The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania named James Cleveland as Volunteer of the Year for 2022. Cleveland was selected by the Friends of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania's board of directors from among the museum's corps of more than 150 active volunteers.

A resident of Gettysburg, Cleveland has been a Friends member and a volunteer since 2012. His son, who was a member at the time, introduced him to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Cleveland still has his original model train set, which he won as the second prize in a coloring contest in the ninth grade. He said that, in that case, he specifically hoped to take second place. He also recalled seeing the "Train of Tomorrow," an American demonstrator train built as a collaboration between General Motors and Pullman, during its barnstorming tour of the United States in the late 1940s. In addition to his interest in trains, Cleveland is a longtime collector of stamps and coins.

Cleveland will be formally recognized by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission at a ceremony in Harrisburg in the spring. He will also be recognized during the Railroad Museum's annual Members Day banquet at The Wyndham Hotel & Resort in Lancaster on Saturday, Sept. 24.

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania preserves a collection of about 100 historic locomotives and railroad cars, and houses a vast research library and archives, a working restoration shop, an immersive education center and a museum store. Open year-round, the museum offers several unique special events, tours, and exhibits.

To learn about the museum's volunteer opportunities, contact Elizabeth Myers, volunteer/program coordinator, at 717-687-8628. To learn more about the museum, visit http://www.rrmuseumpa.org.