Program Used: Tourism Product Development Grant
Project Description:
The Cumberland Valley Rails-to-Trails Council (CVRTC) saw potential in an abandoned boxcar and an opportunity to celebrate the heritage of the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail. Although the trail follows the former Cumberland Valley railroad corridor from Newville to Shippensburg, it featured almost no mention of or had artifacts representing its rail history. In October 2017, CVRTC took possession of a 1956 Penn Central 50-foot boxcar that had stood abandoned at the end of Queen Street in Shippensburg, about a mile away from its current location, with plans to turn it into a museum. They spent the next two years partnering with regional historical organizations, railroad enthusiasts, volunteers, and Shippensburg University students and alumni to restore the boxcar as well as develop and install the exhibits. To see their vision through to fruition, CVRTC received a $71,387 Tourism Product Development Grant from CAEDC.
The Cumberland Valley Railroad Museum now serves as a focal point at the Shippensburg Station trailhead of the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail and provides visitors with an opportunity to celebrate and learn more about CVRT’s heritage with hundreds of artifacts and exhibits that represent the histories of the Cumberland Valley, Penn Central, and Conrail Railroads and explain how these railroads affected the region. It is open year-round for self-guided tours.
