NEW CASTLE, PA — After more than three decades showcasing rare and eclectic transportation artifacts, the Harlansburg Station Transportation Museum has closed its doors. Its extensive collection, assembled by founder Donald Barnes, is now being offered in an online auction that closes September 9.
Barnes, a former commercial airline pilot, opened the museum in 1991 to share the memorabilia he collected during years of travel. The collection reflects his wide-ranging interest in transportation, spanning railroads, aviation, nautical history, and highway culture. “I enjoyed talking to the bus drivers, people who worked on the rivers, other pilots, everyone had an interesting story that I wanted to learn more about,” Barnes said of how his collecting began.
Among the highlights are four passenger rail cars, a brass ship’s binnacle and wheel, handcrafted ship models, a California Highway Patrol motorcycle, a Greyhound Bus ticket window, and vintage gas pumps. The collection also features a post office ticket window, a telephone booth with its original phone, and a variety of advertising signs.
Local history is also well represented. Items include a bronze airport sign and beacon from Pittsburgh, a large-scale electric steam engine from the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Headquarters at Station Square, and a ship’s bell from a Pennsylvania riverboat. Hand-built models of riverboats that once traveled the region’s waterways add to the museum’s strong local ties.
In total, more than 1,000 pieces will be sold. Auctioneer Wayne Tuiskula of Central Mass Auctions called the collection remarkable. “I am very impressed with the collection that Mr. Barnes put together and honored that Central Mass Auctions was chosen to handle the sale of these amazing items,” Tuiskula said.
A public preview will take place at the former museum site on September 6 and 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Online bidding begins at 10 a.m. on September 9, giving collectors and history enthusiasts a chance to own a piece of the museum that drew visitors to western Pennsylvania for more than 30 years.
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