Steam & Excursion > Progress on Gettysburg (Pa.) Excursion Service

Renovation work is well underway at Gettysburg’s (1884) former Reading Company station on Washington Street. A new room (to house a gift shop) and a covered boarding canopy have been added to the west end of the building, and a new platform will soon be installed. All of this is in preparation for the start-up of passenger train excursions—later this year—on Patriot Rail’s Gettysburg and Northern Railroad.

Two previous owners have operated excursions from the station, the last of which ended as a result of the 2008 economic downturn. No date has been announced for the start of service, but the company has noted that the trains will be equipped with extensively rebuilt 1950s-era coaches that began their lives as Pennsylvania Railroad and Norfolk and Western Railway sleeping cars. (My photo.)

Art House
Gettysburg, Pa.

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Great news.
Bob

Well, that's impressive.    The entire operation, from the start, was low-budget for the excursion operation and was ultimately it's undoing.   So that level of committment to trying to do things right this time is commendable.

I remember the roof gutters were perforated like swiss cheese, and the dust was pretty deep on everything in the gift shop.    Add in the duct tape all over the car seats.

The one thing that I hope has improved is the 'aroma' south of the passing siding at Biglerville.  I never knew applesauce could smell that bad.   The track is right beside the sewage treatment plant and looks like it still is.   I remember the conductor running through the train slamming every window shut as we got in there.

Abe Lincoln's home town.

At least that's what the Post Office thought because he is rememberd for having a Gettysburg address.

Here is a photo of the former excursion train that was operated by the Pioneer Rail Lines with the station in the background.  It is an interesting line that runs through some scenic areas.  By the way, the track on the right is now operated by CSX but used to be operated by the old Western Maryland Railway Company.
John in White Marsh, Maryland



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/25 14:50 by ClubCar.

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Thanks for ALL photos gentlemen.  I was trying to determine where the former WM track was located with regard to the ex-Reading track.  Mystery solved.
jb

Alco251 Wrote:
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> Abe Lincoln's home town.
>
> At least that's what the Post Office thought
> because he is rememberd for having a Gettysburg
> address.

Dad joke alert!

I did get a chuckle out of it.

Natha

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