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The Steamtown National Historic Site, Located In Scranton, Pennsylvania

The Steamtown National Historic Site is a railroad museum complex operated by the National Park Service in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Steamtown itself uses two former roundhouses and other various buildings (including the yard) once belonging to the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad (better known as just the Lackawanna), a one-time anthracite coal carrier in the region. While the museum does focus on telling the story of the Lackawanna it also extensively covers the history of the railroads in general and the part they have played in developing and molding our country and way of life. Aside from the static displays, locomotives, and rolling stock to see Steamtown also features train excursions, the most popular of which has to be the trip over the Lackawanna's stunning Tunkhannock Viaduct. All in all, Steamtown has become one of the premier railroad museums in the country and is very much worth the time to visit.

While Steamtown National Historic Site has become one of the best railroad museums in the country it is a relatively new operation in comparison to other well established private museums, like the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore. Steamtown's creation came about only in 1986 by an act of Congress and it did not open its doors to the public until 1995. The idea for Steamtown actually dates back to 1964 and the shutdown of the Rutland Railroad.

That year F. Nelson Blount stepped in to pick up some of the pieces of the Rutland, vying to operate the former railroad’s line between Rutland and Bellow Falls for his collection of Steamtown locomotives. After discussions with the State of Vermont and employees of the railroad it was decided to operate the entire route between Rutland and Ludlow for both freight and passenger operations. Mr. Blount originally called his collection of steam locomotives and rolling stock "Steamtown, USA" although he sadly passed away in 1967 (the ex-Rutland property he had purchased is called the Green Mountain Railroad and owned by the State of Vermont). Mr. Blount's Steamtown, USA collection eventually became part of today's Steamtown National Historic Site.

To give a brief history about the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (also known as the DL&W and not to be confused with the current shortline, Delaware-Lackawanna), while never one of the Northeast’s largest railroads (like most, it was dwarfed by bitter rivals New York Central and Pennsylvania) it was perhaps the grandest, which it is likely best remembered for; builder of the New Jersey Cutoff (between Port Morris, New Jersey and Slateford, Pennsylvania) and the Nicholson-Hallstead Cutoff these magnificent feats of engineering were home to several stunning viaducts (made from reinforced concrete), the most notable of which was Tunkhannock Viaduct (also known as Nicholson Viaduct).

Here are some of the pieces on display at the Steamtown National Historic Site:

Steam Locomotives

Boston & Maine 4-6-2 Pacific Type #3713

Brooks Scanlon 2-6-2 Prairie Type #1

Bullard Machine 0-4-0T #2

Canadian National 2-8-2 Mikado Type #3254

Canadian National 2-8-2 Mikado Type #3377

Canadian Pacific Jubilee 4-4-4 #2929

Canadian Pacific 4-6-2 Pacific Type #2317

Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 Hudson Type #2816

Canadian Pacific Jubilee 4-4-4

Delaware, Lackawanna & Western 2-6-0 Mogul Type #565

Duquesne Slag Products 0-6-0 #8

E.J. Lavino & Company 0-6-0T #3

Grand Trunk Railway 4-6-4T #1542

Grand Trunk Western 4-8-2 Mountain Type #6039

Groveton Paper 2-4-2T #7

Illinois Central 2-8-0 Consolidation Type #790

Jackson, Iron & Steel 0-6-0 #23

Lowville & Beaver River 2-8-0 Consolidation Type #1923

Maine Central 2-8-0 Consolidation Type #519

Meadow River 2-Truck Shay #1

New Haven Trap Rock Company 0-4-0T #43

New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate) 4-6-0 Ten Wheeler #44

New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate) 2-8-4 Berkshire #759

Norwood & St. Lawrence 2-6-0 Mogul Type #210

Pennsylvania Railroad 4-6-2 Pacific Type (K-4s) #1361

PSE&G 0-6-0F #6816

Rahway Valley 2-8-0 Consolidation Type #15

Reading Railroad T-1 #2124 4-8-4

Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy #4012

Diesel Locomotives

Nickel Plate GP9 #514

Steamtown has many more locomotives than those mentioned above, including an entire yard of rolling stock in various states of repair (some completely restored while others are, quite frankly, rusting or rotting away). For more information about the Steamtown National Historic Site please click here to visit the National Park Service's official website on the complex.

For more information on railroad museums like the Steamtown National Historic Site you might want to consider picking up Tourist Trains Guidebook from the editors of Kalmbach Publishing's Trains magazine. The book lists and reviews over 400 excursions and museums found throughout the country and is an excellent resource if you're looking for one to visit. In any event, if you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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