Steamtown

I am now going to leave Pittsburgh and travel almost all the way across the state of Pennsylvania to Scranton. Pennsylvania is a beautiful state and I can only imagine how great it must look when the leaves all turn. Huge rolling hills and deep valleys give great pleasure as you travel down the road. That said, even though Pennsylvania is a beautiful state, I just don't feel the joy, the connection that I have felt in other states. That is ok, there are 49 other states to find that ever elusive connection.

I know I've mentioned it before but my favorite Eleanor Franklin quote is “Do something everyday that scares you” which I have always interpreted as 'get outside of your comfort zone. Don't settle'. Today I am going to do my best to follow this adage. I am going to take this big honkin' fifth wheel into a Pennsylvania state park and back into a site. I do really good going forward with this FW. I do pretty good backing up in a straight line, but this is going to be backing up at an angle. As I approach my site, the nerves are beginning to get to me. I start sounding like Thomas The Train. I think I can, I think I can. I round a curve, see my camping site and start pulling past it. What do I see in the road, but the corner of a boat, sticking out. The picture doesn't look like much, but it is going to be just enough to cause intense worry because my truck is going to swing out in that direction. Ok, though, I can do this, I am woman, I am strong. I start my backward attack and get past the boat with a mere inch to spare. I even missed the motor. All of a sudden, as I start backing in, I am surrounded by people who are all going to help me. I find I don't need them (well, the guy in the very back telling me when to stop backing was helpful) because I've got it. Yay Me!!!! I am now officially state park ready.

It may not look like it is all that far into the road.  

Keep in mind that a lot of times when I'm backing, the truck ends up in the weeds on the right side of the road.

And I'm in.  I may be a tad too far to the left but I didn't hit anything which is the important part.

I have come to the Scranton area to go to a National Historic Site called Steamtown. It was developed to tell us all about steam railroading and it's people. I am not particular excited about this – railroading just doesn't seem all that interesting. Boy, was I wrong. Fascinating. Steamtown is the old Delaware, Lackawanna & Western (D,L&W) train yard. There are two roundhouses where they are working on restoring old steam locomotives. The History building told the story of steam railroading, in particular the D.L&W line. The Technology building was interesting and very interactive. You could watch how the steam powered these huge machines. There was place where you could blow steam engines horns – it is like a secret language.  Ex. Four blasts mean you are approaching a crossing. One blast means you have stopped and set the brake. There was even a Turntable that they would drive the locomotives on. It would turn to the appropriate roundhouse track where that locomotive would be getting maintenance. 

The turntable. See the little house in the center.  

Somebody would sit in there and make the turntable go around and around.  

I guess it would be like his own little merry-go-around.

I even got to take a steam locomotive train ride which basically just went up a hill and then back down for a total of 45 minutes. It was just pleasant to hear the whistles, the chugging along because it was a most beautiful day. 

The mighty engine that dragged me up the hill

You need to burn coal to make steam.  I guess this is not the most ecologically correct form of transportation

And the passenger car

I was a little disappointed though that there was no mention of the legendary Casey Jones.  I'm not talking the Casey Jones whose dramatic death happened while trying to stop his train and save the lives of his passengers.  Nosiree Bob.  I'm talking about Casey Jones of Lunch With Casey fame.  I spent almost every day as a little kid watching tv and having lunch with Casey Jones and his buddy Roundhouse Rodney.

JoggerCat seems to have found 'his' spot