Location for Model Railroad Museum - In Pennsylvania???

[lvanhen]

Another location in PA to consider may be Strasburg.  The Strasburg RR, the PA state RR museum, The Nat toy train museum, the place where "Kids Love Toy Trains" was largly filmed (cant recall the name, but it's across the road from Strasburg RR) and a number of Amish farm tours, and craft shops.  Also a motel made of real cabooses (cabeese?) is located there.  Real estate is certainly more expensive than in western Pa, but the potential for business is far greater.

PS It's a 3 hr drive from NYC, 1 1/2 from Plila

[GAPPLEG]

Are you moving this way ? Is that what is happening ? There is probably no better location than Erie PA.  Home of GE locomotive products , Not only do we have lots of model railroaders in the area but the economy of the area feeds on GE. Largest employer in the county. Plus we are a major tourist areas with our 7 miles of beaches on Lake Erie, A newly opened Casino, skiing in the winter, and people from NY and Ohio come here because of tax free clothing in PA. At any one time, year around, you see buses from Canada , NY , Oh. at all the major shopping areas. There are many other attractions too numerous to talk about, but believe me we got tourists. A well organized museum and well advertised would do well.

[hardcoalcase]

Just thinking out loud... a speciality tourist attraction (such as a MRR museum) may not have enough "pull" by itself to generate sufficient traffic; so locating where other attractions are situated creates some synergy.  Some places that come to mind would be:

• Anywhere on I-380 between Scranton, PA (the Steamtown Park) and Stroudsburg, PA (the namesake RR and the PRR Museum) certainly draws the RR enthusist.
• Chattanooga, TN - I recall there is a large club layout there, and somewhere in Tennessee (anyone know?) the Model Railroad Hall of Fame with models and layout sections from the "the Great Ones".  Besides... who can resist the mystique of the Chattanooga Choo-Choo?
• Tupelo, MS has the birthplace of Elvis and an excellent auto museum.

Googling for clusters of railroad-related attractions could create a short list of locations for you.

 

[SpaceMouse]

I am about 60 miles North and East of Pittsburgh and I don't know those specific locations. Although they are both within about 45 minutes of me. The area up here is mostly coal mining, but everyone is out of work with the advent longwell mining. The area is very depressed and therefore gas and food are slightly lower than the national average. Culturally, well, there's a joke about our area. It is said that if the world were to blow up, it would be 10 years before Western PA heard about it. Others refer to it as Penntucky.

Much more than that I can't say without more specific requests. As far as taxes go, property values are among the lowest in the country so taxes will be commiserate.   

[Texas Zepher]

I've been searching high and low for a new location for my model railroad museum after my two Kansas locations fell through.  Actually one deal didn't fall through, the building was vandalized.... Anyway I've found two possibilities that both seem to be what I am looking for and look to be in fairly good condition.  The problem is  they are both in Pennsylvania.  My experience with Pennsylvania is driving through a couple times on I-70, seeing Gettysburg, and flying over it a lot.   Can any of you folks who live in PA give me some hints about taxes, food, and fuel costs?  Both places I am looking at are northeast of Pittsburg 60-120 miles, Dayton and Falls Creek specifically.  I don't want to go all the way out there to look at them if there are some major issues with the "neighborhood" so-to-speak.

P.S. I am mostly western person.  Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Nebraska, Seattle WA.  These I know.   While I did live in South Carolina for a year of college and commuted to New Jersey for a job once (Bell Labs), my experience with the entire eastern US is very limited. I assume water is more plentiful, but other than that.....