Steamtown in Scranton, Pennsylvania is a National Historic Site situated on the former yard of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad. Building on the original collection assembled by F. Nelson Blount in the 1950’s and 60’s Steamtown today comprises a large roundhouse and 90 foot turntable and exhibits illustrating the history of steam locomotives in the United States.

Steamtown National Historic Site was established October 30, 1986, it was deemed as the “most flagrant pork barrel project” using Park Service funds by many including Kenneth R. Clark of the Chicago Tribune. The project contributed millions of dollars into the depressed coal mining region of Scranton, PA and without it this important site would not be preserved today. A nominal fee of $7.00 for adults allows entrance to the grounds and exhibits which are sequenced along the spokes of the roundhouse, they eventually lead to the workshops with numerous steam locomotives in for repair and restoration.

Set of pilot wheels and side-rods awaiting installation.

This is an educational experience, but one can also be inspired by the impressive mass of walking next to the behemoth locomotives including a Union Pacific ‘Big Boy’.

A display locomotive not to be missed has cutaway sections revealing the fundamental engineering of a steam locomotive and tender.

Displayed outdoors is a rare diesel for this museum, an A-A F7 diesel of the Reading Railroad.

A separate museum located across the parking lot of Steamtown is the Electric City Trolley Museum, if you time it right you can take on ride on one of the trolleys for $2.00!

A rare sight is this electric shunting locomotive, it is part of the Electric City Trolley Museum’s collection and displayed just outside the museum.

Playing its part with the railroad theme of this museum are the ‘T’ rails used in the parking lot’s perimeter fence.

A day at the museum can include rides on a steam train and electric trolley. Trains don’t run everyday, you will need to plan ahead by checking the schedules.

In Pennsylvania we are lucky to have a number of excellent train museums, in future posts we will be visiting others including a narrow gauge railroad and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.