Steam & Excursion > Steam Into History

Not something you see everyday on a tourist railway. This happened last week just south of Hanover Junction. A huge but short lasting storm blew through. Many trees down. Solution? Use the steamer to pull the tree off the tracks with a chain. A chains saw did the rest. The train arrived back in New Freedom only 1.5 hours late.  Last photo is the late train running through Glen Rock. Overall, a great experience chasing and riding this excellent railway.

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What state is this in?

P Wrote:
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> What state is this in?

Near York, Pennsylvania.

That's a nice little operation they have.

This railroad provides the most recent example that link-and-pin couplers are still legal on locomotives anywhere but in states which made a law about coupler on locomotives, such as New York.  New York required the Janney MCB style before the Safety Appliance Act was created.  This established that couplers was a state rights issue, and the railroad industry feared other states declaring another style, such as a Miller Hook, and got behind the 1893 Safety Appliance Act.  But because of the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution, the SAA could only have jurisdiction over interstate or foreign commerce.  Therefore, the law only said it was in force on cars that carry interstate or foreign commerce.  Several court cases followed explaining that a locomotive did not carry commerce and did not come under the law so they can still have a link and pin couplers, unless a state law says otherwise. 
Recently after the replica locomotive ”Leviathan” No. 63 operated on the Saratoga & North Creek Railroad it was then trucked to “Steam into History” at New Freedom, PA and operated with its mate, the “York”.   The “Leviathan” only had a link bar on its pilot but was legal to couple to the rear tender of the “York” using the knuckle pin for a double header run.  But the FRA suggested it could not interchange to another railroad in that manner, such as the Stewartstown RR also at New Freedom, PA.

When I read the FRA manual laws that said a locomotive Shall have a MCB coupler, I called a friend (late) Jerry Fisher, who worked for the FTA as the officer handling exception requests for the FRA, and asked him if a locomotive can still legally have link-and-pin couplers?  His answer was a direct: Yes.  The Federal laws never affected couplers on locomotives and the union men of the Boston & Maine in 1903 continued to link Miller Hooks (also a legal coupler as that coupled on impact…) on their passenger cars to the engines that had MCB with split knuckles.  For many years after the 1903 effective date of the SAA law, many MofW cars (cars on the company roster as service cars) continued to have link-and-pin on those cars, and were handled by engines that had split knuckle in their MCB couplers.  The SAA did not have jurisdiction over MofW company service cars, only over cars that carry commerce. There was an important Federal District Court case in Oct 1911 (SOU RY ver. USA) that changed a lot about how railroad handled cars but that is for later explanation, and it did not change the status of MofW and company service cars.
 



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/16 06:42 by PlyWoody.

HotWater Wrote:
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> P Wrote:
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> > What state is this in?
>
> Near York, Pennsylvania.
​The train actually operates from New Freedom, Pennsylvania up to Hanover Jct. which is not too far from York on the old Northern Central Railroad.  The operator called "Steam Into History" hopes to eventually rehab the rest of the railroad for complete operations into York, Pennsylvania.  Keep in mind, they are a Non-Profit organization and therefore everyone here on T.O. as well as other steam fans/history buffs can send them donations.  Please do so as this is really a very scenic rail line.  Go to their web site Steam Into History.com for more details.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

I don't recall any link and pin couplers being used when I visited this operation. How did this topic come up?

The_Chief_Way Wrote:
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> I don't recall any link and pin couplers being
> used when I visited this operation. How did this
> topic come up?

Second half of the MLB season started last night, and this certainly came out of left field.

If I recall correctly Leviathan came to the Monticello Railway Museum's Railroad Days some years ago.  Its link-and-pin coupler was mated to a caboose until that was poo-pooed by an official.  It ran light the rest of the weekend.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions