After some last minute shopping for my backpacking trips the night before, both Judy and I slept in. I was tired from the drive and Judy wanted to be rested for the reenactment taking place at Fort Ligonier that afternoon. (Her husband spent the night at the fort as part of that reenactment.) So we visited a place I’ve passed before, the Ligonier Valley Rail Road Museum.

The little station is located just off Route 30, next to Idlewild Park, and near the Loyalhanna Creek. Little museums are hit or miss in my experience; they either display the passion of their founders and volunteers or they just exist out of a sense of duty. The LVRR Museum is the former. I found the displays fascinating, and even the docent who overwhelmed me with details made this a good time. (I do confess that when she went into a detailed explanation of couplers I felt like throwing myself in front of a train. But I should have been prepared. Most railfans are like that.)

The LVRR Museum has a caboose you can walk through in addition to the guided tour of the museum. It would be a great place to bring children, or anyone who loves trains. The website is http://www.lvrra.org/.