just what is the museum's "offical story" as to why all this one of a kind RR history is rusting away outside?

Two things: Too much stuff and not enough space inside. Then when you have to decide what to put inside and what to leave outside, you can't please everyone. Simple solution is a truckload of greenbacks.

Dave, I've been in Strasburg on 9-10 occasions in the last 3-4 years, most recently a few weeks ago. If you're referring to the steam locos, they look pretty well kept to me, hardly "rusting away." Sure it would be great to have them all in a roundhouse, under steam, but I don't get the impression when driving by that they are neglected.

JAC

Dave: here's a link to how you can help.

http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/about/philant ... nities.htm

P.S. Its too late to get the deduction for 2004

Dig deep, be a part of the solution.

From what I understand, the funding that was provided to the museum for the removal of asbestos from the locomotives did not include funding for replacing the jackets afterwards.

Alas, the locmotives are likely better off without the insulation holding moisture as long as they are stored outside.

Of course any museum can use more dollars; whatever its funding source!

That said; ithink the question was more on the order of is the RR Museum
planning any long term solution.

I have read two things on this:

No abutting landowner is willing to part with any acreage.

And the next idea is to do a roundhouse over and around the existing turntable. This idea has been mentioned in The Milepost the newsletter of the museum's friends group. They raised a lot of the funds for the train shed built a few years ago.

Ted Miles