The Cumberland Valley Railroad Museum opened for business on Saturday in a 1956 New York Central 50-foot boxcar painted in its most recent deepwater-green appearance for the Penn Central.
The museum is a joint project of the Cumberland Valley Rail-Trail (ex-CVRR right-of-way), faculty and students from Shippensburg University, historical societies, area businesses, and local railfans.
The boxcar, which had been abandoned on a siding about a mile away, was moved and restored to create a museum explaining the history of railroading in the area. Though small, it is filled with displays, artifacts, and a small theater. It stands adjacent to the college campus and is part of the Shippensburg Station complex, which includes a separate building with restroom facilities. Nearby is another exhibit, a restored Baltimore & Ohio 1927 hopper car. The museum took 11 years to plan, fund, and carry out. Admission is free; special events are already scheduled.
This is an innovative project that will educate railfans as well as the general public. Kudos to those that made this happen.
That’s cool. Back in my time (the Jurassic Period) 50′ box cars WERE trains.
Heartens me to think that someday a well car full of double-stacked containers will be turned into a museum relaying the history of railroading to those passing by on the adjacent rail-trail.
Jim Norton, are you saying it’s inappropriate to mention a site that people can donate too for tax exempt museums? How many people know they can use Amazon Smile to make a donation to their favorite railroad museum? That’s all he’s doing, informing the reading public of the existence of Amazon Smile and how much they’ve donated.
This Paul Marynowych has kept this up for years now and those at Newswire let him have it. Maybe you guys are stretched thin getting the latest issue of Bead and Button out?
AMAZON SMILE 1/2% Foundation gives $124 million.