Did you know that we have our very own railroad line right here in Lancaster County, PA?
Strasburg, PA is home to one of the most comprehensive railroad experiences in the nation. There is the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum, with many historic locomotives and railroad cars on display at their facility along Route 741 just east of Strasburg. Right next door is the Strasburg Rail Road, an actual operating "short line" railroad.
Strasburg Railroad operates one of the oldest "short line" railroads in the region, dating back to 1832. The current four and a half mile run is part of the original Strasburg Rail Road that served the Pennsylvania Railroad as a freight interchange. The line was saved from destruction in 1958 and placed in service as a memorial to the bygone era of rail travel.
Today, the line offers tickets for trips, dining and other special events seasonally. You can read more here about prices and availability.
Well, my family was out for a "saturday drive" in east county this past weekend, and happened by the railroad tracks along Cherry Hill Road. When I heard the whistle, I was out the door in a flash with camera in hand (it's never far away when I'm out in the county travelling).
The first shot was a bonus - an amish buggy zipping by with the train in the background...
Here's a shot of the train stopping at the "station" in the distance:
Then the train blew it's whistle again and rumbled down the tracks - it was like being transported into the old west!
When the train had passed me by, I turned to watch it chug it's way across the fields towards Strasburg and the Railroad museum. No doubt the smiling passengers were having a ball reliving something all too rare in the United States today - a ride on a real railroad car.
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