All Aboard Ellwood (AAE) Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization of highly motivated local citizens working to commemorate the role the men and women of Western Pennsylvania played in our nation’s rise as an industrial power, and the part the railroad played in making that rise possible. We are involved in a three-phased plan to honor our blue-collar legacy. We need your financial support to make that happen.

When Beaver Falls steel magnate, Henry Waters Hartman, first looked at the plateau of farmland surrounding the great Connoquenessing Creek gorge in the 1880s, he envisioned a growing industrial center to serve the requirements of an even faster-growing nation. He also foresaw the need for infrastructure to support that industry and that meant a railroad. The result of his effort was Western Pennsylvania’s eventual world leadership in seamless tubing.

The Pittsburgh & Western Railroad initially served as the lifeline to allow the industrial production of this area to reach national markets. The P&W was eventually taken over by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and B&O/Chessie System trains serviced local industries during their heydays of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Preserving that railroad and industrial history is a worthy testament to the men and women who built that legacy through hard work and sweat. This is the mission of AAE Inc

Phase I of our efforts is a refurbished Chessie System caboose that is now on display near the Ellwood City Business district.

Phase II was locating a suitable site for an Events Center/Museum with static displays honoring our railroad and industry.

Phases I and II are now complete.

Phase III will be our toughest hurdle. We are asking for your help to achieve it. It is our vision to erect a building to commemorate and preserve the history of Western Pennsylvania’s industry-leading past.

A replica of the elegant B&O Union Station that once stood near the 5th Street underpass in Ellwood, is one option under consideration. It would serve as both a museum and an events center. Offices and a conference area are also planned. This smaller-scaled replica of the actual passenger station that once serviced the classy B&O Blue Flyer as well as industrial freight trains as they traveled to points west, will stand as a monument to the hard-boiled industry and railroad workers whose accomplishments we commemorate. Surrounded by planned static displays, including a replica of the train crossing guard’s shanty that stood just across the tracks from our chosen site, we hope to evoke a deep appreciation for the men and women whose work ethic was the backbone of our great nation. Won’t you please honor them with a donation to make this well-deserved recognition a reality?