Pennsylvania Railroad Museum, Hollidaysburg, PA location

jdstrolley · **Posted:** Sun Jul 12, 2009 9:39 pm

I have come across a brochure for the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum located in Hollidaysburg, PA. The brochure appears to be a single person's museum about the Pennsylvania Railroad. The brochure mentions that the Museum was established September 7, 1974 as a non profit organization. The founder was Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hazlett of West Loop, PA.

Has anyone heard of this museum, is it still in existence or how long was it in operation and what happened to the collection of artifacts? The brochure mentions that the museum was located in the former Cove station, which was formerly on the main line of the PRR 10.6 miles west of Harrisburg.

Just curious about this brochure.

Joel Salomon

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6488

jdstrolley wrote:

I have come across a brochure for the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum located in Hollidaysburg, PA. The brochure appears to be a single person's museum about the Pennsylvania Railroad. The brochure mentions that the Museum was established September 7, 1974 as a non profit organization. The founder was Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hazlett of West Loop, PA.

Has anyone heard of this museum, is it still in existence or how long was it in operation and what happened to the collection of artifacts? The brochure mentions that the museum was located in the former Cove station, which was formerly on the main line of the PRR 10.6 miles west of Harrisburg.

Just curious about this brochure.

Joel Salomon

Joel -

I have no knowledge about what happened to the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, but people have told me that the depot at the Monon Connection Museum north of Monon, Indiana is the old PRR Cove station.

Les

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:09 am

I know for a fact that a good portion of the Charlie Hazlett collection was auctioned by the Ted Maurer auction house many years ago, perhaps the late 1980s. I attended that auction, and watched as one of my friends suddenly started bidding on a PRR brass loco bell, with him muttering as the hammer came down, "I just bought that damn bell, didn't I?"

robertmacdowell · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 1:11 am

I don't suppose there's a database of railway museums somewhere?

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3013

I'm not aware of any database of all railroad museums. TRAIN has a roster of members on the website, but obviously that's not all museums. Not sure what ARM has available.

I have a railroad database website, and I do have a large listing of tourist railroads and museums. http://www.railroaddata.com/rrlinks/Tou ... d_Museums/

I am certain that not every museum is listed though, as in order to be listed they have to have a presences on the web, and there are some that do not. Also I'm sure there are others I'm not aware of. Still, it's a pretty extensive list..

David H. Hamley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 3:07 pm **Posts:** 705

I recall visiting this private museum in the late 1970s. It was located just off US 22 just to the east of the PRR Sam Rea car shops. Outdoor exhibits were limited to just a few items, a 4 wheel caboose, an I-1 main rod, and a few others. One incongruous item was a near perfect scale 19" gauge GE U25B and several matching freight cars. Inside the small building was a wealth of PRR hardware, builder's plates, number plates, station signs, car nameplates, and so on. There were also several items from the former PRR HQ in Philly, including Boardroom items. It was a fascinating collection. SFAIK it had no connection to any other museum or group, just one person's very special PRR-based collection.

Ted Miles · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 1:37 pm

There has been a guide for railroad museums, tourist railroads and model displays for many years. It used to by published by a museum in New York state. Then by Railway & Locomotive Preservation Magazine.

Then Kalmback took it over. I have not seen an edition for this year; I do not know if it is defunct or just late getting to the museum book store.

I have never heard of the museum in question; but I think it was more of a private collection than a museum. Private collections are not permanent the way museums are; they do go to the auction block eventually.

Ted Miles

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 4:03 pm

Yes, the Tourist Trains Guidebook has been released for 2009 and has been out since March or April; it's being reprinted every other year or so. The current editors/publishers have dispensed with the old Empire State Ry. Museum (from 1966) format of "one page per location" format, and are currently listing over 450 excursions, dinner trains, museums, and depots, finding room for expanded write-ups of more major operations and museums.

Part of why they're no longer annual is because Kalmbach is taking the trouble to hire independent, trusted free-lancers to provide the extended write-ups and photographs, rather than relying heavily on publicity releases/photos and guides. I should know--I supplied three write-ups and the back cover photo to the current edition.

The Hazlett collection near Hollidaysburg never made it into ANY edition of the Steam Passenger Service Directory or its successors. Indeed, I can find no record of it in any rail guidebook, including the old Randolph Kean spiral-bound Railfan's Guide to Museum and Park Displays from 1973 (and if anyone's going to update another database online, this is THE one..........). I'm led to believe that it's possible Hazlett himself was a "love him or hate him" kind of fellow that for whatever reason was ignored or disregarded by much of the preservation fraternity--not that said characteristic's unusual in this field.......

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

For what it's worth, there's a "List of Transport Museums-Wikipedia" that I have "bookmarked". One of the problems with compiling a complete list, is that many of the smaller museums live a hand-to-mouth existence, and are sometimes the work of one person or family; when the "main man" or founding family loses interest, moves away, or passes on, that's the end. The museum in question sounds as if it might have been a disappointment if someone had driven many miles and found a small private collection which may or may not have been open for visitors. I can imagine a visitor from California, not that familiar with the details, confusing this one with the big museum across the road from the Strasburg Rail Road station.
One of the challenges is "where do we draw the line?" Some "museums" are destinations that draw visitors from around the world, others are a repainted railroad station with a rickety caboose nearby, probably worth a look if one is in the area, but not something to plan a vacation around.
I have copies of Steam Passenger Service Directory going back to the 1970's, and it's interesting to see the museums and historic railway lines that have come and gone, or have grown and prospered over the years. One now-vanished location comes to mind: the Purple Martin RR in western Iowa. We drove past their place in 1990, but didn't have time to stop and look. I understand there may be a derelict car or two, but otherwise it's ancient history. (maybe someone nearby can correct or confirm this memory from 19 years ago.)
For electric railway fans (like me), Andrew Young wrote two books: Trolley to the Past(1983) and Veteran and Vintage Transit (1997) listing and describing trolley museums and vintage streetcar operations in the US and Canada. The 1997 book even lists "Dormant and Recently Defunct Collections and Operations". Not sure if anyone has done this for steam and/or diesel operations, although there are on-line comprehensive lists of preserved steam locomotives and electric railway cars.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:14 pm

More info from a rail preservationist friend from Pennsylvania:

Quote:

Chuck Hazlett was a PRR locomotive engineer on the Middle Division. He was also a steam enthusiast and owned a traction engine that was fitted with both a PRR "banshee" whistle and a standard PRR passenger whistle. He used to bring it to Williams Grove. He also owned a PRR 4-wheel caboose, which I believe [a railroad official in central Pennsylvania] currently owns, as well as the little 0-4-0T "Nancy" now at the Altoona museum (With 20-20 hindsight, they'd have been better off restoring that rather than the K4s.) He was a kind of moody and cranky guy, and he stopped coming to Williams Grove when they began requiring boiler inspections on engines that ran there. If he is still extant, he would be around 80, I think.

Ed Kelley · **Posted:** Tue Jul 14, 2009 9:51 pm

David H. Hamley wrote:

One incongruous item was a near perfect scale 19" gauge GE U25B and several matching freight cars.

The 19" gauge equipment was built by Karl Auel et al at Keystone Light Railway of Hermine, PA -- originally for Bob Carrier of air conditioning fame, although he never actually took delivery. It instead traveled through Kentucky and Alabama before Hazlett eventually got it. The U-boat and three scale passenger coaches were later purchased by the late Al Smith for his Swanton Pacific north of Santa Cruz, CA. The freight equipment and a 4" scale Fairbanks-Morse are supposedly still floating around elsewhere.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:16 pm

More contributed third-hand from a member of the PRR-FAX Yahoo Group (I think I know who it is and he would be in a position to know, but just take this for what it's worth):

Quote:

Chuck passed away over a year ago. It was a shock to many of us, and he is dearly missed.

The museum you've mentioned was located in his backyard, and like everything with Chuck, when he opened it, he did so with style. Both a local band and cheerleaders were present, as were local dignitaries. Now obviously I did not see this in person, as I was only a few months old at the time, but I have seen the newspaper articles and the flyer for the event.

What I can tell you about the collection is that it was one of the most beautiful I've seen. As a child walking though it, there were plenty of things to catch your eye. Now, I am not saying it was the largest collection, or the world's best collection, but it was definitely of the highest quality, and there are few collections that can boast the same. (I realize that I have not seen every collection, but I have seen quite a few, both in person, and in pictures. I mean no disrespect to anyone else's collection.)

As to what happened to the collection, I don't know the specifics. Over time, like a lot of collectors, Chuck sold some things, and bought others. In regards to the auctions mentioned at the end of the 1980s, there were a lot of consignment auctions then. A lot of collectors were selling things, but it rarely meant that someone was selling their entire collection, or even a large part it. More often
than not they were just selling extras so that they could buy something else.

A couple of years before he passed, Chuck sold the Cove station. The station went west, outside of PA, and at the moment I can't remember exactly where it is. Somewhere out there is a website of its new/current home. If I find it, I'll post it.

Chuck was a man with great curiosity, and enjoyed working on things. The last thing Chuck collected were John Deere tractors. Those tractors were sold last year in an auction.

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3013

Bob Davis wrote:

One of the challenges is "where do we draw the line?" Some "museums" are destinations that draw visitors from around the world, others are a repainted railroad station with a rickety caboose nearby, probably worth a look if one is in the area, but not something to plan a vacation around...

Keeping the information up to date is also a continual challenge. That's why I chose the format I did for my site. What I have is a links directory, listing the sites and a brief description. From there, you click on the attraction's link, and you go to their website, which (hopefully, but not always) has updated information.

Doing it that way prevents it from becoming a full time job. Of course if an attraction doesn't have a website, it won't be listed, but since there are so many options for free or inexpensive websites, that's not a real burden for most attrations.

I also have a link where users can suggest an attraction, if they are aware of one that I don't have listed. All in all, it seems to work reasonably well.

http://www.railroaddata.com/rrlinks/Tou ... d_Museums/

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:30 pm

More on the Cove PRR station and possibly more of the Hazlett Collection, once again third-hand from the PRR-FAX YahooGroup list (edited only for spelling)--it seems the spirit of the privately-held museum lives on!:

Quote:

If I'm not mistaken, the COVE station that was part of the Hazlett collection is now on the grounds of the MONON CONNECTION museum in Monon, IN, about 1.5 hrs SE of Chicago. I was told at the museum that it was moved from the Hollidaysburg, PA area when the MONON CONNECTION owner purchased it. It is in excellent condition and is slowly being prepared to become the gift shop for the museum.

As I've mentioned before, the MONON CONNECTION museum is probably the most remarkable railroad museum you've never heard of. Its website only begins to tell you what's there. It is a privately-owned museum that is open to the public. It contains a fabulous collection of railroad china and silverware (probably the largest such collection on public display in the country), but this is only the beginning. There are hundreds of high-quality railroad artifacts - lanterns, steam loco headlights, bells, coach furnishings, and on and on. The museum has many PRR artifacts of high quality - esp. station signs and tower signs. There are some choice artifacts from the VANDALIA Route. The adjacent restaurant's decor includes a COMPLETE collection of PRR calenders, all in almost perfect condition.

Since the owner of this museum acquired his collection mainly by purchasing whole collections from other collectors, there is a good chance that some of the Hazlett collection may now be in Monon, IN. Make sure you visit the museum if you are in the area.

Said museum's website: http://www.mononconnection.com/