NRHS RAILCAMP 1998 - July 19-25, 1998

This is a pilot project hosted by the National Railway Historical
Society in cooperation with the National Park Service Steamtown National
Historic Site, with assistance from the University of Scranton and the
Steamtown Volunteer Association. It is designed to provide a background
in rail history, preservation, operations and transportation career
opportunities to forty high school students. The tuition of $495 per
student includes all meals, activities, lodging, materials and equipment
needed. Students are responsible for transportation to and from
Scranton.

Activities include tours of the complex, learning how living history is
interpreted at Steamtown, what goes on in the Backshop and the role of
restoration of vintage rail equipment. On Tuesday, students will work a
half-day in each of the locomotive shop and the roundhouse. On
Wednesday, industrial crafts and the railroads today will be featured.
Thursday involves restoration of rolling stock with the carpentry shop
the main focus. Friday will have Operation Lifesaver and Railroad
Operations activities including preparing an engine for service. In the
afternoon, the students will be with  the Delaware-Lackawanna train
dispatcher working the yard and the line to Moscow. They will also take
the steam excursion train to Moscow. After further field training in
railroad operations, there will be an awards ceremony. On Saturday
morning the students will have an opportunity to show what they have
learned.

Included are picnics, socials, a live steam cab ride, a Red Barons AAA
baseball game, the Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour, and railfanning as
a hobby. Most activities are hands-on. Be prepared to get dirty. If
there is student interest, we will create a RailCamp Web site. Some
activities are still tentative and may be replaced by equivalent
experiences. The most recent schedule is available at
http://www.cs.uofs.edu/~steamtwn

Dennis Martin