Strasburg Rail Road
Overview
HeadquartersStrasburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Reporting markSRC
LocaleStrasburg and Paradise Townships, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Dates of operation1832 (1832)–present
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length4.02 mi (6.47 km)
Other
Websitestrasburgrailroad.com
Strasburg Rail Road
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
PA-741.svg
PA 741
Gap Road
 East Strasburg
Paradise Lane
Esbenshade Road
Groundhog Cut
 Cherry Hill
Pop. 17 (more or less)
Cherry Hill Road
 Groff's Grove
Carpenters
Black Horse Road
Pumpkinville Turnpike
Leaman Place
Keystone Corridor

The Strasburg Rail Road (reporting mark SRC) is a heritage railroad and the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the western hemisphere, as well as the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road Company is today a heritage railroad offering excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives on 4.02 mi (6.47 km) of track[1] in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, as well as providing contract railroad mechanical services, and freight service to area shippers. The railroad's headquarters are outside Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

Strasburg has five operational steam locomotives on its roster, as well as several others in various stages of restoration. As of 2022, Canadian National No. 89, Norfolk & Western No. 475 and Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal No. 15 (rebuilt as Thomas the Tank Engine) are all in active service, while Canadian National No. 7312 is currently undergoing restoration back to operation and Great Western No. 90 is undergoing its FRA inspection and overhaul as of January 2024.[2][3] The other steam locomotive is 15” Gauge 4-4-0 built by Cagney in the early 1900s.[2] China Railway JS No. 8024 (rebuilt as Americanzed Bell Strasburg Logo.No 563) They also have the nation's largest operating fleet of historic wooden passenger coaches. It hosts 300,000 visitors per year.[4]

The Strasburg Rail Road is one of the few railroads in the U.S. sometimes using steam locomotives to haul revenue freight trains. The nearby Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania occasionally uses Strasburg Rail Road tracks to connect to the Amtrak Philadelphia-to-Harrisburg Main Line junction in Paradise, Pennsylvania.

Description

Strasburg RR in 2004

Strasburg Rail Road is a shortline railroad that connects the town of Strasburg with Amtrak's Keystone Corridor mainline. The line is used for excursion trains, which carry passengers on a 45-minute round-trip journey from East Strasburg to Leaman Place Junction through nearly 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) in southeastern Lancaster County. A percentage of each train ticket's revenue is contributed to the Lancaster Farmland Trust.[5]

The railroad operates the United States' only operational wooden dining car on which visitors may dine while riding. Attractions at the station include the fully operational 15 in (381 mm) gauge Pint-Sized Pufferbelly[6] (Cagney steam-powered ridable miniature railway), a vintage pump car and several c.1930s "cranky cars", along with several gift shops and a cafe.

The railroad's mechanical and car shops maintain and restore locomotives and rolling stock for the Strasburg Rail Road and a wide variety of public and private clients, including fellow railroads, steam locomotive operators, train museums, and other heavy industries. In 2016–17, the shops were enlarged to 30,000 square feet (2,790 m2) to accommodate increasing demand for their services.

Its freight department provides shipping and transloading for local and regional clients. Interchange is with Norfolk Southern at Leaman Place Junction in Paradise on Amtrak's Keystone Corridor.[7]

Since 2008, freight carloads have increased substantially, which resulted in the development of a new $1.5 million transloading facility funded by the railroad and matching grants.[8] On February 12, 2023, the railroad inagurated a six-track freight yard located off of Route U.S. 30, the Lincoln Highway.[9]

History

By the 1820s, the canal system had replaced the Conestoga wagon as the primary method of overland transportation. When the Susquehanna Canal opened, the majority of goods were directed through Baltimore, Maryland, rather than Philadelphia.[10][11] The small amount of goods that were destined for Philadelphia traveled via a wagon road through Strasburg.[11] 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.[12] 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 [sic]".[13]

Strasburg Rail Road ex-PRR 4-4-0 number 929 in Strasburg around 1894.

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.[12][14] 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.[14] 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.[15] 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.[16]

Isaac Groff managed The Strasburg Rail Road for about 20 years until the fire of January 16, 1871, which destroyed the depot, grist and merchant mill, planing mill and machine shop — in all, more than $50,000 worth of property, equal to $1,221,389 today. In 1878, the Strasburg Rail Road and the shops were sold.[17] The railroad was sold again in 1888 to Edward Musselman, with the Musselman family 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 because tracks for the Conestoga Traction Company's streetcars had reached Strasburg in 1908, offering a more direct route between Lancaster and Strasburg.[18]

In 1926, the Strasburg Rail Road purchased a 20-short-ton (17.9-long-ton; 18.1 t), gasoline-powered, Plymouth switcher locomotive — the only locomotive that was ever built specifically for the Strasburg Rail Road.[18] By 1958, the railroad fell on hard times from the cumulative effect of years of declining freight business and infrequent runs, damage caused by Hurricane Hazel, and lack of approval for operation of the Plymouth locomotive by inspectors from the Interstate Commerce Commission.[18][19]

Upon the death of Bryson Homsher, the Homsher estate filed for abandonment with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.[20] Learning of the potential abandonment, an effort to purchase and save the railroad was organized by railfans from Lancaster Henry K. Long and Donald E. L. Hallock. 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.[21] 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.[21]

Tourist excursion service began on January 4, 1959, and the first steam locomotive arrived the following year: in June 1960.[22]

Equipment

Locomotives

SRC locomotive details[2][23]
NumberTypeImagesWheel arrangementBuilderBuiltSerial numberStatus
1GasBPlymouth Locomotive Works19262452Operational
2GasBPlymouth Locomotive Works1930UnknownOperational
3Steam4-4-0Cagney Bros.1920UnknownOperational
9Steam4-4-0Cagney Bros.1903UnknownStored
10DieselB-BSanders Machine Shop1915UnknownOperational
15Steam0-6-0TH.K. Porter, Inc.19175966Operational
89Steam2-6-0Canadian Locomotive Company1910922Operational
90Steam2-10-0Baldwin Locomotive Works192457812Undergoing 1,472-day inspection and overhaul
563 Steam 2-8-2 Datong Locomotive Works 1965 701 Purchased From China
475Steam4-8-0Baldwin Locomotive Works190628343Operational
972Steam4-6-0Montreal Locomotive Works191251106Stored, awaiting restoration
1235DieselB-BElectro-Motive Diesel195318960Undergoing restoration
7312Steam0-6-0Baldwin Locomotive Works190832894Undergoing restoration
8618DieselB-BElectro-Motive Diesel195216193Operational

No. 1 has operated on the Strasburg Rail Road ever since it was built in 1926. The engine is notable for being used to reconstruct the track and rails for the railroad between 1958 and 1959 after the railroad was purchased to become a tourist line.[2][1]

No. 7312 originally operated for the Grand Trunk Railway and later the Canadian National Railway.[24] It was the very first steam locomotive to be purchased by the Strasburg Rail Road, in June 1959. It arrived on the property in June 1960 and was placed into service on September 1, 1960, pulling the railroad's very first tourist train.[24][25][2][26] It was the very first steam locomotive to return to service in the United States.[25] Continuing to operate until 2009, it was taken out of service to undergo an extensive Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 1,472-day inspection and overhaul.[25] However, since 2021, work on the locomotive began again, but stopped again in 2022. As of March 2023, the engine had been moved into the backshops where restoration and overhaul work resumed again with the hopes of returning to active service soon.[25][3]

No. 90 originally operated on the Great Western Railway of Colorado to the company's towering mill in Loveland, Colorado where it hauled sugar beet trains.[1] It was purchased by the Strasburg Rail Road on April 5, 1967 for $23,000.00 and arrived on the property on May 5, 1967.[1][2][27] Upon arrival, No. 90 would make its first run for Strasburg on May 13, 1967.[2][27] The engine is occasionally repainted into various paint schemes for photo charters, such as the Great Western Railway (Colorado) scheme in a 2013 charter.[28][1][29] As of January 2024, No. 90 is currently undergoing its 1,472-day inspection and overhaul.[3][30][31]

No. 89 operated for the Green Mountain Railroad in conjunction with Steamtown, U.S.A. It was purchased by the Strasburg Rail Road, but while en route to Strasburg in June 1972 it was in Penn Central's Buttonwood, Pennsylvania yard when Hurricane Agnes flooded the Susquehanna River.[32][33][34] The floodwaters entered the locomotive's stack, delaying its debut at Strasburg. Upon arriving on the property it underwent a complete overhaul, which lasted for a year. It wouldn't be until March 17, 1973 in the following year that No. 89 made its first official run on Strasburg Rail Road.[2] When No. 89 first arrived, it originally faced east when hauling excursion trains. It would remain in that status until the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania's turntable was installed across the street in late 1973.[35][36][2] Today it is often the locomotive of choice to pull smaller train consists.[34]

No. 2 was acquired by the Strasburg Rail Road in 1984. It is occasionally used to move heavy equipment around the railyard. The engine would occasionally be re-themed to the Thomas character "Rusty" for the Day Out with Thomas events.[2][1]

No. 475 originally operated for the Norfolk and Western Railway hauling freight. After retirement, it was sold to several different owners until being purchased by the Strasburg Rail Road in June 1991.[37][38][39][40] Upon arriving on property on July 20, 1991, it went through a restoration lasting 2 years and then was returned to operating condition on November 4, 1993.[39][37][38][2][40] No. 475 would occasionally be refitted to resemble its sister locomotive No. 382 for Virginia Creeper photo charter events hosted by Lerro Productions on various occasions.[41][42] Additionally, for the movie Thomas and the Magic Railroad No. 475 and three passenger cars (only two of which wound up being used) were re-lettered "Indian Valley".[43]

"Thomas" is actually Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal No. 15, built in March 1917 by the H.K. Porter Company.[2] The locomotive was sold to the SRC by Keith Brigode from the Toledo, Lake Erie and Western Railway in March 1998 and rebuilt to resemble the character, Thomas the Tank Engine for the SRC's annual Day Out With Thomas events.[44] In April 2014, Thomas's face was replaced with the animatronic CGI face with the mouth's ability to open and close, and a voice speaker.[44]

No. 972 was acquired from Rail Tours Inc. of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania after the company could not afford the payments for mechanical repairs that Strasburg was performing on the locomotive at the time.[45] It currently sits in storage awaiting repairs.[2]

SRC also has a collection of early internal combustion locomotives; all but No. 1235 are in operation.[2]

No. 10 originally operated for the Lancaster, Oxford and Southern Railway until the line closed in 1918.[46] In 1919, it was sold to the Grasse River Railroad in New York where it continued service until 1960.[46] That same year it was sold to Winston Gottschalk of the Strasburg Rail Road and arrived on the property two years later in 1962.[2][46] In 1991, it entered the Strasburg shops for a complete restoration.[46] After six years of restoration work, the railcar re-entered passenger service in 1997 and has continued operating since then.[46][2]

No. 8618 originally operated for the New York Central Railroad until being acquired by the Strasburg Rail Road in 2009.[2] The engine is used mainly for freight services but also hauls excursion trains from time to time. The engine occasionally had been re-themed into the Thomas character "Mavis" for the Day Out with Thomas events.[2][1]

No. 1235 is an ex-ATSF SSB-1200, rebuilt from a 1953 EMD SW9. In 1984, it was sold by GE to Celanese Corp.[47][2] It was brought to the railroad in late 2018.[2] It arrived in poor condition, painted in faded Santa Fe dark blue, and is currently undergoing restoration to operational status.

Although many locomotives have gone through the backshop for restoration, others have been thought to be in the shop only on hearsay. Only locomotives that have been publicly displayed or have been mentioned in a press release are counted as restorations and re-builds.

The railroad also has a collection of Cagney locomotives, but only one is in operation.[2]

No. 3 is a 15 in (381 mm) gauge miniature type steam locomotive that may have originally operated at Coney Island, New York, it was acquired by the Strasburg Rail Road in 2003 and has remained in active service ever since.[2][48]

No. 9 is another 15 in gauge miniature type steam locomotive that also may have operated at Coney Island. It was acquired by the Strasburg Rail Road in 2012 to operate along with No. 3.[2] It is currently sitting in storage awaiting to enter service.

Former units

Former Strasburg Rail Road locomotive details[2]
NumberTypeImagesWheel ArrangementBuilderBuiltSerial NumberCurrent owner
7Diesel(B-B)General-Electric1915UnknownMiddletown and Hummelstown Railroad
21Diesel(B)Mack19216005Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
1187Steam0-4-0Baldwin Locomotive Works190321831Age of Steam Roundhouse
1223Steam4-4-0Juniata19051399Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
7002Steam4-4-2Juniata1902929Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
8000Electric (B+B)American Locomotives, General Electric Company & Ingersoll Rand1931UnknownNational Museum of Transportation
9331Diesel(B-B)General-Electric194829964Walkersville Southern Railroad (Privately owned)

Both No. 1223 and No. 7002 were leased for operation. No. 1223 was leased from the PRR from 1965 to 1968, from Penn Central from 1968 to 1979 and from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1989.[49] No. 7002 was also leased from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. After ultrasonic testing both engines were found to have thin spots in their fireboxes, which are a part of their boilers, thus the engines were taken out of service. The railroad stated they could have done the repairs but the lessor, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, wanted to preserve the historical fabric of each locomotive and did not renew their leases the following year. No. 1223's last day of service for SRC was Thursday, October 26, 1989, while No. 7002's was earlier that year in January right after filming a Prudential Insurance commercial in Harrisburg Train Station. They have both remained on static display since being removed from service.

SRC No. 4 is a camelback-type locomotive originally built as Reading Railroad A4b No. 1187 by The Baldwin Locomotive Works. The locomotive has the distinction of being the only SRC locomotive to arrive under its own power, doing so in 1962 from E&G Brooke Iron Company of Birdsboro, PA.[2][50] It had inadequate strength for SRC's heavy trains. As such, it ran as a switcher during the summer months from 1963 to 1967. After a loan to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, it long sat dismantled pending long-term future restoration. It was acquired by the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio during a July 15, 2020[51][52] auction and left the Strasburg yard on July 31, 2020.[51][52]

Visiting units

NumberTypeImagesWheel ArrangementBuilderBuiltNotes
B&O Tom Thumb ReplicaSteam0-4-0Baltimore and Ohio Railroad1926-1927Rebuild
WDWRR #1 Walter E. DisneySteam4-6-0Baldwin Locomotive Works1925Overhauled between 2016 and 2020
WDWRR #2 Lilly BelleSteam2-6-0Baldwin Locomotive Works1928Rebuilt between 2010 and 2016
WDWRR #3 Roger E. BroggieSteam4-6-0Baldwin Locomotive Works1925Overhauled between 2019 and 2023
B&O 25 William MasonSteam4-4-0Mason Machine Works1856Rebuild
PALCO 37Steam2-8-2TALCO1924Stored at Strasburg 2010-
LIRR 39Steam4-6-0Juniata Shops1929Awaiting Restoration Since 2008
MSC 98Steam4-4-0ALCO1909Stored at Strasburg 1960-1964
611Steam4-8-4Roanoke Shops1950At Strasburg in 2019 and 2021-2023
764Diesel GP7 (B-B)Electro-Motive Diesel1954 Leased in 2016

Locomotives that visited Strasburg either for events, to undergo a rebuild or, under a lease agreement:

B&O Tom Thumb Replica visited once for a rebuild, owned by B&O Railroad Museum.

B&O 25 William Mason visited for a rebuild to prepare for an appearance in Wild, Wild West, owned by B&O Railroad Museum.[53]

No. 611 visited in 2019 for the N&W Reunion of Steam event, visited again in 2021 and 2022,[54][55][56] owned by the Virginia Museum of Transportation.[57] It ran its last excursions in late May 2023 and returned to the VMT.

No. 764 is an ex-Union Pacific (built), ex-Amtrak, ex-Maine Eastern, owned by RR Power Leasing, temporarily leased in 2016.[58]

No. 37 is an ex-Sugar Pine Lumber Company. Last operated in the 1990s. Purchased by Timber Heritage Association in November 2003 and moved from Wilmington & Western Railroad to Strasburg Railroad in 2010 to await funding for restoration to operational status. Recently, the locomotive was sold to the Age of Steam Roundhouse.[59]

No. 39 is a PRR G5 class "Ten Wheeler" type steam locomotive.[60] Ex-Long Island Rail Road.[2] The boiler arrived on the property in 2008; currently awaiting restoration. The remainder of the locomotive's parts are stored at the Railroad Museum of Long Island.

No. 98, though never owned by SRC, was stored at East Strasburg station from 1960-1964. No. 98 was purchased by father and son T. Clarence Marshall and Thomas C. Marshall, Jr. from Paulsen Spence's ill-fated Louisiana Eastern Railroad collection, for use on Historic Red Clay Valley, Inc's Wilmington and Western Railroad. No. 98 arrived on the Wilmington & Western in 1964 and was operational by 1972. No. 98 is currently out of service undergoing a overhaul and is expected to be operational sometime in 2023-4.[61]

The Walt Disney World Railroad locomotives, No. 1 Walter E. Disney, No. 2 Lilly Belle, No. 3 Roger E. Broggie, and No. 4 Roy O. Disney, would travel to the Strasburg Rail Road shops for overhauls and rebuilds beginning in 2010.[62][63]

Pre-1958

Strasburg rostered at least six steam locomotives prior to 1958. Evidence suggests that Strasburg only rostered one locomotive at a time, operating it until it was no longer economically viable and then purchasing a replacement locomotive.

NumberTypeImagesWheel ArrangementBuilderBuiltNotes
560Steam0-4-0Juniata1893EX-PRR A3 class switcher. Strasburg's last steam locomotive before acquiring the Plymouth.
937Steam4-4-0Juniata1876EX-Pennsylvania Railroad D5 4-4-0 engine. Renumbered as Strasburg's second No. 1 and scrapped in 1924 after it was retired from service.
929Steam
Strasburg Rail Road ex-PRR 4-4-0 number 929 in Strasburg around 1894.
Strasburg Rail Road ex-PRR 4-4-0 number 929 in Strasburg around 1894.
4-4-0Juniata1873EX-Pennsylvania Railroad D3 4-4-0 engine. Renumbered as Strasburg's first No. 1. Sold in 1906 after plymouth was cheaper to maintain
"Strasburg"Steam4-4-0TBaldwin Locomotive Works1863Strasburg's first new locomotive.
"William Penn"Steam4-2-0Long & Norris1835Ex-Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad. Strasburg's first locomotive, rumored to be one of the first 50 locomotives built in the US. Possibly rebuilt Sold in 1865. Possibly rebuilt when sold.
5203combine coach(B+B)JuniataunknownEx-Pennsylvania Railroad combine coach. Rebuilt with an added door to better load and unload milk and supplies at Leaman Place station and the Homsher Mill. Retired 1929, remained on the property until the 1950s
5203monitor rood combine coach(B+B)Juniatacir. 1860sEx-Pennsylvania Railroad 1860s monitor roof combine coach. Used from 1892 to cir. 1926, cut down to a flatcar and remained on the property for 3 more years until dismantled for parts
W-04boxcar(B+B)Pressed Steel Car Company1907Ex-New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad boxcar. The oldest equipment still surviving from the pre-tourist era, other than Plymouth 20-ton No. 1. Boxcar number SRC #110, NY&PNRR #998, PRR #96451. Used on photo charters like the other equipment.

Passenger car equipment

Current rolling stock[2]
SRR No. Name Image Builder Built Type Notes Significance of Car Name
10 Reading Harlan and Hollingsworth 1913 Business ex-Reading Original name given to the car by Edward Stotesbury, former president of the Reading Railroad. Originally named "Paradise" from 1964 to 2001. Restored to original "Reading" paint scheme.
20 William M. Moedinger Jackson & Sharpe 1913 Coach ex-Maryland and Pennsylvania Named for Strasburg Rail Road Company founder and fifth company president (1971-1982). Put into service at Strasburg in 1959. Number 20 is its original MA&PA number. Originally named "Willow Brook" from 1959 until 2007 when it was renamed "William M. Moedinger".[64]
58 Cherry Hill / Huber Leath Harlan and Hollingsworth 1911 Coach ex-Reading Named for Strasburg Rail Road Company founder and CMO (1962-1986). Arrived at Strasburg in 1958. Originally named "Cherry Hill" from 1958 until 2007 when it was renamed "Huber Leath".[64]
59 Grasshopper Level B&M Salem Shops 1904 Coach ex-Boston and Maine A nickname for an area of Lancaster County just south of Strasburg along Route 896. Arrived at Strasburg in 1959.
60 Eshleman Run / Donald E.L. Hallock B&M Concorde Shops 1903 Combine ex-Boston and Maine Named for Strasburg Rail Road Company founder and 3rd company president (1965-1970). Arrived at Strasburg in 1960. Originally named "Eshelman Run" from 1960 until 1999 when it was renamed "Donald E.L. Hallock".[64]
62 Gobbler's Knob Pullman 1897 Coach ex-Boston and Maine A nickname for an area in Lancaster County just south of Strasburg along Route 896. Put into service in 1962.
65 Walnut Hollow Harlan & Hollingsworth 1910 Coach ex-Reading Unknown significance. Put into service at Strasburg in 1965.
68 Hello Dolly Pullman 1896 Open Air/Observation ex-Boston and Maine built as a coach Named for the 1969 movie for which this car was rebuilt to star in movie.
70 Cherry Crest Pullman 1904 Coach ex Boston and Maine Named for the ex-Cornelius Ferree farm along the Strasburg Rail Road line. Put into service at Strasburg in 1970.
71 Daffodil Spring Pullman 1904 Open Air ex-Boston and Maine built as a coach Significance in the name unknown. Put into service at Strasburg in 1971.
72 Mill Creek Pullman 1906 Coach ex-Boston and Maine Named for the tributary of the Conestoga River. Put into service at Strasburg in 1972.
73 Pleasant View Pullman 1907 Open Air ex-Boston and Maine, built as Coach. Significance in the name unknown. Put into service at Strasburg in 1973.
75 Henry K. Long Laconia 1910 Lounge ex-Boston and Maine, built as Coach Named for Strasburg Rail Road Company founder and first company president (1958-1963). Put into service at Strasburg in 1975.
88 Marian Laconia 1910 Parlor ex-Boston and Maine, built as Coach Named "Marian" for Strasburg Rail Road Company founder and first board secretary. She was the wife of William M. Moedinger. Put into service as the First Class Parlor car at Strasburg in 1988.
92 Susquehanna Harlan & Hollingsworth 1910 Coach ex-Reading Named "Susquehanna" for the Susquehanna River, which forms the western boundary of Lancaster County. Put into service at Strasburg in 1992.
93 Lee E. Brenner Laconia 1909 Diner ex-Boston and Maine, built as Coach, only wooden dining car in regular service in the US Named for Strasburg Rail Road Company founder and the second company president (1963-1964). Put into service at Strasburg as the dining car in 1993.
96 William McFarlan Pullman 1896 Coach ex-Boston and Maine Named for a former Strasburg Rail Road Company VP whose estate gift funded the restoration. Put into service at Strasburg in 1996.
99 Valley View Laconia 1909 Open Air ex-Boston and Maine, built as Coach Significance in the name unknown. Put into service at Strasburg in 1999.
105 Warren F. Benner Barney & Smith 1912 Coach ex-Western Maryland Named for Strasburg Rail Road Company founder and second company treasurer (1967-1998). Put into service at Strasburg in 2005.
118 Linn W. Moedinger American Car & Foundry 1910 Lounge ex-Baltimore and Ohio Cocooned from 1990 to 2015. Restored 2015–2018. Completed November 2018. Inaugural run November 19, 2018. Named for Strasburg Rail Road Company CMO (1988-2018), president (2000-2018), and son of William and Marian Moedinger.
3214 none Laconia 1909 Baggage ex-Boston and Maine, built as Combine rebuilt in the 70's and used for a photo charter in the 80's. Now used for storage purposes
TBD TBD Wagner Palace Car Company. 1899 Coach ex-Rutland 704, cocooned
TBD TBD Barney & Smith 1910 Cafe/Observation ex Baltimore and Ohio, cocooned
TBD TBD Jackson & Sharpe 1899 Coach ex-Bangor and Aroostook, cocooned
TBD TBD Jackson & Sharpe 1899 Coach ex-Bangor and Aroostook, cocooned
9125 TBD ACF 1946 Baggage ex-New York Central used for storage
9140 TBD ACF 1946 Baggage ex-New York Central used for storage
9146 TBD ACF 1946 Baggage ex-New York Central used for storage

Accidents

  • On September 4, 2014, an empty excursion train was departing from the station when the open air passenger car No. 99 suddenly derailed. No injuries occurred.[65] The derailment was caused by a glitch in one of the track switches by the station.[65] The crew eventually got the passenger car back on track by 3:30 pm.[65]
  • On November 2, 2022, while running around a passenger train at Leaman Place, Paradise, No. 475 collided head-on with an excavator parked on a siding.[66] The impact punched a hole in the smokebox door.[66] No crew or passengers were injured, and the damage done was deemed relatively minor.[67] The collision was broadcast live via Virtual Railfan and was caught on video via cellphone by one of the passengers on board the train that day.[66][68] The accident was caused by a misaligned switch, and it is being investigated by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).[66] Strasburg announced that repairs on the No. 475 locomotive had commenced on November 3, the day after the accident.[69] Repairs were completed with the No. 475 locomotive returning to service on November 7, 2022.[70]

In film and television

The Strasburg Rail Road and its locomotives have appeared in a number of films and television series, including Hello, Dolly!, Wild Wild West, Thomas and the Magic Railroad, The Gilded Age, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, The Men Who Built America and I Heard the Bells.[71][43][72][73][74][75][76]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bell, Kurt; Plant, Jeremy (2015). The Strasburg Rail Road In Color. Scotch Plains, NJ: Morning Sun Books. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-58248-479-2.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 "Equipment Roster" (PDF). July 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "New Strasburg GM packs experience, skills". Trains. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  4. ↑ "Locomotives find new life among the crash and bang of Strasburg Rail Road's mechanical shop". LancasterOnline.com. 3 December 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Lancaster Farmland Trust". 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  6. ↑ Strasburg Rail Road - Pint-Sized Pufferbelly
  7. ↑ Cupper, Dan (October 2023). "THE STRASBURG RAIL ROAD YOU DON'T KNOW". Trains. No. 10 Vol 83. Kalmbach. pp. 14–21.
  8. ↑ Rutter, Jon (August 21, 2011). "When the Strasburg Rail Road hauls freight, it means business". LancasterOnline. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Strasburg Rail Road opens six-track freight yard". Trains. 13 February 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  10. ↑ Hallock, p. 132.
  11. 1 2 Hallock, p. 133.
  12. 1 2 Hallock, p. 134.
  13. ↑ Journal of the Forty-second House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Vol. 1. Harrisburg: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 1832. p. 986.
  14. 1 2 Hallock, p. 135.
  15. ↑ Hallock, p. 136.
  16. ↑ Hallock, p. 140.
  17. ↑ Ellis, Franklin (1883). History of Lancaster County Pennsylvania: With biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men. (1883). United States: Everts and Peck. p. 1067.
  18. 1 2 3 Hallock, p. 141.
  19. ↑ Soloman, p. 76.
  20. ↑ Hallock, p. 143.
  21. 1 2 "History". Strasburg Rail Road. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Strasburg Rail Road's History: How We Became America's Oldest Continuously Operating Railroad". Strasburg Rail Road. August 3, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Full Equipment Roster". Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  24. 1 2 "Canadian National Ry No. 31". SteamLocomotive.com.
  25. 1 2 3 4 "LOCOMOTIVE NO. 31". Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  26. ↑ Bell, Kurt (2015). The Strasburg Rail Road in Color. Scotch Plains, NJ: Morning Sun Books Inc. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-58248-479-2.
  27. 1 2 "LOCOMOTIVE NO. 90". Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  28. ↑ Conrail6370 (2008-11-14), "A Near Miss at Cherry Hill Siding" on the Strasburg Railroad November 8,2008, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2018-11-07{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ↑ "No. 90". Archived from the original on 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  30. ↑ "90 In-Cab Experiences". Strasburg Rail Road. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  31. ↑ "New Strasburg GM packs experience, skills". Trains. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  32. ↑ "Strasburg Rail Road has special connection to Hurricane Agnes". WGAL. 2022-06-22. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  33. ↑ Edson & Corley (Autumn 1982) p.132
  34. 1 2 "LOCOMOTIVE NO. 89". Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  35. ↑ Moedinger, William M. (1983). The Road to Paradise: The Story of the Rebirth of the Strasburg Rail Road (2nd ed.). The Strasburg Rail Road Shop.
  36. ↑ Bell, Kurt (2015). The Strasburg Rail Road in Color. Scotch Plains, NJ: Morning Sun Books Inc. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-58248-479-2.
  37. 1 2 Barry, Steve (2006). Rail Power (1st ed.). Voyageur Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-7603-2547-6.
  38. 1 2 Kraft, Randy (December 26, 1993). "STRASBURG'S 'NEW' LOCOMOTIVE TAKES TOURISTS ON TRIP TO THE PAST". The Morning Call. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  39. 1 2 Moedinger, William M. (1993). The Road to Paradise: The Story of the Rebirth of the Strasburg Rail Road (3rd ed.). The Strasburg Rail Road Shop. p. 25.
  40. 1 2 "LOCOMOTIVE NO. 475". Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  41. ↑ "May 21st Membership Meeting" (PDF). Whistle Stop. Vol. 32, no. 5. Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society & Museum. May 2012. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  42. ↑ Everett and Strasburg Charters. Lerro Productions. Archived from the original on July 20, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2022. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  43. 1 2 "Interview with Linn Moedinger". Sodor Island Fansite. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  44. 1 2 "S. Berliner, III's BEDT Page: BEDT #15". Retrieved January 15, 2007.
  45. ↑ "transpress nz: former Canadian Pacific 4-6-0 steam locomotive". transpress nz. 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  46. 1 2 3 4 5 "LOCOMOTIVE NO. 10". Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  47. ↑ "Strasburg Rail Road acquires second diesel | Trains Magazine". Trains. 22 September 2018. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  48. ↑ "Fun Extras". Strasburg Rail Road. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  49. ↑ "No. 1223; An American Star". Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  50. ↑ "Class A4-b 0-4-0 Switcher, #1187". Surviving Steam Profile. Reading Company Technical and Historical Society. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  51. 1 2 "Digest: Age of Steam museum acquires Camelback locomotive". Trains magazine. July 16, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  52. 1 2 "Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum acquires a rare steam locomotive". Roundhouse Reports. Sugarcreek, Ohio: Age of Steam Roundhouse. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  53. ↑ "The B&O Railroad Museum". www.steamlocomotive.com. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  54. ↑ "N&W No. 611 to perform again at Strasburg". Trains. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  55. ↑ "N&W 611 visits Strasburg 2019 - Empire Of Rails - Travel Stories". Empire Of Rails. 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  56. ↑ Perelman, Carl (2021-04-20). "N&W 611 Returns To The Strasburg Railroad". Railpace Newsmagazine. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  57. ↑ Dwyer, Shayne (2021-05-06). "Virginia Museum of Transportation's famed 611 steam locomotive headed to Pennslyvania". WSLS. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  58. ↑ "Diesel Mixed Train Photo Charter on the Strasburg RR May 28". www.rypn.org. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  59. ↑ "https://www.facebook.com/railwaypreservationnews/". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-10-22. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  60. ↑ "Engine 39 Finds a Home at Strasburg Rail Road". Strasburg Rail Road. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  61. ↑ "Wilmington & Western Railroad - Delaware's Operating Railroad Museum". www.wwrr.com. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  62. ↑ Bevil, Dewayne (December 8, 2021). "Training runs: Walt Disney World Railroad begins testing stage at Magic Kingdom". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  63. ↑ Pilcher, Ken (September 3, 2021). "Walt Disney World Railroad: Steam trains off-track for 50th anniversary". WKMG-TV. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  64. 1 2 3 "Equipment Roster (July 2018)" (PDF). strasburgrailroad.com. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  65. 1 2 3 Alexander, Larry (September 4, 2014). "Switching glitch causes derailment at Strasburg Rail Road". Lancaster Online. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  66. 1 2 3 4 Cupper, Dan (November 2, 2022). "Strasburg collision damages No. 475, no one hurt". Trains. Kalmbach Media. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  67. ↑ "Train crashes into equipment at Strasburg Railroad in Lancaster County". WGAL. November 2, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  68. ↑ "Strasburg 475 Damaged in Collision With Excavator". Railfan & Railroad. White River Productions. November 2, 2022. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  69. ↑ Franz, Justin (November 3, 2022). "Strasburg Begins Repairs to N&W 475 Following Collision". Railfan & Railroad. White River Productions. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  70. ↑ "Strasburg No. 475 back in service after accident". trains.com. Kalmbach Media. November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  71. ↑ "Our Trains". Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  72. ↑ "Museum train chugs into 'Wild, Wild West'". The Baltimore Sun. 2 March 1998. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  73. ↑ Miller, Mikayla (July 4, 2023). "5 takeaways from Sight & Sound's first feature film, 'I Heard the Bells'". Lancaster Pnline. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  74. ↑ Leah McKelvey (November 30, 2022). "'I Heard the Bells,' Sight & Sound Films' Debut Movie, Releases in Cinemas". The Lancaster Patriot. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  75. ↑ "The Men Who Built America - A Preview". Historynet. 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
  76. ↑ "2 local children to appear on PBS Kids show 'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood' on May 20 | Entertainment | lancasteronline.com". 13 May 2013.

Bibliography

  • Bell, Kurt; Plant, Jeremy (2015). Strasburg Rail Road In Color (1st ed.). Morning Sun Books. ISBN 978-1-58248-479-2.
  • Conner, Eric; Barrall, Steve (2017). Strasburg Rail Road. Images of Rail (1st ed.). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-2507-9.
  • Moedinger, William M. (1993). The Road to Paradise: The Story of the Rebirth of the Strasburg Rail Road (3rd ed.). The Strasburg Rail Road Shop.
  • Edson, William D.; Corley, Raymond F. (Autumn 1982). "Locomotives of the Grand Trunk Railway". Railroad History. Boston, Mass.: The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Inc. (147). ISSN 0090-7847.
  • Hallock, Donald E. L (1964). "A brief history of the Strasburg Rail Road". Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society. Lancaster, PA: Lancaster County Historical Society. 68 (4): 129–146.
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