I parked in the railway's parking lot and started to explore.
Middletown and Hummelstown PCC car 2095, ex. South East Pennsylvania Transportation Authority 2095, nee Philadelphia Transporation Company 2095 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1948.
Middletown and Hummselstown rapid transit car 477, ex. South East Pennsylvania Transportation Authority 2095 1987-1994, nee Chicago Transit Authority 6069 1951-1987 built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1951.
Middletown and Hummelstown 65 ton switcher 2, nee Standard Slag and Stone Company 46 built by General Electric in 1955.
Middletown and Hummelstown caboose 21165, ex. Conrail 21165, nee Erie-Lackawanna C-368 built by International Car Company in 1969. Conveyed to Conrail in 1976, it was painted blue in 1976 and served Conrail until 1984 when it was sidelined in Reading, Pennsylvania. Eventually sold into private ownership, 21165 was moved to Sands Point, New York and put on private property. In 2006, the property owner decided to list the caboose on eBay. After several months with no bids, the owner donated the caboose to The Conrail Historical Society. It was trucked from Sands Point to Middletown where it was placed back on live rail at the Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad.
Middletown and Hummelstown caboose 1987, nee Elgin, Joliet and Eastern 5xx built by International Car in 1956.
Middletown and Hummelstown coach 302, nee Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 650 built by Pullman in 1917. It was converted to "High Roof" M.U. Trailer 1930.
Middletown and Hummelstown coach 343, nee Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 691 built by Pullman in 1920. It was converted to "High Roof" M.U. Trailer 1930.
The train from yesterday. Some car switching would occur before the noon train.
Middletown and Hummelstown 65 ton switcher 1, nee United States Army 7272 built by General Electric in 1941.
South East Pennsylvania Transportation Authority master unit 86, ex. Philadelphia Suburban Transportation 83 1936-1970, nee Philadelphia & West Chester 83 1932-1936 built by J.G. Brill in 1932.
A general view.
Middletown and Hummelstown snow sweeper C121, ex. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority C121 1968, exx. Philadelphia Transportation Company C121 1940, nee Philadelphia Rapid Transit C121 built by J.G. Brill in 1923.
Middletown and Hummelstown PCC car 2104, ex. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority 2104 1968-1994, nee Philadelphia Transportation Company 2104 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1948.
Central Railroad of New Jersey caboose 91537 built by the railroad and Reading Railroad in 1941.
Western Maryland S-6 151 built by American Locomotive Company in 1956. It is the last Western Maryland S-6 and was restored to original colors by the Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad. It is mainly used in freight service and on photo charters.
Middletown and Hummelstown T-6 1016, ex. McKeesport Connecting 1016 nee Newburgh and South Shore 1016 built in 1969.
An unidentified caboose.
Middletown and Hummelstown coach 366, nee Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 714 built by Pullman in 1920. It was converted to "High Roof" M.U. Trailer 1930.
Middletown and Hummelstown coach 352, nee Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 700 built by Pullman in 1920. It was converted to "High Roof" M.U. Trailer 1930.
Reading Railroad tank car 90980.
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad three-bay hopper 106362.
Switching moves.
View of the Middletown and Humelstown Yard. I decided to go over to the Amtrak station and walked down the street.
On my way, I saw an electric center cab switcher through the trees.
Two views from the Middletown Amtrak platform, which is served by the Harrisburg local trains and the Pennsylvanian.
The Reading Railroad, formerly Philadelphia and Reading, freight station built in 1896 and is used by the Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad.
On the right is South East Pennsylvania Transportation Authority rapid transit car 476 1987-1994, nee Chicago Transit Authority 6069 1951-1987 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1951. On the left is Buckingham Valley Trolley Association work motor S371 1979-1985, ex. Chicago Transit Authority S371 1972-1979, exx. Chicago Transit AUthority 4397 1947-1972, nee Chicago Rapid Transit 4397 built by the Cincinnati Car Company in 1924.
A Middletown and Hummelstown wooden box car built prior to 1890 undergoing restoration. Having cast wheels, the old couplers and no air brakes, it can never be put back onto an actual train.
Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad PCC car 2725, ex. South Eastern Pennsylvania Transporation Authority 2725, nee Philadelphia Transportation Company 2725 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1947.
I was then invited to see inside their engine house.
Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad 2-6-0 91, ex. Fred Steck (Reese, Michigan) 91 1984, exx. Ontario Science Centre 91 1969, exxx. Charles Matthews 91 1965, exxxx. Canadian National 91 1959, exxxxx. Canadian National 915 1951, nee Grand Trunk Railway 1013 built by Canadian Locomotive Company in 1910.
Rio de Janiero tram 441 built by Rio de Janeiro Tramway, Light & Power Company in 1909 and was acquired from the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin, Illinois in 1984.
Middletown and Hummelstown interurban car 23, ex. Lewistown & Reedsville 23 1915-1930, nee Jersey Central Traction 50 built by J.G. Brill in 1914.
Middletown and Hummelstown streetcar 4550 2000 to present, ex. Station Square (Pittsburgh) 4550 1977-2000, exx. Michigan Transit Museum 4550 1975-1977, exxx. Edaville Railroad 4550 1960-1975, exxxx. Tomorrowland Amusement Park 4550 1956-1960, exxxxx. New York City Transit Authority 4550 1953-1956, exxxxxx. New York City Board of Transportation 4550 1940-1953, exxxxxxx. Brooklyn and QUeens Transit 4550 1929-1940, exxxxxxxx. Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit 1923-19, nee Brooklyn Rapid Transit 4550 1906-1923, built by Laconia Car Company in 1906.
This Cummins generator is used to power their trolley.
One more view of the railroad's yard before I picked up my ticket and waited to board the train, whose consist was Middletown and Hummelstown 65-ton switcher 2, coach 352 and 366.
A Brief HistoryThe Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad was chartered in 1888 by local businessmen who wanted to increase competition in rates for passengers and freight to come out of Middletown. Up until that point, the Middletown/Hummelstown/ Harrisburg area's transportation needs had been served by the Union Canal (commissioned in 1791 by William Penn in order to connect the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg to Philadelphia and completed in 1827), the Pennsylvania Canal, the Pennsylvania Railroad and its predecessors. The Pennsylvania Railroad had a monopoly on freight at the time and there was little competition to drive the rates down.
In 1857, the Reading Railroad completed their line to Harrisburg and essentially put the Union Canal out of business. When the Union Canal was finally abandoned in 1884, Middletown realized that an alternate mode of transportation to transport freight to Philadelphia was needed; so, this group of local businessmen decided to build their own railroad to meet this need. The M&H railroad would be constructed along the path of the former Union Canal.
Construction on the railroad began in 1889 on the Middletown side and was completed as far north as Stoverdale by August 1889. In 1890, the bridge over the Swatara Creek was completed and the M&H line joined the Reading Railroad so that they could compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad together. The Reading Railroad purchased the line from the M&H directors and they served the line with passengers until 1939 and with freight until 1972.
1972 is an infamous year in Pennsylvania history due to a massive hurricane named Agnes – a storm which is still frequently mentioned by name today. The M&H was not untouched by Agnes: the storm severed the railroad line between Middletown and Hummelstown when the Swatara Creek flooded as a result of the heavy rains. The Reading Railroad made a deal with the Pennsylvania Railroad: the Pennsylvania would service Middletown and the Reading would service Lebanon. This temporarily solved the problem and allowed freight to continue to pass through Middletown.
In 1976, Mr. Wendell Dillinger bought the railroad from the bankrupt Reading Railroad. From 1976-1986 the line was used solely for freight. In 1986, he decided to start running passenger trains, and they have been running ever since. All of the passenger coaches were built in 1916-1920 and were used in New Jersey until 1984.
Our TripAfter reviewing the safety rules, the crew introduced me to the passengers and told them I was writing a story for Trainweb.com. The train departed Middletown at noon.
Crossing the first road east of the yard.
Going by the park as we departed.
Univar is one of the railroad's main shippers.
The other entrance into Univar.
Our train crossed Main Street.
Our route would pass through the forest along Swatara Creek.
Swatara Creek, a 72-mile-long tributary of the Susquehanna River, which was a significant transportation route in the colonial period of North America up through the late 19th century.
Another view of Swatara Creek.
A home along our route.
A farm along our route.
Three views along the creek.
This was the first lock of the Union Canal that linked Middletown and Reading.
View to the west of the train.
The south views off the Swatara Creek bridge.
The north view.
The Swatara Creek bridge.
Rear views as we train climbed the grade to our turn-around point.
The train had arrived at the Indian Echo Cave platform where it sat for a few minutes and then reversed all the way to Middletown. I relaxed and talked with one of the engineers on the return trip then once we were back in Middletown, I thanked the crew for an excellent trip on their railroad. I drove back on Pennsylvania 283 to Interstate 81, which was bumper-to-bumper traffic lasting for 13 miles. It finally opened and soon I was on Interstate 78, which I took to Hamburg and my next stop.
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