GE Dash 8 joins the museum lineup in 2013 helping to generate a record number of visitors. We have a lot more planned for this year, too! If you like trains, watch this site for announcements and come to the museum to join the fun.
Over 11,000 people visited the Lake Shore Railway Museum in North East, Pennsylvania, during 2013. Efforts over the past few years to improve the museum’s holdings, to present better programming, and to advertise more effectively are reaping measurable benefits.
Museum popularity keeps growing
Beginning in 2010, and continuing through 2012, over 10,000 railfans came to the Lake Shore Railway Museum each year. This number was up significantly from 2009 and earlier. The visitor count pushed over 11,000 in 2013 for the first time ever. We had a series of ‘perfect’ events in 2013 and people really noticed.
Locomotives pull in the crowds
During 2013, Norfolk Southern Railway donated a GE Dash–8 locomotive, the first Dash-8 model ever to be donated to a museum. Later, steam locomotive “Viscose #6” visited and operated during “Steam Locomotive Weekend” at the Museum. Lake Shore Vice President Ryan Maxwell is quick to point out that 2013 started off busy right from the beginning. “The museum had nearly 500 visitors for its annual Easter Egg Hunt, and that was the very first day of the season!”
New projects in 2013:
- restoring the paint scheme on two passenger cars, two locomotives and one freight car,
- creating extensive new track work on the Museum grounds
- installing a new model railroad and updating the gift shop inside the Museum depot
- evaluating the Museum’s 1869 Freight House through a PA Historical & Museum Commission grant.
Much more is planned for 2014. Those interested in Museum events are encouraged to “Like” Lake Shore’s Facebook page and to bookmark the Museum’s webpage.
The non-profit, all volunteer Lake Shore Railway Historical Society has operated the Lake Shore Railway Museum in North East, PA, since 1970. If you would like to volunteer, contact us at the museum.