The Lewes Junction Railroad & Bridge Association plans two to install two new outdoor displays in 2022-2023: the Lewes canal swing bridge, and railroad equipment on a remaining piece of track. The bridge will be display in a different location from the railroad equipment.

The railroad display will include PRR 60, the B6sa 0-6-0 from the Wilmington and Western.

I have been talking with one of the organizers of the Bridge Association about install a pavilion to cover the planned display.

You can be helpful by replying to this post with photo examples of park locomotive shelters that I can share with my colleague.

Thanks for posting photos and limiting topic drift off into livery, etc.

Wesley

Locomotive shelters that you’re looking for can vary, but the best ones are the ones that do their job of protection from elements but also allowing those to see and enjoy the locomotive. If you want to go for a style, it probably shouldn’t be too complex for it to take away from the locomotive. But the main goal is protection. An ugly shelter that protects the locomotive is better than none at all.

The best parallel of a good and a bad shelter are seen in the two preserved Great Northern 4-8-2’s.

2523 in Willmar, Minnesota is an example of a good pavilion. Even a chain link fence doesn’t detract from its position.

http://www.rgusrail.com/mngn2523.html

2507 in Wishram, Washington, is an example of one thats “overbuilt”. See how it’s hard to view the locomotive?

http://www.rgusrail.com/wagn2507.html

The best pavilion I can think of belongs to Frisco 1501 in Rolla, Missouri. It’s a tall pavilion that gives plenty of space to see the locomotive, is simple to not detract from the locomotive, well gated, and does it’s job of protection from the rain.

http://www.rgusrail.com/moslsf1501.html

And, don't build a shelter that provides perches for birds to nest in the roof above the displays. Unless, of course you like cleaning the displays daily.

Under cover and secure is always good. Things to think about:

Are the bridge and loco, etc. in a flood plain? If so, paperwork for anything with solid walls assumes nightmare proportions. It’s far easier to find out now than after you have the pavilion ready to go and your insurance has a tantrum. If you have a choice of sites, go higher than you think you’d need to. Sometimes you can’t put a shelter elsewhere. Breakout areas may cut you some slack—breakable windows, etc.—but expect to deal with that.

Watch your wind loading. Depending on exactly where you are, you may want a shelter that can stand a pretty decent breeze in hurricane season. (This can be tricky when you also need to keep the pavilion high up.) Again, better to think of that in the planning phase than after you put up something that looks nice but is easily damaged.

Are there nearby buildings with distinct style that you’d want to blend in with? A surplus Quonset hut can be practical, but they make NIMBYs mad unless you have a really good excuse.

Will you need heavy security, or is your facility set up so the displays won’t be open to vandalism at night?

Finally, can you interest local companies into donating a solar panel or two so you still have security lighting during power outages or even just routinely? (Yes, even the little solar fixtures work, but if you can get a better setup, do.) You can save a good bit by not having to run grid electricity out to the new pavilions. One nearby company has an open-sided, utility pole framed parking shelter for its vehicles, roofed in coppertoned metal with solar lights for added security because it’s visible from the main road, and it’s held up through several giant windstorms, many epic rains and a tornado while protecting the vehicles from hail damage.

Here is a link to a shelter design for CNR #2747 at the Transcona Railway museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently fundraising to have this built. It’s a nice design as it provides an unrestricted view of one side of the locomotive(if you ignore the railing) and has a smooth ceiling to thwart nesting birds.

https://www.transconamuseum.mb.ca/

Hope this helps feed the imagination.

One of the ones that sticks in my mind are the roofed shelters at the St. Louis Museum of Transport, where the outer equipment line has a 'pole free' side view of it. That's done by basically having a center-pole cantilever roof design, and if you have two locomotives to cover, puts one on either side of center. So if you have to have a roof, this is one way to do it.

Here's a good shot of what I mean:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dustinholmes/4489882561

I think it's also important to keep the are in front of it clear enough to get far enough back to even get a view of it, that's one of the essential problems of things like the Ford Museum.

Another favorite for something a little smaller is down in Texas (San Antonio)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Tra ... Stable.JPG

This one at Kansas City stick in my mind as being one of the more ineffective designs, as shown by the snowfall. If there was even plexiglass in the upper cupola it might have helped.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2197335

Interesting thread, thanks for asking for examples, I'm sure there are lots more.