Altoona Pennsylvania Railroaders Museum

I recently took a trip to Pennsylvania to speak at Penn State Mac Admins conference.  On the way back to the airport, I took a brief stop at Altoona Pa to visit the Altoona Railroaders Museum. I had heard of this place before.  It was a testing grounds for steam locomotives in the heyday of steam power.  The railway in the area was also an important conduit for freight.

Many of the displays had pre-recorded characters that played within the exhibit.  In this one, there were folks sitting at a bar telling stories of their life.  You could sit on the barstool and listen to them.

The boy selling papers would tell you about life in the area.

This was supposed to be the railroad chief.  A recording would play of him telling you about his job when you walked into his office.

Recognize these guys?

There was lots of old equipment on display.

 Also a model of the town as it was when things were booming.

I wish I had more time to study this one.  There was a breakdown of every control in the cabin and how it works.  I've always been curious as to why so many dials and knobs are needed to operate a steam engine.

This display showed life inside a typical workers house at the time.

There were many displays on how the trains were made and the different occupations on the railroad.

There was also a display of old trains and equipment in various states of repair.

 If you ever find yourself in Pennsylvania, the Altoona railroaders museum is worth the visit!



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