When I was in my teens, I used to see a lot of these wooden cars hauling vinegar to a French's mustard factory near Souderton, Pa. There was also a spring water bottling plant at Lansdale that received water in similar wooden tank cars.

I thought it would be good to provide an update on the developments of the past few years with the railroad equipment and rail-related displays at Norlo Park in Guilford Township, outside of Chambersburg. Norlo was built on a former farm and is operated by the Township as a community park. It is true that the former right-of way of the Mont Alto Railroad runs right through the park, in line with where the PRR cabin cars, flat and vinegar cars sit. This short line eventually became part of the Cumberland Valley and later PRR as the Waynesboro Branch. The Vinegar Car was recently restored by the Township maintenance staff after years of decay. A small culvert bridge from the railroad still exists near the cars on a walking path. Other additions in recent years include the former Quincy, PA Railroad Station which was originally just down the line on the way to Waynesboro. I owned the station for over 25 years, hoping to preserve this rare piece of Cumberland Valley rail history. It was moved to the Park in 2008 by the Township where I assisted in its restoration and fitting out the interior as a representation of a working depot of the turn of the last century. Alongside Quincy Station is the recently built McKenzie Station which houses the miniature train formerly owned by the late Arnold McKenzie, who donated it to the Township. Members of the Cumberland Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society operate the train during the summer and early fall months, giving free rides to families and children, and I also open Quincy Station as a museum. Next door to the McKenzie Station is a former Western Maryland RR Maintenance of Way shed from downtown Chambersburg. A short distance down one of the park’s paths is a steel girder bridge formerly located on Western Maryland RR right of way farther south in the county, now used as a footbridge. While the majority of the park is dedicated to picnic pavilions, walking/jogging trails, fenced dog parks as well as soccer and ball fields, the development of this railroad heritage area provides not only another recreational activity, but an important locale for rail preservation in the Cumberland Valley.

Below is a link to a photo album of Norlo Park's rail displays:

http://www.jamesfouchard.com/quincy/station/index.html

Looks like the cabooses have gotten some recent TLC as well. VERY nice!

Take a look at NFPX 22 in the group of photos mentioned above. Apparently, the car wasn't beyond hope after all!


Les

This winter, the Guilford Township shop staff rebuilt the car with an entire new wooden tank. they did a great job, as they have with all the work in Norlo Park.

James -

A tip of the hat to those guys. It is probably the very best looking preserved vinegar or pickle car, in existence today.

BTW, have any good photos of the PRR flat car? Or at least the cars road number? Thanks!

Les

From one of my photos, Flat Car is marked PRR 469677.

Thanks James. Perhaps one of our Pennsy experts here, can identify the PRR class of flat car.


Les

Info from: http://prr.railfan.net/

Class F41:

Total of 700 cars, #469300-#469999

Class info page (also includes F41b, F41d, F41e and F41f): http://prr.railfan.net/freight/classpage.html?class=F41

F41 diagram: http://prr.railfan.net/diagrams/PRRdiagrams.html?diag=F41.gif&sel=flat&sz=sm&fr=

List of flatcar diagrams: http://prr.railfan.net/diagrams/PRRdiagrams.html?sel=flat&sz=sm&fr=

Wow, the Quincy depot looks great.

Do any Chambersburg area folk know where the Mount Alto RR/Cumberland Valley's Woodstock depot wound up? My family sold it decades ago for use as a shed. I have not been able to locate it.

Rob

Thanks Rob- getting Quincy restored to this condition has been a dream come true. As to a Woodstock depot- I have heard from a few individuals that it still existed as of a few years ago, somewhere in the area south of Chambersburg Mall in the Woodstock area- I have searched a bit but have not seen it yet. Do you have any photos of it? I have been assembling a collection of photos of all the stations along the Waynesboro Branch- I found an image of a small station purportedly at Ragged Edge- with a siding branching off to Kennedy's mansion there- not sure if this is Woodstock- timetables identify a station at Woodstock and not Ragged Edge. A smaller version of Quincy Station was located at West Fayetteville on the other side of Route 30 from Norlo Park on old Main Street.

Have posted some more photos in the Norlo Park album, including the bridges and hand car shed:

http://www.jamesfouchard.com/quincy/station/index.html