FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 18, 2018
Contact 1: Maryann Huk Executive Director, McKeesport Preservation Society [email protected]
Contact 2: Kevin Varrato President Steel City Chapter Railway & Locomotive Historical Society [email protected]
ALL ABOARD! MEET THE FOLKS BEHIND THE WESTERN PA RAILROAD AND TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM. The June 2018 Introduction and Presentation at the North Side’s historic Teutonia Männechor offers an evening of the Mon Valley’s industrial might from the unique perspective of railroad history.
Dateline: Pittsburgh, Pa. and McKeesport, Pa.
McKeesport, Pa., located 13 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, was a key location during Pittsburgh’s Industrial Revolution.
Celebrating and preserving the important role railroads played in Western Pennsylvania’s Industrial Revolution is the focus of the proposed Western PA Railroad and Transportation Museum.
As a major attraction along the Greater Allegheny Passage trail, the Western PA Railroad and Transportation Museum will attract scores of visitors from the million plus who use the adjacent GAP trail every year.
The Steel City Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Inc., (R&LHS) along with the McKeesport Preservation Society are holding an evening fundraiser at the Teutonia Männechor on Saturday, June 16, 2018. This fundraiser will introduce the newest chapter of the R&LHS and its partnership with the non-profit McKeesport Preservation Society to bring railroad enthusiasts from all over the world to McKeesport and the Mon Valley.
The epic growth of heavy industry in Western Pennsylvania was as much about rail transportation as it was about blast furnaces and finishing mills. Raw materials, steel ingots, and finished products were moved around the mill sites and shipped by rail. That history is planned to be preserved at the former 1906 McKeesport Connecting Roundhouse that serviced the US Steel National Tube Works, now RIDC’s Industrial Center of McKeesport.
The focus is to preserve the unique rail history of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania and to restore the historic Roundhouse for a museum and public space. Former railroader and history buff Kevin Varrato approached the McKeesport Preservation Society, Inc., in 2016 with the idea of using the former McKeesport Connecting Railroad Roundhouse. His idea included railroad archives, a scale model layout, locomotives and rolling stock from the Mon Valley’s industrial past. Along with the formation of the Steel City Chapter in Western Pennsylvania, the dedicated partnership approached RIDC and is in discussions regarding the disposition of the Roundhouse.
Mr. Varrato recently said that the enthusiasm of the members of the new organization and the dedication of McKeesport Preservation Society members exceeded his most optimistic expectations. “It is great knowing there is so many interested people wanting to see this project grow. Pittsburgh is finally getting a way to bring together all of the Rail History enthusiasts in the area, and this museum will be a wonderful addition to the local community for future generations to come and learn about railroading in the Steel City.”
The June 16 event is a fundraiser as well as an introduction for the organizations and the project. The event will include a presentation by Mr. Varrato, President of the Chapter and Ms. Maryann Huk, the Executive Director of the McKeesport Preservation Society. They will describe the Roundhouse story so far, and their plans for the Museum. Before the presentation, the Teutonia Männechor’s famous German cuisine buffet will be served along with authentic imported German beer. Mr. Varrato, who is also the Hausmeister at the Teutonia Männechor, has carefully chosen the German favorites to be served.
The Teutonia Männechor (German Men’s Choir) is a 164-year-old private German singing and social club located in the historic Deutschtown area on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Teutonia Männerchor is housed in a traditional German Hall, and has been serving the German American community in Pittsburgh since 1854. Ms. Huk, the Director of the McKeesport Preservation states, “We hope this event and fundraiser will be remembered as the milestone event for rail history enthusiasts in Western Pennsylvania.”
The Teutonia Männechor is located at 857 Phineas St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. The event is from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., Saturday, June 16, 2018; doors open at 4:30 p.m. Special prizes will be given by raffle. The price for admission is $75.00 for non-members and $50.00 for Steel City Chapter R&LHS members.