Anyone seen information/photos of the East Berlin RR in Pennsylvania? I understand it was a little farmers railroad like the Strasburg, abandoned in 1939, with a single Plymouth locomotive.

ryarger@rypn.org

The East Berlin apparently was beyond marginal, and, to my knowledge, virtually nobody bothered to visit it, much less photograph it.

Tom Taber's "Railroads of Pennsylvania: Encyclopedia and Atlas" gives a good thumbnail history and roster. Essentially, the line was originally built independently in 1877 to connect the WM's Hanover-Gettysburg line with Abbottstown and East Berlin. Originally it was called the Berlin Branch RR and was operated under contract by the WM, but in 1903 was reorganized as the East Berlin Ry. and operated on its own.

Its life was erratic to say the least. After another reorganization it stopped operating in 1914 and was partly dismantled, then was rebuilt ans reopened in 1916. As you note, it finally gave up completely 11/15/39 and was dismantled for the last time in 1940.

During its lifetime it apparently had 5 secondhand steam engines including an 1872 ex-WM 4-4-0, an ex-Emmitsburg RR 0-4-4, and three hand-me-downs from the PRR and Cumberland Valley. Finally in 1929 it bought -- new for a change -- a four-wheel Plymouth which was sold in 1941 to the Greenville Car Co.

Taber's book does include a 1932 scrapyard photo of EBRR #5, an ex-PRR B-4g 0-6-0. Evidently this was the last steamer the company used before buying the Plymouth.

Herb Harwood

> Anyone seen information/photos of the East
> Berlin RR in Pennsylvania? I understand it
> was a little farmers railroad like the
> Strasburg, abandoned in 1939, with a single
> Plymouth locomotive.


herbhar@yahoo.com