This category describes the entirety of the AoSR collection.
Bobber Caboose – PC&Y 20 Previous Next Bobber cabooses – see our CO&E 0100 page for an explanation of the name – made for a rough ride for crew members keeping watch from the rear of the train. This wood-sided bobber was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1905 for use on its freight trains …
Builders’ Plates Needed for Restorations of Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum Steamers By John B. Corns The talented, experienced and dedicated steam locomotive repair and restoration experts at the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum work diligently to locate, acquire, and install rare appliances for accurate physical representations of all 23 of these beautiful beasts currently …
Builders’ Plates Needed for Restorations of Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum Steamers Read More »
Steam Locomotive Bronze Birth Certificates By John B. Corns Some companies called them “manufacturer’s plates” or “identification plates,” and at least one railroad called them “badges.” But the name used most often was/is “builder’s plate,” a heavy, cast metal sign that displayed important information (at the minimum, the builder’s name, a serial number and date …
Tank Car – UTLX 88208 Previous Next Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum’s 11,000 gallon tank car was originally owned by Hercules Powder Company. Hercules was a well-known manufacturer of gunpowder. The company – began as a division of DuPont – employed a fleet of tank cars (supplemented by many others leased from Union Tank Lines …
Reading 0-4-0 “Camelback” No. 1187 Previous Next Railroads – like any well-run business – constantly seek to control costs and find more efficient methods to accomplish their goals. One of the more unique ways this concept manifested itself in the early days of steam railroading was the innovative “Camelback” locomotive design. The Philadelphia and Reading …
Heavyweight Coaches – CB&Q 6144 & 6148 Previous Next As railroad travel gained popularity in the second half of the 19th century, railroads and passenger car builders sought to improve rider safety. Wooden railcars posed a fire threat in the event of a derailment due to the coal stoves used to heat them. Further, wooden …
Steel Caboose – WM 1880 Previous Next Built to provide safe, functional accommodations for crew members at the rear of freight trains, the caboose is a symbol of the Classic Era of American railroading. Train conductors used cabooses as their offices to fill out forms, organize switch lists and do other paperwork. Other caboose crew …
160 Ton Wreck Crane – P&LE X300505 Previous Next Derailments, from the typically minor ones to the occasionally catastrophic incidents, disrupted the flow of trains along the railroad. If trains could not run, the railroad could not deliver goods and passengers, so companies staged wreck trains at most major terminals to be “on call” when …
CNR Lightweight Passenger Car Set Previous Next By 1952, the Canadian National Railway needed to modernize its passenger trains. Older coaches, dining cars and sleeper cars were worn out after heavy use during World War II. The automobile and airliner were ever-growing threats to CNR’s passenger business. Finally, post-war sensibilities were increasing the expectations of …
Water Tank Drop-Spouts and Water Columns — “Fill ‘er up, mister?” “Yes, and please check the oil!” By John B. Corns With the water tank tub securely sitting on top of its elevated tower, it was time to have some sort of mechanism to deliver that water into thirsty locomotive tenders below. While the tank …
