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No Joke: Conrail Boxcar Museum to Open April 1

Conrail Historical Society’s boxcar-turned-museum will open this weekend in Shippensburg, Pa.

No Joke: Conrail Boxcar Museum to Open April 1

By Railfan & Railroad Staff

The Conrail Historical Society’s boxcar-turned-museum and archive will open to the public in Shippensburg, Pa., on April 1, the 47th anniversary of the railroad’s creation. 

CRHS acquired an ex-Penn Central/Conrail auto parts car from CSX in 2020 and moved it to Shippensburg, Pa., in 2021, where it was placed along the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail. Nearby is a former Penn Central boxcar that is home to the Cumberland Valley Railroad Museum. 

Since 2021, CRHS volunteers have been refurbishing the inside of the auto parts car to serve as a public museum space and archive dedicated to the northeastern road. The car was also repainted into Conrail brown and white. The effort was aided by a $100,000 grant from the Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau. 

The grand opening will take place at noon on Saturday. 

“We are beyond honored to keep the memory alive of the Conrail employees who sacrificed and dedicated so much to turn a collection of bankrupt railroads into a leader in the transportation industry,” said Brock Kerchner, President of the CRHS Board of Directors. “It is a classic rags to riches fairytale but this story doesn’t have a happy ending without the perseverance and hard work of so many. The railroad is much more than just locomotives and freight cars. We are proud to share the Conrail legacy from many viewpoints within the museum.”

The museum will be open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset. Visit the CRHS website for more information.

This article was posted on: March 29, 2023