I went to the Lackawanna Railfest at Steamtown today. It was great! There were some fascinating modern railroad displays, such as a giant CSX diesel straight from the factory, but the best parts were the behind the scenes tours. I got to see the site from top to bottom. One tour went to the very top of the 1920 sand tower, which provided not only a great view, but a look at the conveyor, which uses standard DL&W coal buckets, just like those used in the railroad owned coal breakers. We also got to look underneath the concrete sand silo, where a tunnel leads to machinery that steam dried the sand.
In another part of the complex, we went underground again, to see the narrow gauge subway route that connected the office/storage building with the erecting shop. It was originally used by electric trains, powered via an overhead trolley. The track looks to be approximately 36 inch gauge and runs underneath the entire length of the office building before splitting at a 3 way switch. The longest route goes to the left. It travels maybe a couple hundred feet, then turns right to cross under Washington Ave, after which a wall blocks entry into the former erecting shop. If you go right at the switch, the tracks go to an elevator which could raise cars (none left) to ground level, near the scrap yard. Before entering the basement, the tour group got to see each floor of the office/storage building. There are many un-renovated spots and vestiges of the past, such as an ornate open cage passenger elevator. This was only the second public tour of the structure, but they might continue in the future if the response is good. Any chance to explore the facility is worth it. The artifacts, blueprints, patterns, and other items kept inside are amazing, but the physical plant is equally unique and impressive. Here are some photos:
More photos:
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/566070414WjOhkx