It’s time for part 2 of my Finding Inspiration in Strasburg Pennsylvania. In part 1 I introduced the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and the models I’ve built, that have been inspired from there. That article can be found here. Now it’s time to take a stroll across the street, literally, to the Strasburg Rail Road.
The Road to Paradise
Just across the street from the excellent Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania sits one of the most magical of tourist railroads, The Strasburg. Often called “The Road To Paradise” as it’s terminating stop is Leaman Place Junction in Paradise PA, the Strasburg Rail Road is the oldest continuously operating railroad in the western hemisphere and the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road continues to operate under its original charter and name. Located just outside of the town of Strasburg, Pennsylvania, the railroad is a heritage railroad offering excursion trains, hauled by steam locomotives, through the heart of world-famous Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Strasburg currently currently has 4 serviceable historic steam locomotives on its roster (Canadian National 7312, Canadian National 89, Great Western 90, Norfolk & Western 475). The RR has the nation’s largest fleet of historic wooden passenger coaches in operation and boasts one of the foremost railroad restoration shops in the US. The Strasburg is also one of the few railroads in the United States to occasionally use steam locomotives to haul revenue freight trains. The RR hosts on average 300,000 visitors per year.
With such an impressive amount of well cared for, vintage RR equipment in daily use, the Strasburg is a natural for drawing inspiration from for building. There are few places in North America where you can see multiple steam locomotives under steam and going about their daily tasks. From hourly passenger trains, revenue freight, and an active restoration shop (take the shop tour, it’s 100% worth it), there is a lot of action to see. You start to get a real sense of what it was like in the age of the steam railroad in America.
Fortunately for me the Strasburg has become a haven for vintage equipment from one of my favorite railroads, The Maryland & Pennsylvania. So of course I had to do some building.
Ma & Pa coach 20
Strasburg’s coach 20 was one of 10 coaches, numbered 11 thru 20, built for the Maryland and Pennsylvania RR by American Car and Foundry’s, Jackson and Sharp Works, in Wilmington, Delaware. Coach 20 is the only surviving Ma&Pa coach car, and the Strasburg’s only full wood frame passenger car.
Coach 20 was originally painted Tuscan Red and cost $5,210.50 new. It, along with Baggage-Mail 35, was sold to the Baltimore Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, and after a movie stint, went to the Strasburg RR, where it was equipped with a stove and named “Willow Brook”. During 1988 and 1989 it was completely rebuilt and was outshopped on January 17, 1990, looking much like it did in 1913 with its new coat of Tuscan Red paint and now carries the name William M. Moedinger.
While I didn’t model coach 20, though I plan to model it in it’s current Strasburg livery eventually, I did model two of coach 20’s sisters, coach 11 and 19. Since all three cars were from the same order, and built to identical plans, Coach 20 proved to be an invaluable source to study for my two cars. Coach 11 is modeled in the Ma&Pa’s original Tuscan Red scheme with Aluminum lettering, coach 19 is in the latter Pullman Green with Gold lettering. These two cars have served me well but are getting a bit dated. I may finally rebuild them this year, and when I do I will be going back to Strasburg to study Coach 20 in great detail.
Ma & Pa Boxcars 713 and 723
The Strasburg is fortunate to own two of the the 3 surviving Maryland & Pennsylvania RR’s 700 series wood sheathed boxcars. The Ma & Pa built these cars in the late 1920s using parts from previous scraped boxcars. These wooden truss rod cars served the railroad for many years with a few lasting into the early 60’s, long after other railroads would have scraped them for more modern equipment. Cars 713 and 723 are now preserved at the Strasburg Railroad and car 727 is preserved by the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association.
Naturally as I model the Ma&Pa in LEGO, I turned to the 2 Ma&Pa boxcars at Strasburg for reference. Both are expertly restored to their as built condition and well maintained. My fleet of Ma&Pa Boxcars have seen at least one previous iteration, and will probably see another. They say art is never finished, only abandoned. I’m not ready to abandon these yet.
There are many more items in the Strasburg’s roster that I plan to model some day. From locomotives 90 and 475, to several passenger cars, and a few more of the Strasburg’s vintage freight car fleet. I have quite a list to draw from.
You can see my photos from the Strasburg Rail Road by following the link bellow.
