Starting in the Museum’s early days as an endeavor by volunteers to save historic locomotives from deterioration, restoration has grown to a major program, combining a small team of employees and substantial volunteer support. Whenever possible, much of the work is performed in-house, while some tasks are outsourced.
Housed in a specially-constructed restoration shop, the Museum’s restoration program is supported by modern machine tools and support facilities. Workers bring a wide range of skills, including but not limited to metalworking, woodworking, welding, painting and electrical. Characterized as a focused but enjoyable effort, the team has successfully undertaken a series of major projects.
Emphasis is placed on restoring equipment to designated standards of appearance and material, balancing cosmetic authenticity with practicality in an era when the infrastructure that originally built this equipment no longer exists.
Restoration efforts have been supported by extensive fundraising by the Friends of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, grants, and other sources. Each project is carefully prioritized, planned, safely executed and accurately documented and professional conservation standards are applied.
