05/30/08 — Meadville’s hope for a railroad-and-tooling museum is chugging steadily into a very bright future and, if local organizers have their way, a pair of vintage railroad engines could soon be on permanent display at the Meadville site.

And so would the complete outlay of the machining pioneer Foriska Tool Shop, and a railway car used by Dwight Eisen-hower in one of his presidential campaigns.

These could all find their way to one location under negotiations ongoing with organizers of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Railroad and Tooling Heritage Center and their plans for a $6 million museum.

Their future home is already familiar to many. Just off the French Creek Parkway in south Meadville, Erie-Lackawanna Caboose 356 already is standing tall at the site, brought in a year ago; and there are hefty cast-iron artifacts from the former railroad repair shop in the Meadville rail yard.

Next to arrive — former Erie Railroad locomotive Engine 518 — is expected to be here by summer or fall of this year. It’s a 1,000-horsepower Alco S-2 switching locomotive built in 1948, weighing in at 115 tons, and painted red, white and blue (at least for now).

Ed Cronin, president of the center’s board of trustees, is negotiating for a permanent donation of the Engine 518 locomotive from Ashtabula Carson and Jefferson Railroad. Once it’s moved here, it will be sandblasted, welded and painted to take it back to its original Erie Railroad colors.

Armed with a recent $14,000 grant from Crawford County Redevelopment Authority, the group plans to complete its outdoor display area project this year at a site where the museum complex will eventually be built.

Cost of the sandblasting, welding, primer and painting of Engine 518 is estimated at $18,000. Cost of transporting it to Meadville is $3,000; and moving the engine to the display area, $4,500.

The organization has already raised $11,000 in donations from private individuals as well as other grants. It’s comprised of a consortium of area organizations who have been working together for several years to develop preliminary plans for the center.

And negotiations have already begun for a second engine — a refurbished Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad steam locomotive. Built in 1944, this fully restored iron horse stands 16 feet tall, is 104 feet long and weighs in at 454 tons.

Experts have stated this type of locomotive was probably the most powerful twin cylinder steam locomotive ever produced in America. The plan is to recreate the Meadville Railroad Depot and place No. 643 behind a glass wall for visitors to view as they enter Meadville on Route 6.

The locomotive could also be used for excursions or public demonstrations.

And for the “I Like Ike” fans, plans are to bring in a refurbished passenger car used by Dwight Eisenhower for one of his presidential campaigns. “We think this will be a big tourist draw,” said Cronin.

While it can be said the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton is the “eastern gateway to railroad museums in Pennsylvania,” the local group believes the Northwestern Pennsylvania Railroad and Tooling Heritage Center will be the “western gateway to Pennsylvania’s railroad museums,” according to promotional material from the group.

Mary Ann Martin, retired grant writer from the Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County, is now volunteering her time as finance director of the local organization.

“This is exciting,” she said, noting it’s comprised of local people willing to work together to get funds needed for the center.

In addition to presenting some of the area’s railroad and tooling history, one of the primary reasons for creating the center is to serve as a regional tourism hub. The intent is to attract tourists to the area by marketing the region and all the related railroad museums.

The location also ties in with the promotion of historic U.S. Route 6, a scenic coast-to-coast route that crosses the northern tier of Pennsylvania. The historic highway connects the stories of how America grew industrially, socially and geographically, promoters boast.

“Our collection is growing with first-class collectibles and we are anxious to showcase them,” Martin wrote in a narrative for the county development authority’s grant application.

In addition, numerous railroad artifacts from an impressive and historic collection of the late Stuart Ladner have been offered for loan to the center.

Cronin said plans are to have revolving exhibits on display so people can visit the center often and see different things.

Potential exhibits include motorcycles, antique cars, classic cars, sleighs and sleds, horse-drawn vehicles, rifles and doll houses.

Other state grants are pending as the organization continues to develop the future historical museum and tourist attraction.