Railroad Museum of PA Roundhouse Project Update

Crescent-Zephyr · **Joined:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:15 pm **Posts:** 1799

jayrod wrote:

Quote:

I also would love to see how much they paid the architect to design this structure... they probably could have built something simple already for that price.

The architecture is also a feature to attract visitors and offers good public space to view the artifacts. Sure, they could build a cramped pole barn with no windows, no utilities, a dirt floor, packed it tight and saved a lot of money. How attractive would that be considering visitor experience? If you have the money, do it.

Defensive much? haha. I didn't realize the museum had the money; news to me!

hullmat991 · **Joined:** Sun Dec 28, 2014 11:12 pm **Posts:** 231

I for one am glad a "planned" museum roundhouse project is actually going to get built. As this is a state sponsored project I wonder if rising construction costs had anything to do with the sudden approval and announcement. A "better now than never" situation.

All that said; has anyone heard anything on the roundhouse project from IRM? They seemed to have gone silent on it; with only the other projects receiving the smallest of updates on the museum website.

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Thu Feb 27, 2025 9:40 pm

Credit goes to George M. Hart of RRMPA for jumping on that turntable when it came available. He knew people at R.Co. and the PA Legislature was willing to appropriate the funds.

Phil Mulligan

K.R. Bell · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:37 pm **Posts:** 298

Mr. Mulligan: That is not correct. George Hart was hired as RRMPa Director in 1969 and had been a consultant on the site selection in 1965. PHMC Bureau of Museums Director William Richards bought the RDG turntable for the RRMPa project in 1967 from Luria Bros. The paperwork is in the curatorial files at RRMPa as proof if you are in doubt.

K.R. Bell

jayrod · **Posted:** Fri Feb 28, 2025 9:54 am

Quote:

Defensive much? haha.

Nah. Jealous, though.

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Fri Feb 28, 2025 9:53 pm

Sorry, Kurt. I was unsure of the dates and tried to dance around the periods Mr. Hart was Director and when he was a consultant. He was always the R. Co. expert and was trusted at 12th and Market as well as RRMPA.

Phil Mulligan

PRR8063 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 15, 2025 8:04 pm

Non-official update: While at Strasburg last week, I noticed that all the whisker tracks around the turntable have been cleared out. Looks like they moved all the equipment there so that construction (or pre-construction) activities can start.

ted66 · **Posted:** Wed Jun 18, 2025 11:44 pm

Kurt,
Thank you for starting this thread. Your long years at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania have helped your knowledge about this project.

I hope that the structure they are now going to build is a more traditional railroad
structure. I just hated that stainless steel and glass design that they started with. I hope they consider building the Reading roundhouse that their turntable came from many years ago!

Ted Miles former Friends Member

PrrOpCrew · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2025 12:14 pm

ted66 wrote:

Kurt,
Thank you for starting this thread. Your long years at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania have helped your knowledge about this project.

I hope that the structure they are now going to build is a more traditional railroad
structure. I just hated that stainless steel and glass design that they started with. I hope they consider building the Reading roundhouse that their turntable came from many years ago!

Ted Miles former Friends Member

Ted,

First, Kurt hasn't been stationed at the Museum in awhile. He's been working at the State Archives in Harrisburg.

Second, while I understand the logic in your thinking behind wanting the roundhouse design to be "Reading" in appearance, considering that the roundhouse is being built specifically to house the Pennsy steam collection, I would hope it would have more PRR design influence.

psa188 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2025 2:23 pm

PrrOpCrew wrote:

Second, while I understand the logic in your thinking behind wanting the roundhouse design to be "Reading" in appearance, considering that the roundhouse is being built specifically to house the Pennsy steam collection, I would hope it would have more PRR design influence.

RDG or PRR does not matter. Just make it look traditional.

wesp · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2025 4:02 pm

psa188 wrote:

PrrOpCrew wrote:

Second, while I understand the logic in your thinking behind wanting the roundhouse design to be "Reading" in appearance, considering that the roundhouse is being built specifically to house the Pennsy steam collection, I would hope it would have more PRR design influence.

RDG or PRR does not matter. Just make it look traditional.

Amen!
Just.Build.It.

o484 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2025 5:01 pm

Was in Strasburg today, ground has been broken and they were excavating for the foundation.