The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is breaking ground on a new roundhouse that will be used to protect six Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotives. 

The roundhouse will be constructed next to a former Reading Company turntable already installed on the museum grounds. It is being built by eciConstruction of Dillsburg, Pa. Construction of the 16,000-square-foot, six-stall exhibit structure is expected to start in earnest by the end of July and should be completed by late 2026 or early 2027. During construction, the Museum’s outdoor yard will be closed to ensure visitor safety.   

“The main purpose of the roundhouse building is to protect and exhibit the six historic Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotives, which have resided outdoors and experienced deterioration due to exposure to the elements,” said museum director Patrick Morrison. “This new climate-controlled space will showcase these historic steam locomotives in the best possible setting. When the time comes and as resources permit, we will be able to remove each one into the Museum’s restoration shop for more extensive preservation work.”

The museum’s friends group has already raised funds to cosmetically restore PRR E6 Atlantic 460 and is currently collecting money to restore the other five locomotives (B6sb 2-8-0 1670, H10s 2-8-0 7688, L1s 2-8-2 520, K4s 4-6-2 3750, and M1b 4-8-2 6755) for display in the roundhouse.

—Railfan & Railroad Staff