Wednesday 27 October 2010

Strasburg Rail Road Loco

The Great Western Railway 2-10-0 Decapod built in 1924, originally pulled sugar beet in Colorado but now it runs hourly as part of the Strasburg Rail Road in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  The card says:
  
"Loco #90 is heading for home - the station at Strasburg, PA.  Ride the train and experience the beautiful Amish farm country for yourself"  

The carriages look just like the ones in westerns, my favourite cowboy Randolph Scott could be boarding ready for his next adventure.

My sender tells me that it is a neat place to take the kids.  There is a museum, toy trains and of course train rides. Having looked on the Strasburg website I also now know there is a miniature train and a shop. Sounds as though I could spend days there.

The railway has been in Lancaster County since 1832,  but in the 1950s it was deteriorating, a final disaster was the destruction of the tracks by storms which meant it was in danger of closure. In stepped two rail enthusiasts Henry Long and Donald Hallock who saved four and a half miles of track opening it as a tourist attraction in 1958 with the trains they purchased and it is still going strong today. 

I was mesmerised by the Strasburg train snow ploughing videos on You Tube but sticking to the post theme  here is Loco #90 in close detail with a guitar strumming track

Thank you Rose for this super steaming loco. The card travelled 3336 miles (5368k) and took 5 days. 

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