photoartflightSteamtown National Historic Site (part 1)
I was going through backup hard drives looking for an image an old client needed and I came across these images taken many years ago when a friend took me to Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA. I thought it would be interesting since it is hard to travel far for interesting destinations to photograph at the moment. Steamtown National Historic Site is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located on 62.48 acres in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. In non Covid times you can actually book trips on some of these to select destinations hours away. I was not really interested in trains (they don’t have wings!), but he convinced me it would be a great day. And it was! It is an amazing place to photograph. Talk about Heavy Metal! I did not know what to expect so I brought a few lenses, but he laughed at me when I included a 70-300mm lens. In the end I only used a 24-105mm zoom. Probably should have included the 12-24mm, but with these huge subjects wide angle distortion would have looked strange. But it was definitely a fun day to Explore & Photograph! There were interesting subjects, details and trains all over the site. But my favorites were the rusting hulks in the storage train track areas waiting to be restored or maybe there for parts. But you have to be aware & careful because off in the rusting hulks there are active train tracks. In this post I will concentrate mostly on restored ones, but I will put in a few rusting ones! Tomorrow I will feature the rusting ones!
Description of Featured train above – Union Pacific #4012
Front of Baldwin Engine 8
Drive wheel detail
759 in restoration area
Rusting “Old Passenger Car” on Storage Tracks
Train Tracks out in Storage Area- sepia-toned
Head-on split image – Newer & Old Comparison Engines
Lackawanna Diesel – Restored
Turntable track to bays
Restored Diesel – 902 Reading Lines
Wider view #8 Engine
Restored Train in Roundhouse
7 images @24mm panorama – Rusting Tender out in holding storage area
Bay Tracks to Storage Bays
Restored Old Mail Car
photoartflight 
What an incredible place! Excellent series, Reed! I particularly like the old passenger train, the patina is wonderful, and the train tracks image.
Thanks so much Belinda! It was an interesting place to visit! The museum was beautiful and well done. But my favorite images were from the holding “graveyard” on the tracks along side of the museum. A “lot of texture” and graffiti which was very interesting. Plus I was surprised they let you wander around active tracks. Just a sign saying watch for moving trains! Thanks again!😊
I imagine the area alongside the museum was really fun. A place to return to at some point.
I really enjoyed these terrific shots… wonderful points of view!
Thanks so much! It was a fun day of photographing different subjects than I normally photograph!
Fun to see!
One great documentation! I Love all the sharp details.
Thanks! It was definitely fun to photograph there! Different subjects than I normally photograph. Tomorrow I will post images of their aging unrestored trains out on the edge of the museum. They are either waiting to be restored or for parts. A lot of rust, graffiti and worn trains!
My son was really into trains and we took him here once. A pretty amazing place!
Yes! It is an amazing place to photograph! Especially if you look for interesting angels and color combinations!
Nice collection, Reed! Love the RR track ‘abstract’ and the rusty engine door shots!
Thanks Donna! Today’s post will have even more “Rust” and interesting textures & colors!