My wife and I will be in Pa on the week of 7-23-07 near Hershey. Can anyone tell me of any train related stuff to do or see in that area? Any hobbyshops, train rides, displays etc lets say within an hour or two from Hershey? Thanks in advance.
Bruce
Hershey huh?
A short drive further south and east should be Lancaster, near there is a Strasburg Railroad and the PRR Museum, Toy Train Museum, Caboose Motel etc etc etc.
To the south and "WEST" of Harrisburg is Gettysburg, there you have Danny Gilbert's off the Town Square down town.. kinda difficult to get to right the first time because of the traffic around the square. They had at one time a steam tour with a small engine until it failed and hurt some people. I dont know if it is still operating at all.
Harrisburg is very heavy on trains, but it's not for you and me. Maybe someone local will get the particulars better than me.
I believe there is a Club out of York but dont recall much about them if they are still around.
If you go to Lancaster, you be in the Dutch Country with it's bountiful food. Difficult to get out of the area without gaining some weight. =)
Yes, Strasburg is the place. Also, Cornwall Iron Furnace may be of interest. I have been to both.
http://www.cornwallironfurnace.org/visitor.htm
http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/
http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/
Have fun.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
And don't forget good 'ol Steamtown in Scranton. There's a anthracite coal mine tour nearby that you can visit, too.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Links along with suggestions is a better way, besides others my not be familiar with them.
Steamtown http://www.nps.gov/stea/
Anthracite Heritage Museum http://www.anthracitemuseum.org/
Toy Train Museum http://www.nttmuseum.org/abouttoytrains/index.htm
tstage wrote: And don't forget good 'ol Steamtown in Scranton. There's a anthracite coal mine tour nearby that you can visit, too.Tom
I agree with many others - Strasburg is the place - I was just there for the 2nd time in less than a month this past Saturday.
The coal mine tour is here http://www.pioneertunnel.com/home.shtml in Ashland, PA, heart of the Anthracite coal region (you can smell the Centralia bonfire from Ashland) . That's an hour and a half drive or so from Hershey.
Steamtown is terrific also, but a little further north on Interstate 81. Have fun.
here's a link:
you can see the cabooses in the pic and the strausburg running in the background:
http://www.redcaboosemotel.com/about.html
douglast wrote:Erie, Pa is about 300 miles northwest of Hershey, Pa. General Electric is the big engine builder in Erie. Not sure if they offer tours of their plant.
I work there.... No tours , but there is a museum on grounds. Long way from Hershey though.
http://www.getransportation.com/na/en/museuminfo.html
Jerry SP FOREVER http://photobucket.com/albums/f317/GAPPLEG/
If you're camping at Hershey's High Meadow Campground, you can pitch your tent about 20 yards from the former Reading main line (now NS). But I don't recommend this. As quiet and bucolic as it is during the day, they slam every empty car in the northeast through there between 10 at night and 5 in the morning.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
alcofanschdy wrote: My wife and I will be in Pa on the week of 7-23-07 near Hershey. Can anyone tell me of any train related stuff to do or see in that area? Any hobbyshops, train rides, displays etc lets say within an hour or two from Hershey? Thanks in advance.Bruce
Within less than a 2 hour drive (I think) would be the East Broad Top Railroad www.ebtrr.com and you can also check out the Strasburg Railroad www.strasburgrailroad.com and I would recommend them both. The East Broad Top Railroad is a narrow gauge railroad and the Strasburg Railroad is a standard guage railroad. You could also check out the Choo-Choo Barn www.choochoobarn.com when you are visiting the Strasburg Railroad. They are very close together and both worth visiting.
Modeling the Pittsburgh Division of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad from Glenwood Yard to New Castle Yard following the old P&W Mainline.
Visit my website at: http://www.baltimoreandohiorr.com
Just came back from a 3 day trip to Strasburg RR. Excellent! Like totally gnarley!
Rode the train a few times, did the wine and cheese train (as opposed to dinner train).
The museum, though a little dark to protect the trains on one side, and bright on the other was fantastic.They have a yard of "preserved" locos and cars you may get into.
There are two very good train shops-one at SRR itself, the other amost directly across the street, well equiped, and I picked up a few things at very reasonable prices....discounted I'd say at SRR over the other, but very good at both. I could have spent a few hundred dollars there, lets say, if I could!!!!!!. HO, N, G, O/O27 at both, and some Z, between the two.
There are things at SRR for the kids to do. There is a "noon shop tour" (extra) that was interesting.
Its on rt 741. Be aware of two things: 1) everything that is not on RT 30 (like a parkway)(or a restaurant)closes at 5 pm. 2) these are country 2 lane roads that may get jammed and go slow, especially if an Amish carriage is in front of you.
It was our 5th anniversaryand well worth it.
If you go beware there is lots of construction on I81 and I78 for bridge replacements (like 30 of them) You may do well to choose some smaller roads even though the major routes look more direct.
I live in Binghamton NY at the PA border N or there. We made a quick short stop out of our way in Allentown, then proceeded on to Strassburg. We left about 6am and were roaming SRR about 10:30. We did use the turnpike some
Not bad.
Enjoy!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Harrisburg is always under construction. Camp Grove and over towards I-83/airport access was most dangerous when I was running trucks through there.
Now they are replacing the bridges? Geez!
Tracking the William Henry Vanderbilt South Pennsylvania Railroad right of way along the Historic Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Bruce,
The Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad (http://www.mhrailroad.com/) is just a few minutes from Hershey. They run passenger trains several times as day on weekends & some weekdays during July. Norfolk Southern's former Conrail (ex-Reading) Harrisburg-Reading line runs right through Hershey - it's easily accessible & usually pretty busy. Strasburg is a must do: Strasburg Railroad (http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/), Railroad Museum of Penna (http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/), National Toy Train Museum (http://www.nttmuseum.org/), The Red Caboose Motel, 2 superb model train shops, etc. Amtrak's Philadelphia-Harrisburg line is just a few minutes from Strasburg...it was just recently re-electrified for passenger service.
Have fun!
Jim
Altoona and the Horseshoe Curve are west of Harrisburg, about a 150-mile trip, one way.
Safety Valve wrote: I believe there is a Club out of York but dont recall much about them if they are still around.
http://www.mrrcy.com/
Visitors are welcome any Monday night (except first Monday of the month) from 7->9 (most clean up around 8:00)
Strasburg in Lancaster county is a must see if you are going to be near Hershey.
There's the PRR Museum, and Toy Train Museum as well as the caboose motel.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!