Nostalgia & History > The PRR in South Eastern Lancaster County

Hello Group, Just wanted to share a recap of some of the most recent articles covering the main Line and Atglen & Susquehanna Branch of the PRR in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I'll be releasing some new content in the coming weeks as my research nears the Chester County Line. Enjoy!

http://michaelfroio.com/blog/2017/9/14/main-line-tour-recap

Mike Froio

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Thanks for sharing a really nice chronology of the PRR main line as southeast Pennsylvanians came to know it.

I'm assuming the Conestoga River bridge in the photo no longer exists? Or is it still in use?

I had no idea that Quarryville had such a railroad presence at one time. You wouldn't know that to drive through now. Looking at Google maps I see something labeled Enola Low Grade Trail. Is that the remains of the line that your photos picture?

Thanks again for sharing!

Thanks for the message, the Conestoga Bridge in Lancaster does indeed still stand and is used by Amtrak's keystone Service trains. You can actually get a good view of it from the river's edge on the north side, near the Lancaster Water Works, but there is also access to the south side if you're willing to walk about 1/4 mile in. The south elevation is the more interesting side as it has a raised stone pattern, a provision included to allow expansion of the bridge, which never happened. Many of the PRR's publicity images were made on the north side of the bridge, I suspect because they didn't want the "temporary" rough surface in their photos. Over 120 years later, the bridge still stands, as built, never expanded.

Yes, the Conestoga River bridge is still active. Chief Engineer William Brown built his bridges to last. Here's an aerial of the river, railroad and the Lancaster Waterworks that Froio mentions in the caption: https://goo.gl/maps/agyQW7KP4dk and a view from street/river level: https://goo.gl/maps/5D4PesSgRSo



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/17 05:29 by knotch8.

Photos are possible from the north side of the bridge, but the bridge is oriented in a west-north-west angle, so morning shots will be the best. You have to be alert however, there's no sound or warning (plus the adjacent street noise doesn't help), and at the speed they are traveling you have half a second or so once you see it. Fortunately they run mostly on time with the station only a couple miles away, you know when to expect.

Until I was 8, we lived less than a mile from here and there were no trees to block either side. Probably about 1960 or so, there was a freight derailment and cars were all over the east side embankment. years later, I remember helping a friend with his tow truck, pull a car off the right of way on the west side that had gotten stuck the evening before; we think the kids driving were intending to drive across the bridge.

Bill Kepner

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