1988 PRR 7002 Strasburg to Gettysburg Trip

Ed Kapuscinski · **Posted:** Fri Feb 19, 2016 2:49 pm

I just came across this today: http://rrpicturearchives.net/archiveThu ... x?id=87463, and I have some questions for you folks who might've been there.

I'm specifically trying to find info about York PA in the mid 80s, and I was hoping that some of you might have some more photos of the trip as it was in that area.

Also, I can't believe this actually happened. It used to be a whole different world, didn't it?

Cameron Wolk · **Joined:** Wed Sep 02, 2015 11:34 pm **Posts:** 270

Somewhere on Youtube there is a video of some Strasburg excursion over that portion of the NEC. I believe it involved a doubleheader along with some ex-DLW MUs back in 87 or 88. Anyways for now I found these videos documenting operations in mid 80s enjoy,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x21S9FZ2Ni0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Z6N1MEgmQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MiEjUeu6RM

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Fri Feb 19, 2016 4:28 pm

Here are the basics off the top of my head:

The trip was run in November 1988 to mark the 125th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. It WAS NOT a public excursion. The 7002 and Strasburg cars (I recall 3-4 cars) were run from Strasburg to Hanover, Pa., where they were serviced, and then run from downtown Hanover (where "Lincoln" boarded) through New Oxford to the WM depot in downtown Gettysburg, where "Lincoln" detrained and joined a parade procession to the National Cemetery. It was a dreary, rainy day, and I remember sitting atop a covered hopper with camera for some time in the rain outside of Hanover while the tall-drivered "7002" stalled somewhere out of sight, and finally muscled its way up over a rise to storm past me. We were left scrambling to get to spots like the New Oxford station and the Rock Creek bridge on the east side of Gettysburg as the train made up time. And, of course, downtown Gettysburg was a standing-room-only mob.

This being pre-Internet, I never figured out exactly how and when the train got over the river. The fastest way is via Lancaster and the Low Grade Line to Columbia, north along the river, over Shocks Mill Bridge, double back through Wago Junction to York, and interchange there on CSX through Porters to get to Hanover.

Overmod · **Joined:** Thu May 24, 2012 1:37 pm **Posts:** 2492

Quote:

"The fastest way is via Lancaster and the Low Grade Line to Columbia, north along the river, over Shocks Mill Bridge, double back through Wago Junction to York, and interchange there on CSX through Porters to get to Hanover."

Alas, you mean "was". Sic transit gloria mundi...

DuesyJ29 · **Joined:** Sat Apr 21, 2012 7:52 pm **Posts:** 95

I have a question that's a little off topic, but I'm curious. With the recent extension of the Bluebell Railway in England to East Grinstead and a connection to the mainline, has the Strasburg thought about the same thing? If so, what would be the closest mainline station that they could serve? I know that it will "never happen", I'm just curious if it did, where it might go.

Thanks,

MS

philip.marshall · **Posted:** Sat Feb 20, 2016 2:49 am

DuesyJ29 wrote:

If so, what would be the closest mainline station that they could serve?

The closest mainline station would be Lancaster, PA.

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 20, 2016 6:03 am

philip.marshall wrote:

DuesyJ29 wrote:

If so, what would be the closest mainline station that they could serve?

The closest mainline station would be Lancaster, PA.

There was also talk of building a new station at Paradise (interchange point), but that was to be public money, and that became scarce. There was also talk about how it was a potential safety problem under today's conditions (supposedly the station would have been on a curve with high level platforms).

Maybe someone else can fill in some details; my sources were some newspaper articles on line at the time, and they were a bit sketchy on some things.