Kim and Ryan's Wedding: The Strasburg Train Museum (LOTS of pictures)

Friday morning, Shane, Grandpa, and I went to the Strasburg Railroad Museum. Grandpa is a bigger train aficionado than Shane if you can believe it!

Originally, we wanted to go to Dutch Wonderland, but we balked when we saw the ticket prices. We were able to get all three of us into the railroad museum for less than one ticket!

Bring on the trains!

The entry hall had a model train display to wet everyone's locomotive appetities.

Then the real fun started in the museum proper.

There was a ton to see and read. Pennsylvania has a rich railroad history. Grandpa is like having a paid-for tour guide walk around with you, too.

Shane was all about climbing into the engines and cars.

I think the railroads are one of the few areas the States can rival Europe's history. We are such a young nation compared to them: We don't have thousand year old castles, ancient Roman roads, or churches built by bare hands.

However, we took to the railroads on a scale greater than any other. You can find almost any type of train built for any type of distance.

Grandpa told me that at one point, trains were so manpower intensive that close to a tenth of the entire workforce of the US was centered around them! Incredible!

We're not the leading users of trains anymore, but they're still an important part of our infrastructure.

Every time Shane climbed in to anything, he wanted to know when the train would start moving! He was doomed to disappointment on that one.

Shane and I enjoyed balancing and walking on the rails outside. He's very good at it for a three year old! There were signs everywhere that said "Do Not Walk on Rails or Track!" but we knew it was only a suggestion. Some insurance man probably mandated it. Everyone likes to balance on train tracks! My son loved all the gravel, too.

Grandpa pointed out some different grade engines. He called the far one in the next picture something like a "Mountain Mover." It was a giant engine meant for hauling coal. The closer train was a mid-grade engine that would haul passengers.

This small engine was a train-yard shunter. It would move around cars and help them get hooked up to the large haulers.

Shane's favorite part of the museum was the children's center. He did not want to leave! 

When we finally made him move on he cried and cried. Shane had been to train heaven and he did not want to go back to his mundane life!

We rode an elevator to the skywalk, but from that point on everything paled in comparison to the kid's center.

Well, everything except real moving trains! We ran across the street in time to watch the museum train chug away. The rides last 45 minutes and start every hour on the hour after 11. If we didn't have the rehearsal in the afternoon, we would have ridden it.

Shane was still very excited to see it when it came back in.

There was a great playground that Shane and I hung out at while Grandpa checked out the stores.

Shane got himself nice and dirty playing bulldozer. He almost got stepped on multiple times as he plowed around.

After the playground, we found an entire store devoted to Thomas the Train.

I remembered seeing online that there was a life-sized Thomas somewhere in PA. It was right where we were!

Grandpa found Thomas tucked away in a shed behind some other engines. Shane went nuts! We took a bunch of pictures.

I hope the ones I took with Shane turned out. I grinned so wide I thought my face would split. Grandpa used his fancy camera, so I don't have them on me.

When we were leaving, a carriage pulled up with homemade root beer. I didn't have any, but it's hard to forget you're in historic Amish country around Lancaster. It gives the area a different feel.

We all enjoyed our day with trains. Hopefully, you enjoyed some of the pictures! If you're a train fan or near Lancaster, I'd recommend visiting Strasburg.