Elizabeth and I arose up early and we enjoyed the buffet breakfast at the Hilton Harrisburg's Ad Lib Café. After that, I checked my e-mail and other Internet sites then went out front of the hotel and waited for the buses to arrive at 7:15 AM for our 7:30 AM departure. Elizabeth manned the registration room today so did not go on this trip; she had been here in 2018.
NRHS passengers on the first of three buses. We took the highways out to Strasburg where we were told about crossing the street, to be careful and were turned loose.
Strasburg Rail RoadThe Strasburg Rail Road (reporting mark SRC) is the oldest continuously-operating railroad in the western hemisphere and the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road continues to operate under its original charter and original name (Strasburg Rail Road Company). Located just outside of the town of Strasburg, Pennsylvania, the railroad is a heritage railroad offering excursion trains, hauled by steam locomotives, through the heart of world-famous Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Strasburg currently has five serviceable historic steam locomotives (Canadian National 7312, Canadian National 89, Great Western 90, Norfolk and Western 475, Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal 15 (rebuilt as Thomas the Tank Engine) on its roster and has the nation's largest fleet of historic wooden passenger coaches in operation. The Strasburg Rail Road is also one of the few railroads in the United States to occasionally use steam locomotives to haul revenue freight trains. It hosts 300,000 visitors per year.
Across the street from the Strasburg Rail Road is the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. The Strasburg Rail Road serves as the Museum's physical rail connection to the Amtrak Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line junction in Paradise, Pennsylvania.
DescriptionStrasburg Rail Road is a shortline railroad whose construction in the 19th century was intended to connect the town of Strasburg with the main line. Today, the original 4.5 mile line carries passengers on a 45-minute round-trip journey from Strasburg to Leaman Place Junction through nearly 2,000 acres in south-eastern Lancaster County.
The train includes the United States' only operational wooden dining car on which visitors may dine while riding. Attractions at the station include the fully operational 15 inch gauge pint-Sized Pufferbelly (Cagney steam-powered rideable miniature railway) a vintage pump car and several circa 1930s "cranky cars" along with several gift shops and a cafe.
In addition to the excursion train rides, Strasburg Rail Road mechanical and car shops conduct contract work for a wide variety of public and private clients including fellow steam railroads, train museums, attractions and more. Strasburg Rail Road's freight department facilitates the carrying of goods to and from the main line for a number of local and regional clients. In 2016, it was announced that they are to expand their shop an extra 12,000 square feet due to the increase of jobs from other railroads.
HistoryBy the 1820's, the canal system had replaced the Conestoga Wagon as the primary method of long-distance transportation. When the Susquehanna Canal opened, the majority of goods were directed through Baltimore, Maryland rather than Philadelphia. The small amount of goods that were destined for Philadelphia traveled via a wagon road through Strasburg. Philadelphia attempted to reclaim its position as a major port city by constructing the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad in 1831. A railroad was easier and more cost effective to build than a canal. Because the new railroad would bypass Strasburg and cause Strasburg to lose its livelihood, a group of businessmen petitioned the state government for the right to build their own railroad to connect Strasburg to the Philadelphia and Columbia. A charter was issued by the Pennsylvania Legislature with the signature of Governor George Wolf on June 9, 1832 to "incorporate the Strasburg rail road".
Although the pre-1852 history of the Strasburg Rail Road is sketchy, it is believed that the line was graded in 1835 and was operational by 1837. The railroad operated as a horse-drawn railroad until it purchased a second-hand Norris-built, 4-2-0 steam locomotive named the William Penn in 1851. Controlling interest in the railroad was purchased by John F. and Cyrus N. Herr in 1863. The rails were replaced around the same time with heavier ones to accommodate the locomotive. In 1866, the Herrs were granted a charter to extend the Strasburg Rail Road to Quarryville; surveys were carried out, but the extension was eventually canceled because of an economic depression in 1867. Isaac Groff managed The Strasburg Rail Road for about 20 years until the destructive fire of January 16, 1871 which destroyed the depot, grist, and merchant-mill, planing-mill and machine-shop. In one night, over fifty thousand dollars' worth of property was destroyed. In 1878, the Strasburg Rail Road and the shops were sold. The railroad was eventually again sold in 1888 to the Edward Musselman, with the Musselmans retaining control of it until 1918, when it was purchased by State Senator John Homsher. By this time, the number of passengers had dropped off due to tracks for the Conestoga Traction Company's streetcars reaching Strasburg in 1908, which offered a more direct route between Lancaster and Strasburg.
In 1926, the Strasburg Rail Road purchased a 20-short-ton, gasoline-powered, Plymouth switcher-the only locomotive that was ever built specifically for the Strasburg Rail Road. By 1958, the railroad fell on hard times from a cumulative effect of years of declining freight business and infrequent runs, damage caused by Hurricane Hazel, and inspectors from the Interstate Commerce Commission's lack of approval for operation of Plymouth locomotive 4. Upon the death of Bryson Homsher, the Homsher estate filed for abandonment with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Hearing of the potential abandonment, an effort to purchase and save the railroad was organized by Henry K. Long and Donald E. L. Hallock, both railfans from Lancaster. They organized a small, non-profit group to purchase the railroad. After the better part of a year of hard work, the purchase was completed on November 1, 1958. The following week, on November 8, the first carload of revenue freight was hauled to what was then the only customer, a mill in Strasburg.
Our VisitI made my way towards the engines.
Strasburg Rail Road SW-8 8618, nee New York Central 9618, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1953.
Canadian National 2-6-0 89, ex. Green Mountain Railroad Corporation 89 1965, exx. Edaville Corporation 1961, exxx. Canadian National Railway Company 911 1923, exxxx. Grand Trunk Railway 911 1919, nee Grand Trunk Railway of Canda 1009, built by Canadian Locomotive Company in 1910. It was sold to the Strasburg Rail Road in late Spring 1972 and was battled Hurricane Agnes' flood waters during her journey to Strasburg.
Canadian National 89, the first time I had ridden behind this engine.
NRHS members enjoying the first trip of this convention.
The author and Canadian National 89.
Canadian National 89 before we departed at 9:00 AM. Wayne Torseth from the Northstar Chapter was the winner of the silent auction for a one-time only cab ride on this railroad.
In the engine house was Strasburg 4-8-0 475, nee Norfolk and Western 475, built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1906. It ran as a mixed-use engine until 1962 and was acquired in 1991 after the railroad purchased the locomotive for a mere $100,000. After an approximate $640,000 extensive overhaul and restoration, she pulled her first passenger train on Strasburg's line in the fall of 1993. This engine was made famous for her role in the film "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" and is the Strasburg Rail Road's oldest and second-largest steam locomotive. She is the only 4-8-0 class locomotive currently operating in North America, as well as one of the last surviving examples of a Norfolk & Western Railroad locomotive. Its size and ability to pull nearly any size train makes her a "go-to" locomotive for nearly any need Strasburg may have - passenger, freight or otherwise.
Strasburg Rail Road 20 ton HL3 1 built by the Plymouth Locomotive Works in 1926.
Strasburg Rail Road 10 ton "Dinkey" 2, ex. Safe Harbor Water and Power Corporation E-126 1984, nee Pennsylvania Water and Power Company 2 built by Plymouth Fate-Root-Heath in 1930.
Strasburg Rail Road 4-6-0 972, ex. moved to Jim Thorpe, exx. Rail Tours, Incorporated 1966, nee Canadian Pacific 972, built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1912.
The tender of Canadian Pacific Railway 4-6-0 972.
An Amish farm.
We then passed the Red Caboose Motel.
Amish farms are in abundance in the countryside.
A chicken farm.
Views of the farms along the route.
A corn farm.
Another chicken farm.
More Amish farms.
Adventure Cherry Crest Farm.
Cherry Crest Farms.
A green signal for our train.
Part of an Amish farm.
Many more Amish farms.
A tractor pulling farm goods.
A derrick at Paradise.
Paradise is where the former Pennsylvania Railroad runs and is the connection for Strasburg Railroad and here was Amtrak Dynamic Track Stabilizer A 16113 built by Plasser American. It is designed to apply specific and controlled stabilizing forces into the track structure at continuous speeds. Traffic loads subject the track to irregular and uncontrolled settlings which result in premature or accelerated track deterioration. The purpose of the Plasser Dynamic Track Stabilizer is to provide a controlled and accurate settling of the track after maintenance work has been performed. Stabilization extends the life of corrected track geometry - an important factor for today's high speed, high tonnage and passenger railroads.
Dynamic track stabilization is a combination of horizontal vibration and vertical load applied to the track. This process accelerates the initial track settlement immediately after maintenance work. A deliberate and accurate settling is achieved with the aid of a reference system. Dynamic track stabilization consolidates the ballast together in a dense and uniform manner, thus reducing specific compression stress. Therefore, subsequent settlements are only marginal and in this way, a more geometrically exact track structure is produced with considerably higher vertical and horizontal stability. The general practice of using reduced speed trains and quantifying axle loads tends to settle the track in an irregular fashion limiting the realization of long term benefits. Advantages of track stabilization include savings because of longer maintenance intervals; and immediate reduction of slow orders after out of face track maintenance work.
Strasburg 89 pulled away from our train in order to switch ends for the return journey.
It reversed past the switch.
The steam engine ran around our train.
Track equipment at Paradise.
The view from the rear of the train.
That tractor returned with an empty car.
Edward Fortuna, National Representative for the Lackawanna-Wyoming Valley Chapter and an acquaintance of ours, sat across from me.
An Amish farm.
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm display board.
Passing the Adventure Farm.
The train curved to the right by the Red Caboose Motel.
The Amish farm again.
The Red Caboose Motel on the way back.
Maryland and Pennylvania box car 713 built by Baltimore Steel in 1906.
Strasburg Rail Road covered open car 71 "Daffodil Spring", nee Boston and Maine coach 1173 built by Pullman Company in 1904.
Starsburg 4-8-0 475. I then walked across the road.
The Strasburg Rail Road station as seen from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. This station was moved to East Strasburg from East Petersburg in 1960 and was formerly on the Reading and Columbia branch of the Reading Railroad.
I sat with other NRHS members waiting to go into the museum when the 10:30 AM train returned, so I took the picture from my side of the street.
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