Based on preliminary assessments of available photos, maps, and flood levels, I am making the following SPECULATIVE damage predictions/reports:

Expect damage to the Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern and the Middletown & Hummelstown. This is based on flood photos of nearby locations and my knowledge of the area's geography.

Huntingdon County reports receiving as much as ten inches of rain, and flooding is being reported in Mount Union, Shirleysburg, and other locations along the East Broad Top. I would be quite surprised if the Rockhill Trolley Museum or EBT emerge unscathed.

Harris Tower in Harrisburg was closed for this weekend, probably purely as a precautionary measure. Flooding is expected in Harrisburg tonight/tomorrow.

No direct report from the Ellicott City RR Station Museum, but they are in a known low spot that flooded already (a flash flood sent a torrent a foot deep down the steeply-graded main street), and most likely valuables were relocated to higher ground in advance--a couple inches or feet on the ground floor/basement is my expectation, based on reports from across the street at the Phoenix Emporium.

I'm willing to bet that the trolley body located in the blacksmith shop at Knoebels has taken some damage.

From Knoebel's website:

Update third-hand from Orbisonia: No reported damage to either EBT or Rockhill Trolley Museum trackage.

No damage to speak of on the DL in Scranton. Electric City trolley and Steamtown running as scheduled.

Dave

On The Middletown and Hummelstown's Facebook page, they have posted a picture showing a ton of water covering the area facing the corner of Race and Mills Street and the entrance to Hoffer Park. You can see most of the RR Crossing sign, but the tracks going across the street are completely covered. That's the only update they have so far.

The M&H's yard in Middletown is pretty flooded, but the pics I saw from yesterday show it just to about the railhead, maybe a touch over.

Most concerning, the pics don't show the CRHS's caboose, which is supposed to be there. I'm really hoping they didn't move it outside the flood gates, and not get it back in in time.

Virginia too!

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/297934

More serious damage to the Middletown & Hummelstown:

http://unews27.whtm.com/MediaItemView.aspx?id=1478109

No M&H equipment was damaged by the Lee flood. The railroad moved all diesel locomotives, passenger cars and cabooses west to the high ground at the interchange on Thursday. Engine 91 and Trolley 441 rested high and dry in the carbarn. During the peak of the flood water came up as far as the weigh scale shanty and water plug in the yard and road crossings east of the yard but west of the Swatara Bridge were under several feet of water. The switches at both ends of the Middletown East End Warehouse where the freight customer is located were undermined about 3 feet deep but appear intact. There is a large wash out undermining track on the "levee curve". A huge 10 x 20 foot shed blocked the Rte. 230 crossing during the flood but was quickly removed presumably by highway crews. At least 11 trees were down across the tracks out the line along with a smaller shed, propane tanks, and a boat trailer. The old concession stand at the former Swatara Park washed onto the RoW. A hi-rail will clear it but not a train. The lime kilns along the line at the quarry, an integral part of the historic narration during tourist train runs have been destroyed. All that remains is a 6-foot section of wall. There were also two very small wash outs in this area. About 500 feet of track washed out just west of the Swatara Creek Bridge. Thus the civil war re-enactment can not be held there this year. The embankment on the steep grade east of the creek bridge washed away and will need to be restored. The track remains intact on substantial cribbing installed by the Reading when this area was filled years ago. The first priority is restoration of freight service with tourist passenger trains to follow hopefully in time for fall foliage. Trains to Indian Echo Caverns may not occur for some time.

Mr. Mitchell,

This seems like a curious thread, to say the least, even if you put "speculative" in caps. Why would you speculate in a public forum about possible damage to railroads without knowing one way or the other? Either they are damaged, and we'll all find out soon enough when someone does some real reporting, or they aren't (like the EBT) and they'll be ticked off at you for saying that they might have been and for possibly driving away potential visitors?

It just seems kinda irresponsible to be speculating in public about where calamity might possibly have stuck, even based on your "knowledge of the area's geography" — especially if it concerns railroads that, presumably, you don't want to hurt with untimely guesses about their condition.

—Lawrence Biemiller

Something I discovered a long time ago (Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972, to be exact, reinforced several times since):

Often, the folks who get damaged in events such as this are too busy/involved/"shell-shocked" with the damage done to their properties to even cope with the realities of day-to-day life, let alone issue any appeal for assistance. Often, the "outsiders" are the ones who network and step in with unsolicited assistance. If you've ever seen prepared casseroles left on the doorsteps of families who have had a loved one die, you may know what I'm referring to.

Furthermore, whether or not this is the "best" networking source for railway preservation news or not, there are many worthy institutions and operations that either have no representation here whatsoever (official or unofficial) or are restricted by policy or philosophy to being "reactive" to this forum at best, if at all.

Often, in situations like this, the critical difference between "give it all up, it's done, junk it all" and "let's save what we can" is the presence of sympathetic folks coming over the hill asking "can we help?"

When I say "knowledge of the area's geography," I mean it--walked the land, been there in town, seen the flood marker signs from past floods, seen photos from the same locations in 1936 and 1972, know which bridges got washed off which abutments, etc. I easily could have blathered on about other places, but chose not to for lack of enough first-hand experience.

Re: the EBT: I saw actual NWS data from reporting stations in the area, as well as media reports stating that flooding was occurring in Mount Union, Shirleysburg, and other locations. I've also been over all of the operable EBT and RTY/RTM, and much of the former EBT right-of-way, and if the reports of no damage are true, either the flooding reports I heard were exaggerated or both lines dodged two major bullets. My brain, to be honest, is still doing a bit of "does not compute" with the available data, given the results (washouts, mud slides, etc.) for similar data elsewhere in Pennsylvania.

I am awaiting confirmation from several other possible flooding victims, including several "projects" mentioned here of late.

On the Stewartstown Railroad we experienced very little damage, thank goodness. There was some flooding at Tolna, but little damage. Most of the damage we had consisted of downed trees across the right-of-way. Already many of these have been cut-up and hauled away. The route of our "mini excursions" is now clear. -- Ray

I learned last night of flooding damage at/to the Muddy Creek Forks site of the Maryland & Pennsylvania Preservation Society--water up on the trucks (including the Ma & Pa diesel locomotive #82), some erosion, and general flooding. Fortunately, Muddy Creek Forks itself is a big flat part of that particular valley, lessening the potential damage somewhat......

From the website:


It's said that the "Mother's Day Flood of 2003" was higher/more serious.

Two separate videos (click on the link and the picture of 82) at http://www.maandparailroad.com/

How to help:
http://www.maandparailroad.com/floodinghelp.php

Harris Tower, Harrisburg, Pa.: