Results tagged “Northern Central Railroad” from York Town Square

One of the original rails remains on the old Stewartstown Railroad bed. Background posts: Stewartstown Railroad: 'Truly a unique entity in the state, and possibly, the nation' and 'Yesteryears' southern York County sites and All Stewartstown-related posts from the start.

Doug Winemiller is one of the leading preservationists working to get the Stewartstown Railroad operating again.

In past e-mails, he's noted that many of the original rails are still in place on the line, a shortline that hauled agricultural products between Stewartstown and points east with the Northern Central Railroad at New Freedom.

He included a photo to prove his point... .

The Western Maryland Railroad 'Head House' is part of redevelopment plans in the Northwest Triangle of York. The 1,600-square-foot building maybe transformed into commercial or retail space. (See additional photo below.) Background posts: Blue caboose in Red Lion? 'Yes sir - it's gonna be red' and Mystery of Glen Rock-area's Narrow Gauge Road deepens and Northern York area strawberry part of Neapolitan county.

Three railroads met in York in its 20th-century industrial heyday - the predecessors, successors and extensions of the Northern Central, Ma & Pa and Western Maryland railroads.

Despite that, York was never viewed primarily as a railroad town in the mold of, say, Altoona or Enola. That's probably because it was not located on the mainline of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

That said, the Northern Central Railroad with its direct ties to Baltimore and Harrisburg was pretty darn important... .

The York (Pa.) Dispatch reported on a celebrity train passing through York in September 1941. Background posts: From York, Pa. to inside the beltway, politicos, celebrities got no friend and What did Tiny Tim and Richard Nixon have in common? and Sidney Poitier visits Valencia.

York's location on the Northern Central Railroad, later Pennsylvania Railroad, meant many presidents and other celebrities passed through the city.

In the age of steam locomotives, trains often stopped for water. And York's position as the largest town between Baltimore and Harrisburg increased the likelihood of visits.

In 1941, one such celebrity train did not stop.

It carried the controversial celebrities, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor... .

This photo from the Stewartstown Historical Society might show the result of a 1923 accident on the Stewartstown Railroad, the worst in its history dating back to 1885. With multiple railroads crossing York County, its rail history is filled with accidents (The Great Watermelon train wreck) and near accidents (The unsolved mystery of locomotive No. 1689). Background posts: What was it like aboard the Stewartstown Railroad?, Whatever happened to York County's Hungerford? and Is mystery railroad the old Shrewsbury narrow gauge?

One day in 1923, a car carrying several passengers and crew members becomes uncoupled from a train on the Stewartstown Railroad and drifts down a grade.

A freight train, going at a rapid speed, meets it head on and plows through the passenger coach "telescoping" about two-thirds of the length of the car... .

When the Harper's Weekly artist captured this scene at York's Camp Scott early in the Civil War, many thought the conflict would be shortlived. Even so, the presence of the camp was no picnic from the beginning. Men died from disease and accidents during drills. And stressed townspeople provided nursing and other resources for the camp and accommodated soldiers in their homes. Background posts: 'One of the shells found its mark'', Both Yanks, Rebs camped at old York Fairgrounds, In search of proof that the York Fair is the oldest.

Despite the pagentry associated in drawings of Camp Scott - the old York Fairgrounds converted to military camp - its presence gave many York County residents early first-hand knowledge of the horrors of war.

Just after the firing on Fort Sumter, the fairgrounds took on a martial air soon after sabotage of the Northern Central Railroad between York and Baltimore and unrest in Baltimore - both by Southern sympathizers - meant Northern troops could travel no farther south.

They settled at the fairgrounds, then southeast of the King and Queen street intersection, the first of tens of thousands to camp and train there. Soldiers slept on straw in sheds designed for livestock... .

The Quakers were a large group settling York County's northern tier from York County's earliest days. The original part of this Friends' meeting house in Warrington Township (seen here) was erected in 1769. The congregation doubled the building's size in 1782. It's one of three such Quaker-built structures standing today across York County's northern tier. Background posts: Gladys Rawlins, 'Black History Profiles,' Part III and Thousands discover formerly unheralded Howard Tunnel.

After seeing several recent posts on railroading, Joe Stein (jstein3@comcast.net), a York Town Square reader, wondered why so many lines ran in the southern and central parts of York County.

"What about the northern portion?" he asked.

York and Baltimore were rail destinations in the South, but surely Harrisburg was attractive in the North.

Here are some thoughts in response ... .

This photo shows Bob Rebert, embroiled in a fight against a proposed sewage pipe that would cross his farm, walking on an old railroad embankment in 2007.
That railroad embankment has particular significance. Background posts: Abe, Gwyneth passed through Porters Sideling and Pamadeva. Get it? Pennsylvania. Maryland. Delaware. Virginia..

Outside forces are looking to lay sewer and gas lines under Bob Rebert's North Codorus Farm.

He's fighting the sewer line in court believing an ag security program he's under prevents such sewer line construction.

The sewer line, at least, would go under a railroad embankment crossing his farm.

That's not just another railroad embankment that lived a long existence bearing trains carrying farm products to market... .

The New Freedom Train Station welcomed thousands of visitors as the first stop in Pennsylvania on the Northern Central Railroad. Now rehabbed with interesting exhibits and a caboose tour, the station welcomes scores of visitors each week of a different sort - riders along the York County rail trail. A small museum now occupies the right side of the station and the left side plays host to a snack bar for rail trail users.

The renovated New Freedom Train Station is a community treasure. But its interior bears something that is decidely not York County.

Its longtime safe was not made in York County by venerable York Safe & Lock... .