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I pulled into the Strasburg Railroad parking lot at 8:30 AM and learned that their first train I would be riding would leave at 11 AM. With it very cold and windy I decided to have a look around.
I quickly saw smoke that led me to Thomas the Tank Engine 0-6-0 #1.
Line of equipment at the Strasburg Railroad.
Lancaster, Oxford and Southern Car no. 10.
Strasburg Yard scene.
Pennsylvania Railroad 44 Toner 9331.
Strasburg Railroad snowplow 66.
Line of freight cars at the Strasburg Railroad Yard.
Pennsylvania Railroad Union Line 96415. With it really cold and windy I decided it was now time to visit the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum across the street.
Great Western 2-10-0 90 steamed ready to start the day pulling the Strasburg Railroad passenger train which it would then go down and couple up to it.
At 10:35 AM I finished up at the museum and recrossed the highway to the Strasburg Railroad. I bought my ticket and went to the Strasburg Railroad offices to look for Katie Stafford who would be my host for today's trip. My ticket was refunded and I was given a ticket plus a 12 PM Shop Tour Ticket. They called Katie up on her cell phone and I walked outside to wait for her arrival. A few minutes later up walked Katie and her friend Kimberley Carlo. We walked over to the waiting train.
The Trip on the Strasburg Railroad 4/9/07
Great Western 90 would pull the train backwards to Paradise. Our train had Great Western 2-10-0 90, Coaches 62 Gobbler's Knob built in 1897, 72 Mill Creek built in 1906, Grasshopper Level built in 1904, 65 Walnut Hollow built in 1910, 105 Warren F Berner, 93 Diner Lee E. Brenner built in 1909, 75 Henry K. Long Table/Parlor, and 88 Marion Parlor. The three of us boarded the Gobbler's Knob and took seats in the middle of the car.
My hosts for the trip were Katie Stafford, media contact for the Strasburg Railroad and her friend Kimberly Carlo. We left Strasburg right on time at 11:00 AM. We ran by the Strasburg Railroad Shops and by a rather large farm. The train whistle blow and we crossed Paradise Lane.
The train next passed the Red Caboose Motel where I would be spending the night. To the south there was a rather large Amish Farm.
Another Amish Farm to the south of us. The three of us were enjoying ourselves getting to know each other as I took pictures every so often. I told about my stay at Intercourse and they thought Theory 3 made the most sense. We ran by the Ebsenshade Turkey Farm. Katie told me that ticket sales on this railroad not only pays the bills but assists in helping out local farmers. Since we already have "Farm Aid", I guess we could call this "Train Aid".
Another Amish Farm through the smoke. The train stopped and they said if you listen closely you could hear the whistle of the ghost train. The 90 blew its whistle several times before we continued.
Another large farm to the south. We passed through Groffs which is a picnic area.
Crossing the rural landscape. A few minutes later we came into Paradise along the Amtrak's Harrisburg to Philadelphia Corridor.
The Great Western 90 then cut off our train.
Great Western 90 has cut off our train and would now run around us at Paradise to be on the point of our train to pull us back to Strasburg.
He came the Great Western 90 running around our train. We had an enjoyable return trip to Strasburg and spotted Thomas the Tank Engine following us. We arrived back into Strasburg and Katie then gave me a tour of the rest of the train.
Inside of the Coach 59 Grasshopper Level.
Inside of Diner 93 Lee E. Berner.
Inside of the Parlor/Table 75 Henry K. Long.
Inside of the Parlor Car 85 Marion.
The Bar in the Parlor Car Marion. We then headed to the 12 PM Shop Tour.
On the way there, we passed a Live Steamer that hauls the kids around on a miniature route.
Strasburg Railroad Shop Tour 4/9/07
We all met inside the Shop Office, signed our releases. We then started our Strasburg Railroad Shop Tour.
Inside we found another Thomas the Tank Engine which is of the four dummy versions which mean they don't steam and can't move by themselves. There are currently five Thomas the Tank Engines in North America and only one can steam live down the tracks.
Inside the Machine Shop, one of the Strasburg Railroad small diesel engines.
View inside the Machine Shop.
Strasburg 4-8-0 475 undergoing restoration.
Crank Pin for the Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985.
Tim Heller our tour guide at the wheel lathe.
Rio Grande Southern 20 undergoing restoration at Strasburg.
The cab end of the Strasburg 475.
Wheels and tires for the Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985. With us having seen everything in this part of the shop area, we went inside the Car Shop.
After the Car Shop we headed into the Restoration Shop where we found the Valley View 99.
Another Thomas the Tank Engine was in this shop building. We walked outside and walked by the engines outside.
Outside was the steaming Thomas the Tank Engine.
During our fantastic shop tour here is the Strasburg 0-6-0 31 which would pull the afternoon trains. The 31 is 99 years old this year of 2007.
Inside the engine house we found the other small diesel engine.
Also here was Strasburg 2-6-0 89.
Members of our tour group in the Engine House.
Flat cars with new flues on it.
Close up of the flues. That ends our tour of the Strasburg Railroad Shops. I said goodbye to Katie and Kimberly before I continued to look around.
Strasburg Railroad 90 returned into Strasburg.
Pennsylvania Railroad 9331.
Strasburg 31 and Thomas the Tank Engine.
Great Western 90 returned into Strasburg.
After arriving back in Strasburg, the Great Western 90 run around its train to do one more trip on this cold and windy day.
Coupling up to its train.
Ready for the next trip which I would chase for pictures. I drove out to Black House Road to wait for the 1 PM Train to Paradise.
The Great Western 90 pulled the train backwards at Black House Road. I drove to Paradise and waited only a few minutes for the train to arrive.
The Great Western 90 switches ends at Paradise. I headed back to Strasburg stopping at the grade crossing at Cherry Hill Road. After picking up some passengers at Groffs, the Great western 90 headed towards me.
Great Western 90 charged by my location at Cherry Hill Road. I then drove to Paradise Lane by the Red Caboose Motel and set up as the Amish were having a large volleyball game at their farm behind me. I checked into the Red Caboose Motel then drove into Strasburg to get some cash from a local bank. I stopped back at the Strasburg Railroad and bought a T-shirt.
View from the Tower that overlooks the Strasburg Station.
Across the highway is the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum.
Steam engines right across the highway at the museum. I drove back over to the Paradise Lane grade crossing to wait for the train to return.
I waited and I noticed a different locomotive coming towards me. It was Strasburg 0-6-0 31 now pulling the late afternoon passenger trains.
Next came Thomas the Tank Engine steaming along back to Strasburg.
Next an Amish horse and buggy came down Paradise Lane. I next drove back over to the Strasburg Railroad.
Great Western 90 sat out in the afternoon sun. I then drove over to the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum, parked before I walked out behind the back of it.
Behind the Museum I found Pennsylvania Railroad GG-1 4935.
Here came the Strasburg Railroad 31 steaming towards us at the Paradise Lane grade crossing. I went back to my New Haven Caboose at the Red Caboose Motel before going back to that grade crossing to wait for the last eastbound train of the day.
The Strasburg Railroad 0-6-0 31 pulling the last eastbound train of the day.
I returned to the Red Caboose Motel for a rest. Later I then drove to the Esbenshade Road grade crossing and waited for the last westbound trip of the day.
Strasburg Railroad 0-6-0 31 working hard at Esbenshade Road. I got in the car and drove over to Highway 741 for the final pictures of the day.
Strasburg Railroad 31 heads back to the Strasburg Station ending this coverage of a very interesting railroad. I returned to the Red Caboose Motel.
