York County trolley car No. 163 served as a summer home along the Conewago Creek near Strinestown from 1939 until the 1972 flood. It was acquired by the Rockhill Trolley Museum and restored during a 17-year period. It's in operation today. Farther east from Strinestown on the Conewago Creek, trolley cars crossed the bridge near Manchester. Background posts: Conewago Crossing near Manchester busy spot for years, Part I, Part II, and
Hanover trolley bed work seen as 'springboard to accelerate future phases of the trail'
Ed Beck of the Manchester area is helping us explore the the area on both sides of the Conewago Creek where the trolleys crossed on their way to and from the line terminus in York Haven.
He conjectured last time that the concrete slab that represented Elm Beach on the York Haven side might still be there. That was a major swimming locale for trolley riders coming to Cold Springs Park, on the Manchester side.
Here's an edited version of Ed's report:... .
Yesterday we went down to the creek where the trolley pier is located and looked just a few hundred feet down the creek on the other side and did see part of the concrete slab which was part of Elm Beach.Thought it was still there and it was.
Continued our trip to the famous Conewago Inn for a fine dinner. They still have the original recipe for their famous turtle soup. Not quite as good as it was forty years ago but still very good. Thought you would like to know and sometime enjoy a good meal there.
My great grandfather, Fred Spiese, operated a swim suit rental and restaurant at Elm Beach. Does anyone have any photos of Elm Beach?
That was my swimming hole....Also jumped off that cement pier "trolley",......climbing the rail side-stepping to I got to the top. Clayton Bostic taught me how to climb that pier. We had a made-believed sink hole just downstream from the pier. I nearly drowned there. My girl friend Debbie Groff's mother ran the restaurant...which in the mid-60's was the best snack bar around.
I grew up where this photo was taken. There was a group of trolleys next to the Conewago Creek that people used as summer homes. After the 1975 flood one trolley was removed and is now at the Rockhill Trolley Museum. It has been lovingly restored, and my family and I had the chance to take a ride on it. It brought back a lot of fond childhood memories of the trolley that were only a few steps from my home.
Kim,
Check out this link and you'll see the restored trolley in Huntingdon County.
http://www.yorkblog.com/yorktownsquare/2010/04/york-county-trolley-car.html.
Jim