Salvaged: Steamtown NHS

The ranger was talking about the bridge we were riding under, but the statement applies to Steamtown as well. “Unfortunately, it’s cheaper to build something new than it is to fix something old.”

Steamtown, in Scranton, PA, offers a ride on a steam train that shows off much of the collection in the  yard and ventures up the tracks to the  entrance to a tunnel. They have an engine turntable and a restored roundhouse. But they also have 29 locomotives and over 60 rail cars, mostly in need of restoration.

A millionaire businessman started collecting train cars and engines that were no longer useful for business and were in danger of being sold for scrap. He established Steamtown in New Hampshire and Vermont as a museum, offering train rides. The operation struggled for years after his death, the whole collection in danger of being sold for scrap. Finally, Steamtown moved to Scranton as an economic development tourism project. The site never received the expected level of visitors, and was saved by Congress in 1986, and became a National Historic Site in 1995.

We can’t save everything. We will run out of room in our basement. But we should be thankful that there are people who have the foresight (and the money) to preserve pieces of our daily life and our collective history.

The park ranger offered a couple challenging questions: Who is the person in charge of an operating train? What is a caboose for?

The yard has quite a few locomotives on display, some that you can climb on and step inside. The roundhouse has exhibits on railroad operations, signals, steam power, and repairs.

Carol, Elisabeth and Dan joined me on a beautiful day trip to Steamtown NHS, number 61 in the tour of 100 National Parks.