Historic Transportation Museum Collection Goes to Auction After 34 Years

The closure of the Harlansburg Station Transportation Museum after 34 years of operation has led to the online auction of its extensive transportation memorabilia collection through Central Mass Auctions, with bidding concluding on September 9, 2025. Founded in 1991 by Donald Barnes, a commercial airline pilot who began collecting during his travels, the museum housed a diverse array of items spanning multiple transportation sectors.

The collection features significant railroad memorabilia, including four railroad passenger cars, alongside nautical artifacts such as a brass ship's binnacle, brass ship's wheel, and numerous handcrafted ship models. Other notable items include a California Highway Patrol marked motorcycle, Greyhound Bus ticket window, post office ticket window, vintage gas pumps, and a vintage telephone booth with telephone and advertising signs. Barnes described his collecting journey, stating he would explore various transportation hubs during layovers, engaging with industry workers whose stories fueled his passion for preservation.

Many pieces hold local historical significance, including a Pittsburgh bronze airport sign, airport beacon, and a large-scale electric steam engine with working driving wheels from the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Headquarters at Station Square. The collection also includes a ship's bell from a Pennsylvania riverboat and hand-built models of local riverboats, totaling over 1,000 items. Auctioneer Wayne Tuiskula of https://centralmassauctions.com expressed honor at being chosen to handle the sale, emphasizing the quality and historical value of Barnes' assemblage.

The auction provides the public with a rare opportunity to acquire pieces from a museum that attracted visitors beyond the local region for three decades. Preview events are scheduled for September 6-7, 2025, at the museum location, with online bidding ending on September 9. This dispersal represents not just the sale of collectibles but the conclusion of a cultural institution that documented transportation history through tangible artifacts and personal narratives.