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The city of Cumberland in the panhandle region of the U.S. state of Maryland has been a railroad city for many years, and CSX has a large railroad yard here.  It is also famous for the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad with Number 1309, the largest operating locomotive in the world.  It was a major town on the National Road (present day U.S. Route 40), and it was the western terminus of the doomed Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.  Being a railroad city, this town does has a little treasure that is often overshadowed by everything else this city has to offer, and it is just a short walk the city’s biggest treasure.

Most people who visit the city of Cumberland, Maryland come to ride the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, but a short walk from the Western Maryland Train Station and the end of what remains of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal is the Cumberland Railroad Museum.  When you arrive at the museum, you see this small space, and you ask yourself, “What can be inside this little space?”

Ladies and gentlemen do not be mistaken about this little space.  It looks little on the outside, but there is much to see on the inside.

The museum shows the history of the railroad in Cumberland.  You see model trains and artifacts to include the bell from Number 455 of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.  As you walk around, you will see that this little space has so much to see.

The Cumberland Railroad Museum is owned and operated by the Western Maryland Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society and is a joint venture with the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.  It is located inside Canal Place at 17 Howard Street in Cumberland, Maryland just a short drive from Interstate 68 and U.S. Routes 40 and 220.  It is open Thursday to Sunday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  The nearest parking is at the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Parking.  Walking is required, but the walkways are level with no hills or steps.  Admission is free, but donations are gladly accepted.

When in Cumberland, ride the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.  While there, see the Cumberland Railroad Museum.

The town of Honesdale in the mountains of the northeastern region of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania is not a town that is well known to travelers.  The only major road through here is U.S. Route 6, famously called the ‘Grand Army of the Republic Highway’.  As you pass through the town of Honesdale, you will pass by the town’s little treasure.  What is this little treasure?

Although the railroad did not begin in Pennsylvania, the state has many railroad sites.  Among these sites is the Stourbridge Line in the town of Honesdale.  What is the Stourbridge Line?  Not many people in America or the world or even in Pennsylvania even know about this place, but it has a significance in the history of the railroad in the United States of America.

Let us begin in the U.S. state of Maryland in the city of Baltimore.  The month is February.  The year is 1827.  Just blocks away from the harbor and miles away from Fort McHenry, railroad tracks were laid, and the first railroad in the Western Hemisphere began.  The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was born.  The railroad in the United States of America had begun.

Now we go back to the town of Honesdale, Pennsylvania.  It was here where the first railroad was built in the state of Pennsylvania.  What is significant about this rail line?  Although the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Baltimore was the first railroad in the nation, the trains were powered by a specific locomotive.  What is that locomotive?  Instead of feeding coal in the firebox, you fed it… hay.  Yes, the kind of hay that you would feed a horse.  Why?  America’s first trains were powered by horses.  The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad really began with ‘horsepower’.  The railroad did not use steam power until the first American built locomotive, the ‘Tom Thumb’, was began on August 28, 1830, taking the train from the Mount Clare Station in Baltimore to the town of Ellicott Mills, Maryland.  (It is now Ellicott City.  The train station is the oldest surviving train station in the U.S. and is now a museum.)

Now we go back to Honesdale, Pennsylvania.  Yes, it is not the first railroad in the nation, but it was the first railroad in the nation… to have a steam locomotive.

As mentioned, the first steam locomotive was used on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in August of 1830.  In August of 1829, the ‘Stourbridge Lion’ arrived from Great Britain to the town of Honesdale.

Now some of you are saying, “Wait a minute.  I have never seen a lion pull anything.  The only thing I have seen a lion do anything but eat other animals and sometimes people.  How is was a lion going to do better than a horse that was made to pull carts and to be ridden?”

The ‘Stourbridge Lion’ is the name of a steam locomotive that was built in Great Britain.  It was then brought to the town by canal boats, and it began its first run in August of 1829 predating the ‘Tom Thumb’ in August of 1830.  This makes the Stourbridge Line the first railroad to use a steam locomotive.

Sadly, the ‘Stourbridge Lion’ was eventually dismantled, but a replica is on display in a local museum.  However, you can ride the Stourbridge Line which runs along the Lackawaxen River between Honesdale and the town of Hawley.  You can board the vintage passenger cars.  You can look out over the Lackawaxen River and see remnants of the old canal where barges brought goods to and from the town of Honesdale.  The train may not roar like a lion, but you can still enjoy the sounds of the train horn as it passes each stop.

The Stourbridge Line runs different excursions between Honesdale and Hawley.  The main station is located at 812 Main Street (U.S. Route 6 East/ Pennsylvania Route 191) in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.  You can get more information about their different excursions and purchase tickets at https://www.thestourbridgeline.net/.

The U.S. state of Pennsylvania has many railroad treasures.  The Stourbridge Line is one of them.  Take a ride.  You will treasure it for years to come.

It was a small town.  Mark was taking his young son, Timmy, to watch trains at the old train depot.  It was what they enjoyed doing.  They would sit on one of the old benches and watch the trains as they rolled on by.  No matter what time of the day they got out there whenever they could.  It was the same thing every time, and they never got tired of it.

One day would change them forever.

It was morning on a very sunny day.  Mark and Timmy were approaching the old depot as they normally did, and they saw an elderly couple sitting on the same bench that they normally sat on.

“Do you think they are here to watch the trains with us?”  Timmy was very excited.

“I don’t know,” Mark said.  “We’ll just sit on the next bench.”

They came upon the couple.

“Good morning,” the man bellowed out.

“Hi.”  Timmy waved at them.  “Are you here to watch the trains with us?”

“Trains!”  The man was very excited.  “I love trains.  Do you love trains?”

“I love trains too,” Timmy said with much glee.

“Oh,” Mark giggled, “he really loves trains.  I have a hard time getting him to leave.”

“You must not be from around here,” Mark said to them.  “We know everyone in town.”

“Oh,” said the woman.  “We are from Varsburg.”

“Varsburg?”  Mark was curious.  “That’s fifty miles away.  You must be a traveling couple.”

She looked at Timmy and then at Mark.  “This old depot is as special to us as it is to you and your boy.”

“I am glad to hear that,” Mark said.  “There is so much history to this place.  I hope that it can be restored somehow.”

“I use to bring my boy here to watch trains,” the man said.  “He was always sad that we did not have trains in Varsburg.  He always looked forward to coming here.  He was about as old as your boy is now.  Every few weeks we came to this town.  We did not sit on the bench.  We stood up and watched the trains.”

“So do you still get together to watch trains?”  Mark asked.

The woman began to cry.

“I’m sorry,” Mark was very concerned.  “I didn’t …”

“Don’t be,” the man interrupted.  “It is just that this is an anniversary for us.”

“How long have you been married?”

“Fifty two years,” the woman said as she wept, “but our wedding anniversary was three months ago.  We did come here from time to time to watch the trains with our son, Fred, but forty years ago today, we saw him for the last time.”

Mark became very shaky.  “What happened to him?”

“We brought our son here for the last time,” the man continued on.  “He was going off to fight a war.  We never saw him again.”

Mark was overcome with sadness.  He looked at Timmy and began to be concerned.

“I am very grateful for your son,” he shivered out.

“We will always be proud of him,” the woman said.  “He was a great soldier who served his country well.”

“Would you like to watch trains with us?”  Timmy asked.

They looked at each other.  “We would love to sit and watch trains with you.”

Mark and Timmy sat on the bench next to the couple.  The sound of the bells of the nearby crossing gates were ringing loud as the gates went down.

“Here it comes,” Timmy shouted.

They all sat together as the train rolled by.

This article is a tribute to the men and women who gave their lives so that we could live ours and to the loved ones who must continue on without them.  May we remember those sacrifices this Memorial Day?  They sacrificed their lives to protect our land and, most important of all, our favorite spot to watch those trains roll by.

Garrett County in the U.S. state of Maryland is the westernmost county in the state.  It is often overshadowed by the Chesapeake Bay region where the Star Spangled Banner, the world’s oldest operating airport, the first railroad in the nation, and many wars took place.  Garrett County has its own share of history as well as natural areas to include the state’s highest point and the state’s only ski resort.  In case you are wondering, the National Road, present day U.S. Route 40, does pass through the northern part of the county.  The only interstate is Interstate 68 which goes between Hancock, Maryland and Morgantown, West Virginia.  The only other major routes are U.S. Route 50 which crossed at the point of the panhandle and U.S. Route 219.  On U.S. Route 219 is where you will find the town of Oakland, the county seat of Garrett County.  It is here where you will find the Garrett County Historical Museum.  The museum tells the entire history of Garrett County.  Housed in the old Deer Park Hotel, you will see the whole history of the county.

Some of you are saying, “This is wonderful.  It is sad that not too many people know about this part of Maryland.  As I see the town on the map, I notice that this town is in the middle of nowhere.  Another problem I see is that this museum is not about railroads.  Therefore, I am not making any visit to this museum.”

The Garrett County Historical Museum is about the history of the county going back two hundred years.  The county itself does not have must history with the railroad, but the town of Oakland was once a big railroad town.

As you approach the old Deer Park Hotel, you are not going to notice the old hotel.  Your eyes will be on the old train station, locomotive and caboose, and it is not your typical train station.  It is a Gothic style train station built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad which regularly served the town of Oakland.  (It is now a museum.)  The town was home to some very majestic hotels to include a large hotel built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (now gone), the Glades Hotel (also gone), and the Deer Park Hotel, the home of the museum.

Some of you are saying, “That is very nice, but what does that have to do with this museum?”

As mentioned, the Garrett County Historical Museum tells the story of the county.  The museum is divided into different rooms.  Among those rooms is the B&O Room.  (B&O is the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.)  When you enter, you will see artifacts from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Garrett County.  You will see a model train display.  You will see a model of the Oakland Train Station.  You will see a replica of a locomotive known as ‘The Little Maryland’.  What is special about ‘The Little Maryland’?  It was built by a sixteen year old named Stephen Pagenhart, and it took him three years to finish.  Although it is enclosed in glass, it is still operational.  Before it was displayed at this museum, it was displayed at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, Illinois.

You may not be from Garrett County, Maryland, but you will appreciate what you will see here.  It is owned and operated by the Garrett County Historical Society which also operates the Garrett County of Transportation which is across the street and the Grantsville Museum in Grantsville, Maryland.  It is located at 107 South Second Street two blocks west of U.S. Route 219 and three blocks north of Maryland Route 39.  It is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00am to 3:00pm.  Admission is free, but donations are gladly accepted.  Parking is on the street, and you can stay parked as you visit the Garrett County Museum of Transportation and the Old Train Station.  You can learn more about the museum, and you can read more into the Garrett County Historical Society at https://garrettcountymuseums.com/historicalmuseum/.

You now have a reason to visit Oakland, Maryland.  You will not see the Oakland Athletics or the San Francisco Bay or Alcatraz, but you will see a great town with a great history and great museums.

You have arrived.  You have put your hard hat on.  Now you must get into the transport that will take you into the coal mine that is three hundred feet into the ground.  The tracks that the transport runs on is on a nine percent grade.  The transport is controlled by a steel cable that lowers you into the mine.  After a lone ride, you arrive at the bottom.  You step out, and you find yourself inside the coal mine.

“Where do we start?”  You ask.

“Right here.”

“Where are the explosives, the tools?  How are we getting the coal out?”  You ask.

“Sir, the mine is decommissioned.  This is the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour.  Coal is no longer mined here.”  The tour guide informs you.

Be warned that a visit to the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour in the city of Scranton in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania may make you think that you are going to work.  You are in an actual coal mine.  Well, you are in a decommissioned coal mine, but the tour guide, a former coal miner, will take you to all of the places where the miners worked, and he will show you the tools used.  As you walk through the mine, you will see the tracks the mine cars used to transport the coal.  As you walk around, you will be tempted to get to work.

The Lackawanna Coal Mine is an award-winning historic attraction.  It is located on Bald Mountain Road inside Dade Park in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  It is open from April 1 to November 28 from Friday to Monday 10:00am to 4:00pm.  (Last admission at 2:45pm.)  Parking is free and on site.  Admission is $10.00 for adults, $9.50 for seniors, $9.00 for military, $7.50 for those 3 to 12, and children under three free.  Please note that the tour is about an hour and that you will be underground the entire tour. The tour is also not wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information and read more into the history of the mine at https://coalminetournepa.com/. Time to get to work.  Not really.  You will feel that way in the Lackawanna Coal Mine.

It was a bright and sunny day.  A young man wearing a coat and sweatpants and sneakers was sitting on a bench at the train station.  A young woman wearing a blue dress and jacket with flip flops on her feet approached him.  “Is this seat taken?”

            He looked on the seat next to him.  “Have a seat.”

            “Thanks.”  She sits down and crosses her legs.  “You must be waiting on the train.”

            “I am.  I am going home.  I live in Roanoke, Virginia.”  He smiled at her.

            “Nice.  I am on my way to Altoona, Pennsylvania.”  She said.

            “I guess we are going in two opposite directions.  Bummer.  It would have been nice to ride with you.”  He admired her beauty.

            “Well, I don’t get to ride with people very often, but my puppy is waiting for me at home.  I miss him.”  She looked at him.

            A group of men wearing black suits with black ties arrive at the station, and they line up along the platform.  The man and woman thought it was very strange.

            “Excuse me.  What is going on?”  The young man was curious.

            One of the men turned to him.  “The Dover Harbor.”

            “The what?”  The young man was puzzled.

            “The Dover Harbor.  It is coming.”  The man in the suit smiled.  “Here it comes.”

            They heard the sound of a whistle.  A shiny gold steam locomotive with white steam puffing out of the stack was pulling into the station pulling a green Pullman car, and it stopped in front of the station.

            The men sang,

“Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday Dover Harbor.

Happy Birthday to you.”

            The conductor stepped off of the train.  “All aboard!”

            The men climbed aboard the Dover Harbor.  The conductor looked at the young man and woman.  “Would you like to ride?”

            They looked at each other.

            “Come aboard.”  The conductor smiled.

            They looked at each other again… and they went aboard the Dover Harbor.  The train pulled away from the station.

The Dover Harbor was built in 1922.  Happy Birthday to the Dover Harbor.

The U.S. state of Maryland is a state known for so many things.  It is the home of College Park Airport in College Park, Maryland, the oldest continuously operating airport in the world.  It is the home of the oldest Catholic church in the United States of America located in the city of Baltimore.  The bloodiest battle on America soil took place at the Battle of Antietam.  It was where a poem known as ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ was penned by Francis Scott Key while a prisoner on a ship in the Patapsco River during a bombardment on Fort McHenry, and it was that same battle at Fort McHenry that would establish the United States of America as a superpower.  The largest estuary in the United States of America, the Chesapeake Bay, is mostly in the state of Maryland.  A woman known as Harriet Tubman who was born in the state established an escape network called ‘The Underground Railroad’ to help slaves escape to the free states in the north.  It was the state of Maryland that donated its land that became the District of Columbia to be neutral ground for America’s capital.  As for railroad sites, the oldest surviving train station in the United States of America is in Ellicott City, and it was the first terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.  (It is now a museum.)  The oldest railroad bridge is in Baltimore, and the oldest railroad viaduct is in Elkridge.  We cannot forget the first railroad tracks laid in the Western Hemisphere at the site that is now the home of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum.

When people think about the state of Maryland, they think about the areas around the Chesapeake Bay and its many waterways, but very few people think about the state’s mountains, and fewer people think about the state’s panhandle region which includes the city of Cumberland, the home of the Western Maryland Scenic Railway and Number 1309, the largest operating locomotive in the world.  (Number 1309 was originally built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and was on display at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore before being restored to service.)  About fifty miles southwest of Cumberland near the point of the panhandle is the small town of Oakland.  You probably have never heard of this town as the only major route through the town is U.S. Route 219, and it is miles north of U.S. Route 50 and many miles south of Interstate 68.  It is a small out of the way town that is worth going out of the way for.  Why?  It is the county seat of Garrett County.  It is the home of an old 1884 train station built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.  (It is now a museum.)

Across the street from the old train station is the Garrett County Museum of Transportation, a museum the shows the history of transportation in the county.  The museum features classic cars like a Model-T Ford and a Dodge Coronet, and a features a boat that once cruised the waters of nearby Deep Creek Lake.  You will also see model trains.  You have trains and trolleys made of wood, and you have trains on display.  The best display is a model train display where you can watch the trains go around and around and around.  There is also a display on a tragedy that took place in the nearby town of Mountain Lake Park where on September 10, 1959, a bus was struck by a train at the railroad crossing killing seven children and severely injuring 11.  It is considered to be one of the worse bus/train accidents in history.

The town of Oakland, Maryland appears to be in the middle of nowhere, but it is worth visiting.  The Garrett County Museum of Transportation may not be as big as other transportation museums, but it is a museum worth going out of your way to visit.  It is owned and operated by the Garrett County Historical Society.  It is located at 108 Liberty Street in the heart of the town.  It is just blocks from U.S. Route 219 and Maryland Route 39.  It is open on Friday and Saturdays from 10:00am to 3:00pm.  Admission is free, but they will gladly accept donations to keep the museum running for many years to come.  Parking is street parking.  The museum is also wheelchair accessible with the cars and trains on the first floor and the story of Deep Creek Lake on the second floor.  You can get more information about the Garrett County Transportation at https://garrettcountymuseums.com/transportationmuseum.

Make a trip to Oakland, Maryland, the home of the Garrett County Museum of Transportation.  It is far away from everywhere, but it is a charming place to see.

The U.S. state of Pennsylvania is known for many things.  Among them is coal mining.  Although there are many coal mines in the state, some of them are no longer active.  Among them is the Number 9 Coal Mine in Lansford.

Opened in 1855 by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, Anthracite coal was mined and dug out from multiple veins of which one of them is called the Mammoth Vein which was nearly 100 inches thick in some places.  (In case you are confused, a vein of coal is an underground area where coal is dug out or extracted from.)  It was at the time the longest continuously operating Anthracite coal mine in the world.  The mining stopped on June 22, 1972.  The mine was abandoned.  In 1992, the Panther Creek Valley Foundation reopened the mine not as a working coal mine but as a tourist destination.  It was restored and opened as a tour mine and museum in 2002.  Today, visitors can take a guided tour of the Number 9 Coal Mine and Museum and experience life as a coal miner minus the noise and the excessive coal dust.

Some of you are saying, “Well, this is very nice that they were able to reopen this mine for tours and help preserve the history.  There is one problem.  There is no railroad here.  Therefore, I will not be making a tour of this mine.”

Be advised that you are absolutely wrong.  The railroad has a long association with coal mining, and that association continues today.  There are very few mines in the United States of America that had no access to the railroad.  Although the railroad no longer passes by the Number 9 Coal Mine, when this mine was operational, two major rail lines, the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the Lehigh and New England Railroad, passed close by.

As you arrive at the Number 9 Coal Mine, the first thing you will see is a railroad line.  At the end of the railroad line is Locomotive Number 51.  As you park and walk the grounds, you will see coal cars on rails full of coal.

Be advised.  This is just the beginning.

The tour of the mine also includes a tour of the museum.  Of course, you see artifacts of coal mining, and you will see numerous models of trains.  You will see vintage photos of the rail yard and refineries served by the trains.  There is a model train display of the coal trains going from the mine to the breaker from processing.

However, you did not come to see the museum.  You came to see the mine itself.

You arrive at the start of the tour.  You are going into the mine.  How?  You are riding on a mine train.  No.  This is not a replica but the same kind of train the coal miners would have ridden into the mine.  Be advised that the ride is not a comfortable one, but it was less comfortable for the coal miners.  You arrive just under 200 feet underground about a quarter of a mile into the mountain.  The tour guide tells you the stories of the mine workers.  He shows you the different parts of the mine where the coal is extracted (meaning dug out) and transported.  He shows you the different tools used in the mine.  You can walk on the original mule ways where young miners guided mules to the different mine levels.  It is as if you are the coal miner minus the dust.

The Number 9 Coal Mine is part of a rich Anthracite coal region.  It is located at 9 W. Dock Street in Lansford, Pennsylvania.  It is a short drive from U.S. Route 209.  It is open from April through November from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  (Days vary by time of year.  Last tour is at 3:00pm.)  Admission is required to enter the mine.  Parking is on site, and there is a picnic area just in case you want to bring a lunch.  Please note that the mine may be difficult for those in wheelchairs.  You can get more information about the mine and read more into the history of the Number 9 Coal Mine at  https://no9minemuseum.wixsite.com/museum.

If you are in the northeastern region of Pennsylvania, make your way to the town of Lansford.  You may find that the Number 9 may be your lucky number.

The town of Thurmont in the U.S. state of Maryland is located on U.S, Route 15 between Frederick to the south and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to the north.  The town’s claim to fame is the home of Camp David, the famous retreat of the President of the United States of America.  (Camp David is not open to the public.)  Just south of this town is the ruins of an old iron furnace known as the Catoctin Iron Furnace.  The furnace gets its name from nearby Catoctin Mountain.  What is special about these ruins?  Well, of course, it was once a working iron furnace.  It was originally owned by Thomas Johnson and his brothers.  Who was Thomas Johnson?  He was the former governor of the U.S. state of Maryland.  It was here where shells were made and sent to Yorktown, Virginia and were used to secure the victory for the United States of America during the American Revolutionary War at the Battle of Yorktown.  Today, the ruins of the furnace is part of a village that also includes the ruins of the Ironmaster’s Mansion, the Collier’s Log House which houses the headquarters of the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society the runs the site, a restored Forgeman’s House, the Museum of the Iron Worker housed in a restored iron worker’s house, and the Harriet Chapel which is still an active church today.  Today, you can visit the furnace and museum and get a great glimpse into the life of the furnace.

Some of you are saying, “This is nice.  A furnace that helped America’s independence.  With all of this, there is one problem.  There is no railroad here.  Therefore, I will not be forging a visit here.”

Today, there is no railroad here.  That was not the case when the furnace was in operation.

As you arrive at the ruins of the furnace, you will see, of course, what remains of the furnace.  You will see the remains of the mansion.  You will not see train tracks.  On the grounds itself, it will be hard to find evidence of a railroad bed, but on the east side of Maryland Route 806, you will see power lines that go along what looks like an old railroad bed.  This is the old railroad bed of the Monocacy Valley Railroad.  The railroad paralleled present day Maryland Route 806 running north and south with a short spur line that went to the furnace.  The railroad which was built specifically for the Catoctin Furnace connected to the Western Maryland Railroad in the town center.  (That line is still in use today.)  The line was doomed when a railroad line was built between Frederick and Gettysburg giving quicker access between Washington D.C. and Gettysburg.  There was also a small railroad that connected the furnace to a nearby ore pit.

Today, as mentioned, the furnace is in ruins.  It is located on Maryland Route 806 just of U.S. Route 15.  The grounds are open from sunrise to sunset.  The Museum of the Ironworker is open on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am to 2:00pm.  (Wednesday to Sunday during the summer.)  Inside, you will see the rails used on the ore pit railroad and the cart that was pulled on the rails.  It is owned and operated by the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society.  Admission is free, but they will gladly accept any donation to keep the museum operational for many years to come.  You can learn more about the furnace and their upcoming events at www.catoctinfurnace.org.

When enroute between Frederick, Maryland and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, make a detour to see the Catoctin Iron Furnace.  It may not be as ruined as you think.

You did it.  You have made it to the Steamtown National Historic Site in the city of Scranton in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.  You have been to all of the exhibits and have taken a train ride.  You think you visit is complete… but you are not finished yet.

Now some of you are thinking that there is plenty to do at the Steamtown National Historic Site, and you are now wondering what else there could be.  Ladies and gentlemen, once your visit to the Steamtown National Historic Site is complete, there is actually more to do.

Welcome to the Electric City Trolley Museum.  When you complete your visit to Steamtown, you can take a walk across the parking lot to the trolley museum.  As was said, your visit to Steamtown is not yet complete.  Housed in an old nineteenth century mill building, the Electric City Trolley Museum has old trolleys on display.  Inside, you have interactive exhibits to include a striped trolley where you can see the inside of a trolley.

In case you are thinking that this is it, you still have to take a ride on a trolley.

Yes, there are trolley rides.  No, it does not go around the museum.  It takes you across the rail yard through downtown Scranton, along Roaring Brook, through one of the longest interurban tunnels ever built and through parkland all the way to their shop located next to the Lackawanna County Stadium.  As you can see, this is not your normal trolley museum trolley ride.  This is a trolley ride unlike any other.  This trolley still takes minor league baseball fans to the games at the stadium during baseball season.

The Electric City Trolley Museum is located next to the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton Pennsylvania.  The museum is open all year round, but the trolley only operates from Thursday to Sunday from late April to December.  You can get information on museum admission, trolley fares and schedules at http://www.ectma.org.  Once you have visited the Electric City Trolley Museum, you will have officially completed your visit to Steamtown.