Corry, Pa.—May 14, 2012—In conjunction with the Pennsylvania Route 6 Alliance and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, local volunteers today celebrated a major milestone in Corry's Route 6 Heritage Community project. The Climax locomotive model that will soon greet thousands of locals and tourists at the new Heritage Center at Gigi's Route 6 Diner, 344 East Columbus Avenue, Corry, is complete and ready for installation.

The Climax locomotive was designed and built by Corry Career and Technical Center students under the guidance of Cooperative Education Director Dan Mather.  "They were very interested and excited about promoting Corry," said Mather. The project was a group effort for the 18 students from 4 differecnt classes including computer aided drafteimg, welding and construction maintenance.

The locomotive will house a computer anyone can operate to learn about Corry's unique and interesting past. By simply tapping through the image-based touchscreen, users will be led on a historical journey of people and events that not only built Corry's rich heritage but in some cases, changed the world. The computer will also include local cultural listings, Route 6 Corridor news and happenings, and display maps and brochures.

The technology is being implemented and managed by Chris Ostergard of Union City  omputer Works, who is volunteering professional services for the project. He is also overseeing technology for a second computer set-up in Union City.

Corry and Union City were named Pennsylvania Heritage Communities in 2008 by the Pennsylvania Route 6 Heritage Corporation and have worked collaboratively on this project since. The project is funded by a Heritage Area grant from the PA Route 6 Alliance. The grant funds were provided through the Environmental Stewardship Fund from the  Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

Countless locals have enjoyed eating at Gigi's since it opened in September 2011. Few of them knew the diner was part of the state-funded grant to help drive tourism along Route 6.

"I saw an opportunity to restore a beautiful piece of Americana and hopefully rebuild a section of Corry through tourism," said Gigi's owner Dave Sample. "Every dollar that comes here and stays here counts."

This summer, Sample will host a public ribbon-cutting at the new Pennsylvania
 Visitor Center at Gigi's. Find details at Gigi's Rt 6 Diner on Facebook or www.paroute6.com.

ABOUT U.S. ROUTE 6
U.S. Route 6 was originally the longest highway ever to exist in the United States—3,652 miles, passing through 14 states from Cape Cod, Mass., to Long Beach, Calif. 

ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA ROUTE 6 In scenic Pennsylvania, Route 6 is a favorite driving route as it weaves through the county seats of 10 northern counties and connects with its earlier terminus (Route 6N) in Erie County. The highway in Pennsylvania
contains the stories of how transportation moved across the most rural parts of the state and the country. As it traverses northern Pennsylvania, it connects New York and Ohio, four designated State Heritage Regions, 19 state parks, numerous state forests, five Pennsylvania historical and museum sites, several National Park Service sites, the Allegheny National Forest, and scores of boroughs, towns, cities, and villages.

Do 6! Learn more at www.paroute6.com.