For our park railfans B&O museum bad news

Kinda off topic but many park engines are based on some of the REAL engine types that were located in the B&O RR Museum Round House.

ROOF COLLAPSE read more here
http://www.trainweb.com/news/2003/2003b17a.html

This is terrible news, Expecially since they are having the Fair of the Iron Horse late June early July. I believe the William Mason was in the other building undergoing inspection for operation at the event.

Chuck, who says the William Mason was in the movie Wild Wild West and is one of many mid 1800's or 1800's replicas that were at the museum stored inside. All the larger locomtoices are outside.

Thought you might like to know.

/C
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Charles Nungester.
Confirmed, Lesourdsville Lake opening for 2003 details soon at Lesourdsville.com

That is too bad, we visited the museum the last time we were on the east coast.

That sucks. I was there in 1994 and the collection was astounding. I hope nothing was damaged to the point where it was a total loss, but something tells me that's not the case.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Thats's horrible, one of the 4 premier RR Museums in the country.

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Da Poodle

Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!

Nothing is a total loss if you are willing and able to put in enought money to rebuild it. However, much of the collection is severely damaged, and it will probably take years to restore everything.

Lucky it happened while no guests or staff were present.

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CBCon Quote "We didn't even get wet"......30 seconds later you hear plop, then splash!!!!

Yes for those of you who have seen the damage, I have been in contact with an aquaintance who is a good freind of a director of the museum. He says that some of the wooden cars (I believe there was a caboose and some other cars and locomotives that were partially made of wood) that those pieces were SEVERELY damaged and wood was cracked and broken from falling roof beams and the freezing of water. He said that while some of the wood was possibly un-salvageable and would have to be totally replaced, that the steel and iron locomotives and cars would be ok.

This is absoloutely horrible. I hate it whenever historical artifacts are destroyed. And the expense from this just might spell the end for the museum as a whole. Damn. This museum had all sorts of great stuff in it. I hope things will work out for them. At least no one was hurt. that, at least, wqe can be thankful for.

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I hear America screaming...
*** This post was edited by (SF)Great American 2/19/2003 9:10:07 PM ***

MagnumForce said:
Thats's horrible, one of the 4 premier RR Museums in the country.

What are the other 3? Just curious.

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Arena football has arrived in the Windy City. Go "Chicago Rush"

I know there is a large train museum in Strasburg, Pennslyvania(sp?)

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If Milli Vanilli fell in the woods, would someone else make a sound ?

The California State Railroad Museum (Sacramento,CA), Steamtown Historic Site(Scranton, PA), and the Pennsylvania State Railroad Museum (Strasburg,PA).
*** This post was edited by Dutchman 2/19/2003 9:48:58 PM ***

California, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

Steamtown is nothing great.

The Illinois RR Museum is nothing short of spectacular. They run all kinds of trains at near mainline speeds. Everything from the Pioneer Zephyr to 60's Vintage Metra trains to anythign else you can think of.

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Da Poodle

Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!

Sweet, I'll have to check that ot sometime.

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If Milli Vanilli fell in the woods, would someone else make a sound ?

It's in Union, Illinois

It's so amzing because everything runs, it just doesn't sit there.

Makes a good side trip to a GAM or Big Chief's trip

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Da Poodle

Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!

Actually, most of it does just sit there. The collection is just so big that even with the large amount that runs, there's still an amazing amount of static display (and even more that isn't even on display!). But I'd have to agree that it's pretty spectacular. And there is a whole lot of stuff that runs.

I never realized just how good the Rail Road Museums I've been to (Illinois, Pennsylvania, and B&O) really are. I guess my brother (the train nut) really knows what he's about. Each of the three has something slightly different to offer, and I'd have to say that with B&O, it was all about presentation: I mean, how much better does it get than displaying trains in possibly the most beautiful roundhouse ever built? If they can't re-build the roof, one of the greatest spaces for displaying rail road history has been lost.

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I hear America screaming...

I think it'll be rebuilt, but with steel.

Does the IL museum have a website?

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

http://www.irm.org/

I just did a search for it on Google, so I can't tell you if the site is worth anythingor not.

Suffice to say, if you have any interest in trains at all, it's worth a visit. Actually, all three of the ones I've been to are, but I can vouch for this one most of all: I've been there several times, often with peple who aren't anything like train nuts. Thay all had a good time, too. And if you do like trains...

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I hear America screaming...

Oh, Nickle Plate 765 will be operational again come June. :)

Chuck who was truelly amazed and yet sad when he visited the B&O RR museum in 97 and was planning to make the Fair of the Iron Horse in late june as part of a Hershey, Knoebles, Williamsgrove, Dutch Wonderland and Idlewild trip.

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Charles Nungester.
Confirmed, Lesourdsville Lake opening for 2003 details soon at Lesourdsville.com

Oh wow, that is cool that the Union, Illinois RR museum makes the top list. I havent been there in about 10 years but from what I can remember, it is very cool.

Speaking of Union Illinois, there is a theme park right down the street from the RR museum. Its called Wild West Town and if you are into the western theme with cowboys and indians, do give this place a visit. To relate to this topic, they have a train that circles the park. They also boast a museum of artifacts from the old days.

I was talking to one of the managers of the park last year and he stated that they were at the IAAPA show and were considering purchasing a mine train coaster. It would fit perfectly with this park. Here is their website.

www.wildwesttown.com

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Arena football has arrived in the Windy City. Go "Chicago Rush"

I guess I shoudl have stated that. A small percentage of it runs, but the size of the collection makes even a small percentage huge!

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Da Poodle

Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!