Steamtown National Historic Site

Steamtown National Historic Site

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This week I took my monthly trip up to the Adirondack Mountains in New York.  I've been working on climbing all 46 peaks over 4,000 feet up there (you can read more on those journeys here) but this time I decided to explore some on my way home.  A few weeks ago I posted a photo I took at the train station here in Fredericksburg and really liked all the texture on the train.  I started doing some research which eventually led me to the discovery of Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton Pennsylvania.  This appealed to me because I drive right by Scranton and have always considered it one of "those towns", you know, the ones you just think of as a dump.  So while trying to change my outlook on the world, I figured this would be a great place to start.  Lets find the beauty in the dump, visit the places we've written off before even seeing, force myself to enjoy life.

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I left Adirondack Park around 6pm on Thursday.  I stopped at Stewart's in Keene for 2 slices of their buffalo chicken pizza (highly, highly recommend!!), and made my way south.  My goal was to reach the Pennsylvania line and sleep for the night.  I got to the rest area around midnight after a few stops on the way and settled in for the evening.  I woke about 6:30 and began the search for breakfast.  I found a local diner named Cindy's Cafe, the reviews on google were good and said it was cheap, I like cheap.  I stopped in and got a coffee and the 1/2 sausage gravy and biscuits mean which came with 2 eggs and included the coffee.  I'm still getting used to the fact that sausage gravy north of the Mason Dixon line is different, but it was good.  The cafe is currently up for sale, so I'm not sure how much longer it will be around.  I hope someone buys it and keeps it the way it is, the service was good and my meal cost a total of $8 and some change.

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From there I headed to my destination, Steamtown National Historic Site.  I wasn't really sure what to expect which I'm really learning to enjoy.  Life is about getting comfortable being uncomfortable, and if I know what to expect, I can choose to stay comfortable and not do something.  I got there a little after 9 and began my trek.  First stop, inside, I want to know what this place is and why it's of some importance to someone.  Steamtown is a former major railroad yard located in the heart of Scranton.  It began as a small yard with just a handful of buildings, it grew rapidly in the late 19th century and by the turn of the century was a major operation.  The yard today still operates many working trains, but is also home to many decaying trains.  This was what originally led me to discover this place.

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I have never really had a fascination with trains, though I have a friend who is, we'll say "slightly obsessed" (I may or may not have gotten him a Thomas the Train balloon at one point).  I do however have a fascination with exploring, and photography so this was a perfect place for me.  Some of the trains were very old and falling apart, there was a massive Union Pacific Big Boy engine that I really liked.  Inside the roundhouse are some trains that you can climb up in to and see the inner workings, but outside was where my interest was at.  I can't help but think in a day where we're so obsessed with renewable everything, why so many people allow these things to just rust away without a thought of even seeing them before they're gone.

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There was a time in American history where the train ruled our everyday lives, just as cell phones do today.  President Lincoln was transported back home after his assassination, John Brown was snuck home to North Hudson NY on a train after his hanging, President Bush (41) was known for riding the train around Texas and his body took one final ride after his passing in November 2018.  The transcontinental railroad helped connect the east and west coast in the 1860's, much the way the internet had connected the world in the 1990's.  So here we have these amazing pieces of technology just wasting away.  The amount of moving parts in a steam engine is amazing, and to see them up close is an opportunity I suggest you take.  This is a great place for kids and families to go explore, it is quite safe, and the staff was incredibly friendly as is known for the National Park Service employees.

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Steamtown is roughly 8 minutes off of I-81 in Scranton and a perfect stopping place for any road trip.  It is a photographer's and train lover's dream.  It is free to get in to and a great place to learn about a part of our great nation's history that could soon be gone forever.  For more photos visit my facebook page and give it a follow.

If you've ever visited Steamtown or plan to, let me know what your experience was like and I'd love to see some of your photos.  Post them in the comments and be sure to subscribe to my blog for updates.