Pennsylvania
Strasburg Rail Road
July 2013
Chartered on June 9, 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road was established after the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad bypassed the borough of Strasburg. The short line connected the community with the main railroad at Leaman Place, preserving access to wider passenger and freight networks. It remains in operation under its original charter and is recognized as the oldest American railroad to do so.
Today, the railroad operates both heritage passenger excursions and freight services. Regular excursions make a 45-minute round trip between East Strasburg and Leaman Place Junction near Paradise, crossing Lancaster County farmland behind historic steam locomotives and restored wooden passenger cars.
The 2013 photographs show Locomotive No. 90, a 2-10-0 “Decapod” built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1924 for the Great Western Railway of Colorado. Strasburg Rail Road acquired the locomotive in 1967, and it remains part of the operating steam fleet.
