The Society is an all-volunteer organization of approximately 1000 members founded in 1976 for the purpose of preserving the history and heritage of the Reading Railroad. Since its founding, the Society has acquired over 60 pieces of railroad equipment ranging from operational locomotives to freight and passenger cars, as well as a vast archive of historical documentation from the railroad. The Society has been searching for a suitable site on which to build a permanent museum facility since 1983. Unable to locate a suitable site close to its temporary museum at Leesport, the Committee turned its attention to the Schuylkill Haven site. Located alongside the Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad's main line, the parcel is approximately 25 acres in size and owned partially by the Borough of Schuylkill Haven and partially by the railroad.
Negotiations are currently underway with both parties to acquire the site.
Both the Borough and the Railroad have expressed their support for the Society's concept and plans for the proposed Museum. It is hoped that the museum can serve as a departure point or destination for passenger train excursions on the Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern, and that the site will become one of the premier tourist attractions in Schuylkill County. It is hoped that the Reading Railroad Museum will be operational in some form by Summer in the year 2000. Funding for development of the site is projected to come from government assistance, a capital campaign and member contributions.