Museum Entrance - 

Resting majestically in the front parking lot of the Anthracite Museum is a twenty-four feet long, nine feet high and eight feet wide steam locomotive - a tribute to Scranton’s booming era when “Coal was King”.  With the support from many members of the community the locomotive was moved from its setting near the Wayne County Historical Society Museum and placed in position at its present site.

At the corner of the building is a bas-relief sculpture of a miner trapped by a rock fall.  It was carved by George Papashvily to symbolize those whose lives were cut short by industrial accidents.

The coal mine car that can be viewed on the overlook area of the Museum has an interesting history.  When it was originally collected in 1979 it was in poor condition, but considered important as the Anthracite Museum Complex had very few mine cars.  It had been in hard use service in Schuylkill County since the 1920’s.  By the 1990’s the Museum Complex had been able to collect better examples of mine cars and it was deemed that the 1979 mine car was not needed for the permanent collection.  Therefore, on April 23, 1997 the PHMC approved the deaccession of this object by destruction.  Site Administrator Steven Ling met with Boy Scout Brad Ralston and his father.  For a scout project, Mr. Ling suggested, and Brad and his father accepted, the proposal that the car be dismantled, all metal pieces salvaged, and a new car constructed.  This was skillfully accomplished by Brad and his Dad and the "before and after" photos show the result which visitors appreciate today.

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