Steam & Excursion > Northern Central RR; Historic x-PRR line

The Northern Central RR (NCRR) was a very old (completed 1838) PRR subsidiary, running between York, PA., and Baltimore, MD.
Somewhat of a declining PRR backwater through the first seventy years of the 20th century, it suffered a near-fatal blow by Hurricane Agnes in June, 1972.
While the PA. trackage was rebuilt and many damaged bridges replaced by 1985, the Maryland section became mostly either a rail trail or a light rail corridor.

Several different tourist ops have tried to make a go of it on the Pennsylvania section from York to New Freedom, PA., the most recent over the last 9 years has been Steam into History/Northern Central Rwy. which had a replica Civil War era 4-4-0 built, along with several passenger cars. A Civil War emphasis produced mixed results in patronship, so the Steam into History name was changed to NC Rwy. with an aggressive push towards a more diverse ridership and destinations.

I last visited here in 2017, during the Steam into History era. Trains operated either to Glen Rock, about 5 miles from the operations HQ in New Freedom, or to Hanover Jct.; onetime junction with a Western Maryland Rwy, ancestor and a place with Civil War/Abraham Lincoln ties.

On Saturday, 11/19/2022, a special train operated to Howard Tunnel, giving a 30 mile round trip behind the oil-fired #17 steamer. There was also a shorter trip to Glen Rock in the morning.
Although sunny, temps in the 30s and a steady breeze conspired to make for a challenging chase, along with accessibility and other issues.
#1 and 2, #17 and train departs for Glen Rock @ 11:00
#3 Pulling through Seitzland, PA. tender-first. Flagmen go to most crossings as few have lights or gates.

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Glen Rock excursion runs around its train at Centerville, north of Glen Rock itself, a very congested place.
Back to New Freedom with #17 leading through Seitzland, a very picturesque small village.

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Back at New Freedom, these were the first excursions to operate using the former x-PRR depot, recently leased by the NC Rwy. from the York County Rail Trail Agency, which administers the Rail trail that runs from the MD. state line through York and beyond. The restaurant that was in the depot apparently went defunct. Ticket shop, gifts, and a small museum are now located here, rather than the converted mill building 2 blocks south.

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The Howard Tunnel excursion @ 1p.m. operated tender-first to Seven Valleys, where it ran around and than pushed the train in reverse to the tunnel, which is inaccessible to anyone except trail users or train riders.
Tender-first at Hanover Jct.
Pushing in reverse just north of Seven Valleys
Fading light made for a last shot at Granary Road, between Hanover Jct. and Glen Rock.

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Video at last light @ Granary Road

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Interesting.

What is the origin of the oil burning 4-4-0 and rolling stock?

Is this RR insular? Is it subject to FRA?

-LD



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/22 07:20 by LarryDoyle.

The Northern Central Railroad stock was sold on the NY Stock exchange and it paid a 10% dividend interest when I bought it in 1966.  It was why the PRR did not have a preferred stock issue because anyone could buy NCRR as a more secure stock.  It returned 100 to 1 when the government bought all of PC ownership. 

LarryDoyle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting.
>
> What is the origin of the oil burning 4-4-0 and
> rolling stock?
>
> Is this RR insular? Is it subject to FRA?
>
> -LD

Having any public grade crossing canceles out being insular. It is fully covered by the FRA and the steam locomotive is a newly built replica under FRA rules, by Kloke loco works . It comes under tourist RR rules.  And they have used long link bars between coupler as engine coupler are not under Federal jurisdiction by SAA.  Jerry Fishar (exception  officer) of the FTA said locomotives can be linked but not in any interrchange location.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/22 16:19 by PlyWoody.

PlyWoody Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LarryDoyle Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Interesting.
> >
> > What is the origin of the oil burning 4-4-0 and
> > rolling stock?
> >
> > Is this RR insular? Is it subject to FRA?
> >
> > -LD
>
> Having any public grade crossing canceles out
> being insular. It is fully covered by the FRA and
> the steam locomotive is a newly built replica
> under FRA rules, by Konke . It comes under tourist
> RR rules.  And they have used long link bars
> between coupler as engine coupler are not under
> Federal jurisdiction by SAA.  Jerry Fishar
> (exception  officer) of the FTA said locomotives
> can be linked but not in any interrchange
> location.  

Kloke Locomotive Works was the builder.

Cheers, Dave

Engine looks good! Gently used, a little dusty, weathered varnish on the cab, not fresh-out-of-the-box.

Ah when trains like that dotted the landscape in North America...

Victor B.

It looks like you had a good day.

Cool video, that's a nice looking Steam Engine too!

nice to see this several-times-given-up-for-dead piece of historic RR operating.