*

“Fortunately, if you need a steam fix, the fine folks at the Reading and Northern have some offerings available. ”

As well as Strasburg, New Hope, Everett, Black River & Western, Steam into History, Star Barn, Delaware River RR, Wilmington & Western.... quite a few options!

Steamtown is an interesting place, it’s proof that lots of money doesn’t = the best possible museum experience. It’s a really lovely facility but if it’s just a static museum, it’s not really anything special. What made it special was seeing a real working roundhouse and the opportunity to ride behind the larger locomotives.

I don’t think hope is lost, but for now it’s not anywhere close to its potential.

**

Am I correct that Baldwin 26 has only run yard shuttles for four seasons ('16, '17, '18, and '19) since its frame up overhaul (which I believe took at least 15 years)? I'd be very interested to know what the component failure is that could not be remedied in time for the operating season.

Reading Superheater's recent STEA-related posts brings to mind a conversation that I recall having with Mark Birtel many years ago. I was relaying to him my views on the treatment of volunteers at the site and how educating the volunteers in rail operations, steam-era maintenance procedures, and historic preservation standards was really a core component of the Park Service's educational mandate in Scranton that the Park service was, with the exception of operations, not performing very well. Their were other issues as well. Mark picked up a big blue binder which he claimed contained all of the volunteer records and said something to the effect that, "People always want to volunteer here. We have plenty of volunteers." I asked him for the binder of former volunteer records. He was not amused.

Superheater - When the group I was involved with got shut down I too was frustrated by what could have been but was not surprised or disappointed because several who had previously tried to work with the Park Service in Scranton warned me to stay away. Many of the predicted behaviors which seemed unbelievable to me when the predictions were made were actually surprisingly accurate.

There are plenty of deserving rail preservation operations that would likely be thrilled to have a dedicated, experienced, and thoughtful volunteer such as yourself. Find one, enjoy yourself, and forget about STEA. Life is too short and your posts are not going to make a damn bit of difference. Best of luck to you.

I have never been to Steamtown but it's been on my list as a place I would want to go. If they don't have plans to run trains, and more specifically not operate steam trains, then why would I want to go?

Are they planning to restore any other steam than the 26?

It's sad that all volunteer or private operations are able to run steam trains but the one backed by the National Park Service cannot. I would suggest that they look at other operations to see why they are more successful. Unfortunately if they did they would probably hire outside contractors to do a study that would cost a million plus dollars and do nothing but create a report that no-one will do anything with.

Steamtown is a nice static museum. It’s still worth visiting the way you visit places like St. Louis, Baltimore, Sacramento, etc.

Baltimore hasn’t run any steam in several years either. I’m sad I missed out seeing that.

As I've had to work hard to continue to remind myself Steamtown was created by Cong. Joe McDade as a job corp. for the very depressed greater Scranton area and a collection of old trains happened to present the perfect vehicle to allow him to do so.

Restoring steam locomotives back to life and/or running steam locomotives pulling trains which people could actually ride are things that take great efforts, cost lots of money and are just not feasible when most of the annual $ 6 million dollar budget is needed for staff salaries, overhead and other " necessities".

To give credit where credit is due the place has provided a handsome payroll for a very depressed area for 26 years and that was its mission from the get go.

The fact that its been an abject failure from a steam lovers perspective doesn't really matter to those who write the checks.

It will never change. !!

Sad but true. Ross Rowland

“The fact that its been an abject failure from a steam lovers perspective doesn't really matter”

I wouldn’t call any place that has allowed me to ride behind 3 different steam locomotives a failure!

The Electric City Trolley will continue to run.

During the operating season which will extend through October 31, 2021, trips leave at 10:30 AM, 12:00 NOON, 1:30 PM and 3:15 PM Thursday through Sunday from the Steamtown platform. Reservations are welcome, but not necessary
Please note that tickets for the trolley excursion are sold at the Trolley Museum building and are not available on the car.

The local AAA Baseball team is the Railriders. The trolley will run to the Sunday, September 26 game with the Syracuse Mets. The $20.00 per person price for these special excursions include a trolley ride to the Stadium (boarding in downtown Scranton at the Steamtown Platform), baseball admission ticket and return trolley ride to downtown Scranton.

Trolley Excursions will also run for the following Special Events in 2021:
Elf on the Shelf Friday, November 26th.
Santa on the Trolley Saturday and Sunday, November 27th & 28th, Saturday and Sunday, December 4th & 5th, Saturday and Sunday, December 11th & 12th and Saturday and Sunday, December 18th & 19th.
Please call the Museum at 570 963-6590 to confirm holiday schedule information.

Phil Mulligan

Oh great, a component failure on # 26. I would guess 26 will now be out of service anywhere from 5 years to indefinitely, based on the recent track record. We still haven't gotten a definite answer as to what happened to "Project 3713", but the fact that no one involved with the project had answered any questions on this site, or has responded to any direct inquiries sent to their contact emails is telling. The facebook page also has not been updated since May. Sure, we got to ride behind three different locomotives in the past but will this ever be possible again? Highly unlikely. There was a lot of promise and high hopes around the time of the grand opening, with 26, 3254, and 2317 all in service and the rangers mentioning that 759 and 3713 would be next in line. Based on the fact that Steamtown has not run anything substantial in years now, I would agree that overall, it is indeed a failure.

John

@Crescent-Zephyr.

"I wouldn’t call any place that has allowed me to ride behind 3 different steam locomotives a failure!"

Here's the standard. Find a place that allowed you to do that and has almost always allowed you to do that-and did so independent of the federal trough. Strasburg.

Think about this: The 611 went there, not to Scranton where (assuming clearances or curves aren't at issue) it theoretically could have "stretched its legs".

@Scranton Yard

Thanks for the encouragement, but I think my days of amateur railroading are over, barring some major change. There's a certain clarity one gets in being reduced from posting videos of gym performance to being unable to walk from the living room to the bathroom without gasping for breath in just under two years and then being brought back from the walking dead by an exceptionally talented physician.

Our common destiny was reinforced a couple weeks ago when the old T&E boss, Mark Brennan passed away. It's been a rough go in recent years with people passing on. Seth Corwin, Bob Patterson, Tom Shore, Bill Withuhn, Rob Staley, Bernie O'Brien-and I lost my Dad in early 2019.

Next month will be three years since I worked a train, and honestly the idea of closing windows in 100 degree heat or urinating neon despite pouring gallons down my gullet while in the cab has lost its appeal. Even though I doubt I'll forget much of what I did for 20 plus years, I'm not sure I want to find out where the rust is at this point in my life and I'm learning the value of getting old with the right girl.

As for these posts not changing anything, that's true. Steamtown has crossed the event horizon. Unlike Foghorn Leghorn, I am talking just to hear my head roar. As I said, I'm a bit of a speculator and it's more fun to prognosticate if you do it where your predictions are public and will be a bit of a win or loss.

@CO614

Unlike in the past, I'm not going to completely disagree with you here. Yes, Ol' Joe was looking for something with Steamtown, but it wasn't a "jobs program". I think employment maxed out with an FTE in the 90's about the time of the grand opening, it's in the 40's now, with more retirements coming. It was just old fashioned retail politics-bring in federal money to solve (bailout) a local problem.

I will go so far as to say things were better when McDade was in Congress, because the park had a patron and a watchdog. For your reading pleasure-attached is 1991 GAO testimony to Congress. It is fascinating to see the "vision" that was presented to Congress then.

@Rem1028

I think the "component failure" on the 26 is pretextual. There's more issues with coaches and staffing now. Several volunteers have left and I don't think others were making themselves available.

Thanks for clarifying, Superheater. Strasburg came to mind immediately, too. If you visit at different times of the year, you can ride 90, 89, or 475 and its been that way for years now. Aside from 89's lengthy overhaul about 30 years ago, none of these to my knowledge has ever been out of service for an extended period.

John

The other considerable difference is Steamtown still houses some of the most desirable and wonderful locomotives remaining from the late steam era. It is a fine static museum, but in view of what it should have been, might have been, could have been, it's a disappointment.
Everyone who loves steam should visit, just bring a box of tissues while you do so.

As Strasburg knows, you don't restore a locomotive unless you have a reason no need it to operate. Why have it just sit and eat up its 1472 / 15 year calendar cold? Steamtown..... well, back in my active career I dealt with component failures every operating day. You can't accurately interpret the history of railroading without them. Sounds fishy on its face.

Agreed it is worth visiting even if nothing turns a wheel.

Where was the "component failure" announced? I didn't see that either on their Facebook or website. Just a message saying that 2021 rides were "temporarily suspended due to COVID".