Elizabeth and I arose and after our Internet duties, she went downstairs to have breakfast and I went to Dunkin Donuts for my usual breakfast which I ate there. I returned and formed the line for Bus 1, on which Dan Meyer was the bus host. It arrived and once all passengers were aboard each of the three buses, we took Front Street to 2nd Street to West Harrisburg Pike then the local road to reach the station.
The Ride on the Middletown and Hummelstown RailroadJoin us for an 11-mile round-trip train ride along the Swatara Creek. Learn the history of the area, the Union Canal and the railroad from a live narration. Passengers board our 1920's vintage Delaware, Lackawanna & Western coaches at our 1891 Station in Middletown, Pennsylvania, which was originally built as a freight station and in more recent years converted for use as a passenger station. The Station contains a ticket window, gift shop and modern ADA restrooms. Browse the gift shop or relax on the porch and visit with folks from near and far.
Following the towpath of the canal completed in 1827, the train travels north toward Hummelstown. Much of the canal is still visible alongside the peaceful Swatara. The narration tells of other historical artifacts, Horse Thief Cave folklore, and many more fun facts about the rail line and south-central Pennsylvania.
. 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.
The crew for this day: Engineer: Ryan Emrick (volunteer), Conductor: Charles High (volunteer), Assistant Conductor: Andy Ottinger (volunteer), Ticket agent: Debbie High (employee), Gift Sales: Barb Sall (volunteer), Flaggers: Brent Macy, Dan Manganello, Larry Sall, Steve Kindig (all volunteers); Mike Graycar (employee). Photograph courtesy Mike Graycar.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority rapid transit car, 476, nee Chicago Transit Authority 6069, built by St. Louis Car Company in 1951.
Pennslyvain Railroad baggage car 9269 built by the railroad in 1920.
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad coach 2330, ex. Gettysburg 330, ex. New Jersey Transit 4330, ex. Erie Lackawanna 3330, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 667, built by Pullman Company in 1917.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority PCC car 2104, nee Philadelphia Transportation Company 2104, built by St. Louis Car Company in 1948.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority PCC car 2095, nee Philadelphia Transportation Company 2095, built by St. Louis Car Company in 1948.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority aluminum/steel streetcar 77, ex. Philadelphia Suburban Transportation 77, nee Philadelphia & West Chester 77, built by J.G. Brill Company in 1932.
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 in 1930.
Middletown and Hummelstown T-6 1016, ex. McKeesport Connecting 1016, nee Newburgh and South Shore 1016 built by American Locomotive Company in 1969.
Middletown and Hummelstown coach 4363, ex. New Jersey Transit 4363, nee Delaware, Lackawanna & Western 711, built by Pullman Company in 1920.
Railway Express Agency box car 7769, built by General American in 1950.
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad "Boonton" combine 4xxx, built by Pullman Company in 191x.
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.
Central Railroad of New Jersey caboose 91537, built by the railroad/Reading Railroad in 1941.
Middletown and Hummelstown 65 ton switcher 1, nee United States Army 7272 built by General Electric in 1941.
Middletown and Hummelstown 65 ton switcher 2, nee Standard Slag and Stone Company 46 built by General Electric in 1955.
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.
The freight and passenger cars used for the street running segment of the morning.
The cab car. I went inside the station and bought a T shirt and later Elizabeth bought herself a T-shirt, as well as a magnet and lapel pins.
NRHS members enjoying themselves in the last coach of the three-car consist.
The Reading Hummelstown station built in 1896.
The sign on the building.
We pulled out onto their mainline, passing these two switchers, sitting silently until they are put into service.
Passing the Reading station for the first time.
We were led down the street by a member of the train crew.
The original Reading Station constructed of stone, which was on the east side of Union Street between Mill Street and Brown Street and built in 1891. We reversed through downtown Hummelstown and stopped at the last crossing in town and everyone but a few detrained for several photo runbys.
Pennsylvania Railroad Hummelstown wooden station, year of construction unknown.
Amtrak Keystone train 648 heading east to Philadelpha. Now the first photo runby would take place.
Reverse move number one.
Photo runby one.
The Keystone Corridor of Amtrak.
Reverse move two.
Photo runby 2. We would all relocate to the street-running segment of the morning.
Photo runby three featuring street-running, a rare occurrence in today's railroading.
Photo runby four.
The view from the rear of the train at our final resting spot after we dropped off the freight cars. Some people boarded here but the others would board back at the station.
John Laude and Patricia Huang.
Robin Bowers and Marty Smith, two NRHS members from California.
Jim Perry and his wife Ann Mason.
Andrew Dietrich talks to one of the Middletown and Hummelstown crew.
Fred and Margaret Schroeder, Bob Ernst and Joe and Patty Maloney, among others.
Swatara Creek. These and the above five photographs courtesy Elizabeth Guenzler.
We stopped on the bridge for lunch, which was built for the original Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad in 1890 before it was merged into the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad as one of there many subsidiaries. The bridge is about forty feet above Swatara Creek and at the base of the three percent grade leading towards the railroad connection in Hummelstown. Swatara is believed to be an Iroquois word meaning "where we feed on eels". Elizabeth helped the crew distrubute lunches and collect the ticket stubs, and my turkey sandwich was excellent. We spent about a hour here before starting back to Middletown and stopped for a unique photo runby at the Swatara Creek Water Trail.
Photo runby five.
Photo runby six.
Photo runby seven.
Photo runby eight; these photos courtesy Elizabeth. We then returned to Middletown and the buses took us back to the Hilton Hotel in Harrisburg. The Northern Central Railway, the planned afternoon venue, had called Convention Chairman John Goodman last night to inform him that their engine was out of service. Discussions and negotiations occurred throughout the morning, with the result being the afternoon's excursion would be to Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association in Mechanicsburg.
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