As I mentioned in the first two installments, what most struck me about Steamtown on a perfect late summer Friday was the utter silence of the place. 
There were indeed few visitors, but more importantly there was no rail activity other than the (very quiet) diesel-powered Yard Shuttle which was discretely and almost furtively moving around the site. 
For Steamtown to excite any real passion or understanding it must seem alive, active and it must tell its story in a way that is cumulative, emphasizes the chronological history of railroading and most importantly explains what was steam and why that matters.
Clearly the most important need is live steam operation on a regular and routine basis. But ironically I’d like to return to that later. Yesterday we shared a walk through the back yard/dead line(s) at Steamtown. Regardless of the condition of the equipment seen there, several unexploited possibilities exist to dramatically improve Steamtown’s interpretation of the story of steam. 
In a real way the collection is more complete than the “too many Canadian engines” notion might suggest. The average visitor has little idea why one engine was big, another fast and yet another small–but powerful, like the much discussed CN Hudson tank #47. Steamtown needs to reallocte its locomtive displays so they better explain their roles and that includes the rusty relics if there is any intention to retain them.
I suggest setting u