An attempt to plan an excursion for last year's Railfest illustrates the difficulty of making those arrangements.

Because the museum had been losing money on mainline excursions in previous years - due to the high cost of renting the Altoona station, a railcar and two conductors from Amtrak - the museum sought last year to run an excursion on a secondary line.

But because that would have required an all-day event, the museum needed railcars with restrooms - unlike the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority cars it used on the mainline trips. Salone couldn't obtain those restroom-equipped cars for the date set.

"It was not anybody's fault," he said last year. "[We] were just shocked how difficult it was."

Last year, the museum shied away from holding Railfest in the museum yard, because of disruptions from survey work for the quarter-roundhouse.

It ended up instead creating a dual-venue event that included the East Broad Top Railroad in Orbisonia, 56 miles away, where there is a regular excursion, and the Horseshoe Curve, which the museum administers. The Curve drew well, but the feel at the EBT was hardly rail-festive.

This year, the yard is going to be an even bigger "mess," because of the quarter-roundhouse construction, so holding Railfest at the museum is out, Salone said.

Just a question, definitely not intended as a flame...does anyone know when the Curve and museum will be open? We were up there before Easter and everything was still closed for the season. I don't think the website has been updated with new hours.

But because that would have required an all-day event, the museum needed railcars with restrooms - unlike the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority cars it used on the mainline trips. Salone couldn't obtain those restroom-equipped cars for the date set.

Somebody needs to build a "restroom car" that is small enough to be Silk-Road-able, so it can be hauled around the country like Thomas. Wherever someone's built a long excursion with commute coaches, plop it in mid-train, and go.

Somebody needs to build a "restroom car" that is small enough to be Silk-Road-able, so it can be hauled around the country like Thomas. Wherever someone's built a long excursion with commute coaches, plop it in mid-train, and go.