Since then, several indoor period scenes have been added, including a 1915-era street scene, an early 20th-century passenger depot, an interactive railway education center, and a furnished streetscape of five-period building vignettes.