Good morning all. I am heading down towards Erie Pa next weekend, and am looking for any railroad museums or sites of interest (excluding North East because I'll stop there anyways) that are close to Erie. Might pop over to Conneaut Oh to see the NKP 755, that doesn't look too far off the path. Also, any decent hobby shops in the area??Any help would be appreciated.

Ken Jones
Niagara Railway Museum Inc.
www.nfrm.ca

Check out the railroad museum in Eastern Pennsylvania (I know, it's in western Pennsylvania). NYC U25B, Little Joe, some small Diesels, one tank steamer, some beautiful and some not so beautiful heavyweight cars. Worth a side trip for sure.

Richard. That's the Museum at North East. I stop there every time I go that way, but have yet to be there when it's actually open. Its usually a Monday, and they are closed Mondays! Oh well, one of these times.

If you've got a car available, take a ride down to Corry. The little museum down there includes a 30-ton Climax, along with several other items built by Climax for the logging and oil field industries. It's a really neat little museum, a very eclectic collection of "stuff." It's the kind of place I really enjoy. Corry is about 35 miles from Erie.

Corry Historical Society
945 Mead Ave.
Corry, Pa.

I recall stopping at Erie and looking through the fence at a number of stored old engines and equipment at the General Electric Manufacturing Plant. I am not certain how access along the perimeter is now for seeing anything, times have changed. As far as tours of GE inside the perimeter - their website says this friendly message in fine print:


I remember an old photo of the GE test track which showed multiple gauges and catenary in place. I presume this is the alignment of the test track:
https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/75653393

Depending on who you bring along, you may wish to stop for some entertainment and a little bit of park train railfanning, at Erie Zoo, Waldameer Park, or Conneaut Lake Park. Each of these has a 24" gauge steam outline in service. Midway Park at Maple Springs NY has a 16" F-7 locomotive, the ubiquitous G16 locomotive.
http://nysparks.com/parks/167/details.aspx

In the region you might chase down abandoned rail lines. There appears to be some artifacts of interest here:
http://www.abandonedrails.com/Dunkirk_Allegheny_Valley_and_Pittsburgh_Railroad

An hour from Erie is the Oil Creek and Titusville. Like so many tourist railroads, it operates at the fringe of history and in fact engages in a form of railroad preservation.
http://www.octrr.org/backpages/stock.htm

In general, I find visiting this part of the country entertaining, if a bit depressing, such as the finds illustrated on this website:
http://www.coalcampusa.com/rustbelt/rustbelt.htm

The only thing that's 'closed' at Lake Shore (North East) is access inside the building. The equipment and displays are mostly outside. The station is right beside the CSXT and NS main lines, and makes an excellent place to 'camp out' waiting for rail action. Recommended to visit anyway.

In the summer, there are often volunteers working on projects around the museum even when the museum isn't officially open, you take your chances. PM me and I'll put you in contact with some volunteers there.

They now have four operational 'critters', a GE 25-tonner, a Whitcomb, a Plymouth, and the Heisler fireless cooker 0-6-0.

GE's test track extends from the plant east toward Harborcreek, parallel to Rt. 5 and 20. There is one public grade crossing. Hit and miss again. DO NOT tresspass on GE plant property, they know they are a magnet, and other that photography from a couple overpasses and streets in the area, consider as off-limits.

Meanwhile, here's a couple more clues:

1) Oil Creek & Titusville schedule: http://www.octrr.org/thisSeason.htm and they are open weekdays. Two Alco S-class, an ML420, a fleet of Lackawanna MU's, and a freight shortline all in one. The caboose motel has proven to be pretty popular as well, and has been sold out on weekends lately.
Also note that the Drake Well museum has operating outdoor displays on wells which include steam power. Steam people love the place.
2) Corry's museum is kind of a hit and miss 2-4PM weekends, and the only thing in there is the Class B Climax, shoehorned in so tight you can't photograph it. http://www.corryareahistoricalsociety.org/
3) If you love Alcos, be aware that the WNYP base of operations in the west is out of Meadville, PA, directly under the highway overpass. You can photograph without tresspassing from public roads around the yard. Typically the 2-3 Alco Centuries are parked right under the bridge in Meadville on weekends.

If you do chase NS/CSXT up along the lake, beware of the train density and multiple main lines. NS and CSXT are relatively close together, gates are all set together, and speeds are high. Even with all that protection, the number of grade crossing accidents is fairly high.

Oh, and since you're coming from that direction anyway, two expatriate FPA4's are stored up in Gowanda, NY on the New York & Lake Erie. They no longer do excursions but there's usually 'odd things' on the property, call the office beforehand to get a release to look around. http://www.nylerr.com/NYLE.php

It was the station at North East I was talking about. I was in it once for about 1 minute, never got to really look around. I always stop there when I'm down that way, just to see what they've done since my last visit. Won't be any different this time. Well aware of the Gowanda stuff, used to work for the owner many years ago. Being a career railroad, I am very cautious around any crossings, marked, unmarked, single or multi track. Won't be getting to the Oil Creek, and the 420 you speak of is ex-CN MLW built M420 #3568. Used to run that unit up here in Ontario as well, and was one of the people who painted it in black and yellow (if that's what it still wears). I might try the WNY&P, that's not too far off from where I"m going. I think I have a pretty good idea where i'm heading now, so thanks for the info.

Might I add what's reportedly a really good brewpub in Union Station?

http://www.brewerie.com/

Lake Shore: Looks like I'll be there myself around noon on Saturday, PM if you need a guide!