I highly recommend this park for anyone interested in railroads that ran across PA. Even a Southern modeler enjoyed the time here. I took some videos of the >5 minute train ride. I will try to get those on Youtube at some point and link them from here.
Below are a highlight of the photos. I took almost 500 photos as I had little time to really take everything in and figure if I needed to model anything...like the RPO, I could reference it later. The entire camera roll is located here:
http://s1139.photobucket.com/user/davejfr1/library/Real%20Trains/Steamtown%202017
Below are some highlights, mostly in order of how I walked around:
Drumhead on the Erie #3 car.
They had a wall of the locomotives they have on roster.
Here's one of the first engines you see when you walk inside from the entrance.
Across the way from the entrance area, is the technology building built in 1992 I believe. A bunch of exhibits to wander through...some interactive.
What a 567C looks like.
Misc Inside.
So much RR history/technology/explanation all over the place.
More misc inside.
DLW Boxcar display that you can go inside.
Rutland Caboose display that you can go inside.
This engine, they cut it apart on one side so you could see where everything inside is.
EL Hack rusting away outside in the center of the roundhouse.
Nicely restored DLW gon.
Next section, similar to the roundhouse in Spencer,NC, you go inside part of the 1902 roundhouse, where they apparently still do some restoration work on steam locomotives, albeit, slowly....?
Mysterious BO passenger car hiding in the back corner of the roundhouse.
CN 3524
CP 2317
DLW 565
NKP 759
GTW 6039
Old 1902 inspection pit. They also had one enclosed from 1800's...
L&N RPO 1100
View from outside a movie theatre exhibit on the 2nd floor.
View from 2nd floor, above the entrance area.
CNJ work crane.
These Reading FP7's greet you as you come in. Entrance is to the right. The hut on the upper right is where you pay to get your wristband.
The entrance area had a bunch of these history maps.
2nd floor of technology building had a nicely done HO model of the whole steamtown operation...though I'm not sure what era.
There is a coal ramp modeled, which is replace with the ped bridge to the mall.
View from outside the tech blg
The engine they had giving quick rides in a EL Hack.
Nose shot of the FP7
There is also a Big Boy on property.
Here I am with it to put its behemoth size into perspective.
Some other stuff sitting out in the yard.
Looks like an actual class 2 or 3 railroad rests its stuff on the tracks next to the museum. Nothing was running.
On the museum tracks.
Another interesting locomotive on the museum tracks.
One of many items rusting away outside.
Mall bridge to take most of the rest of these shots.
There is a trolley museum nearby too. They had a trolley running and giving rides. Did not ride it. No time.
A ton of LO's sitting around making no money.
More RIP track stuff.
Explanation of what is seen from the bridge.
This guy is probably their diesel power they run with excursions. Looks familiar at least...
I think I read that the real car repair shops are behind those two boxcars, which look to be in nice shape. I did not walk back there, no time.
Lots of old steam-era building relics.
A nice little 44T hiding back there. Looks like O&W paint to me.
Lots of random stuff on the rust tracks.
The entrance road is on the other side of the Reading T1. This is the first thing to greet you as you enter the park. The headlight is kept on.
