Pa. Open Carry ~Responsible carry, in the open.

...specifically, the Steamtown Historic site. i was there yesterday; my daughter had a pece on display for an art show, located in the Trolley Museum. i stopped in earlier in the day, just get my bearings. i saw a park ranger there, so i approached him to ask about the building, and if the museum was considered a federal facility; he said it was, therefore, no carry into the museum. "but," he continued, "you're free to leave it in your car."

i was about to leave, when another question occurred to me. i turned, and asked about the trains. "how about them? they're not exactly a building, or facility. am i allowed to make the trip to Moscow armed?"

he seemed genuinely confused. he thought about it for awhile, then admitted, "i'm really not sure; that's a good question. i'm gonna say, to to be on the safe side, that no, you can't bring a gun on the train. i'm not 100% sure, more like 90% sure. i could be wrong. better to err on the side of caution, i think."

"alright, then. thankjs for your help."

"anytime, sir."

well, he didn't know for sure, and i can't figure out where to find the information. there's nothing about it on their website. would anyone here have some insight i'm lacking? thanks, y'all.

Interesting question. The definition of a "federal facility" that I've seen repeatedly referenced while discussing the NPS rule change is:

Quote:a building where federal employees work on a regular basis

IMO, a train that still runs is not a "building", though perhaps one on permanent stationary display might be considered as such.

Also, I recall reading somewhere about a federal prohibition that (probably) applies to ALL trains. The discussion was about the Strasburg Railroad. I'll see if I can find it.

*ETA the following quotes from PAFOA:

Quote:Now, from another source (yet to be confirmed with policy or case law, working on this) that the FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) prohibits the carry of firearms on any line that is regulated by them. For PA, all Pennsy lines that were taken over by Amtrak are under FRA guidelines as well as other attractions like the Strasburg Railroad. While there is no law against this, it is apparently policy (much like airplane carry),

Now, with that being said, I cannot find any citation of this as a law or policy that is regulated by the NFA, but could be just simply regulated by Amtrak alone.

Quote:Interesting. I too would be interested in seeing anything in writing from the FRA in regards to firearms. I was just at Strasburg Railroad on Sunday. My brother-in-law and myself both spent about 5 or six hours there, including two different train rides. The conductor did mention being controlled by the FRA, but there was no mention of firearms, no signs ANYWHERE that I saw, and neither of us had any problems on the train or off, and we were OC for the entire visit.

hmm...i'm wondering if the Steamtown line is under NPS jurisdiction or FRA rules. the tracks it runs on isn't used for anything but the Steamtown attraction; the other end in Moscow is also part of the historic site, and not a working train station. i'm going to have to head down there this week and talk to someone about that; i'm planning a trip with the g/f and our kids, and she asked about if i was going to be able to carry on the train ride.