Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad (G. & H. R. R.) was a railway line of Pennsylvania from Hunter's Run southward to Gettysburg
in the 19th century. The north junction
was with the South Mountain RR
, and a crossing with the Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad
's westward extension was at Gettysburg. The crossing also served as a junction for westbound trains to transfer southward across the Gettysburg Battlefield
via the G. & H. R. R.'s Round Top Branch
to the company's Little Round Top Park
.
, John M. Butler, Jay Cooke, R. J. Woodward, Spencer Ervin, Charles D. Barney
, Wm. H. Woodward, and Daniel King." The 22 mi (35.4 km) initial route by Professor Ambrose E Lehman had been surveyed into Gettysburg along Rock Creek on January 12, 1882; but the mainline was instead completed into the west side of the borough along Oak Ridge
. The passenger schedules expanded from 3 to 7 stations between Hunter's Run and Gettysburg from April 21 to July 3, 1884; with the former identifying the Pine Grove
station off of the mainline and the latter similarly adding "Laurel" ("Table Rock
" was added by May 25, 1885).
Groundbreaking was on April 18, 1883; and grading had been started by June 20 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=t3cmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GgAGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1565,6705580&dq=fuller+round-top+gettysburg&hl=en and completed in October, except for December grading of the Gettysburg roundhouse lot on the north side of the "Tapeworm
" right-of-way. Tracklaying had began on August 20, 1883; the 1st train arrived February 26, 1884 http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50D13F83A5A1A738DDDAE0A94DA405B8484F0D3 (two "golden" spikes driven); the station was completed by Joseph J Smith on March 4 http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/?p=3009 ("cellar and foundations" by George W. Lady); and scheduled passenger service began April 21, 1884. Conewago Creek (west)
flood damage on June 24 was repaired,http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BFQmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JgAGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1659,1043476&dq=fuller+pine-grove&hl=en and the first fatality was on July 22, 1884, when the "Jay Cooke" locomotive decapitated a man who stopped his wagon on the tracks (additional locomotives included Engine No. 7, the "J. C. Fuller".)http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CFQmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JgAGAAAAIBAJ&dq=round-top%20railroad&pg=1409%2C1200026 On May 12, 1884, the company laid east-west Gettysburg tracks along Railroad St across Washington St, and the competing east-west railroad to Gettysburg
added track on Carlisle St the next morning to prevent the Gettysburg and Harrisburg from continuing eastward. (By 1904, the east-west railroad had allowed the G. & H. R. R. to connect for a southern junction near the lane now named Gilliland Alley.)
The 1st Gettysburg excursion train to Pine Grove Park was on May 28, 1884. Two additional G. & H. R. R. stations were south of Gettysburg for excursions on the Round Top Branch
; which had been surveyed by July 14, 1882; had began construction by May 1884; and had started operations in June 1884. Beginning with the 1884 Camp Gettysburg
, the Round Top Branch supported various Gettysburg Battlefield camps after the American Civil War
such as the 1918 Camp Colt
.
In October 1884, Chief Engineer Lehman commenced an Idaville
-to-York Springs
survey for an eastward branch. A new Baldwin locomotive
had been purchased by April 10, 1889, when Lehman began the survey for the southward extension from Round Top to the Washington, DC, Pennsylvania Railroad
terminal at the National Mall
via Westminster, Maryland
and that was never built (Lehman & Col Fuller had visited Littlestown, Pennsylvania
, in 1884 regarding the Westminster route.) In February 1899, an engine derailed while a hostler moved it from the Gettysburg roundhouse.http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Jl4mAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j_8FAAAAIBAJ&dq=roundhouse%20gettysburg&pg=5696%2C370432
The "Reading Railroad" took control of the Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad on May 22, 1891, and retained the G & H's superintendent (W. H. Woodward) as the head of their Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railway
subsidiary.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
in the 19th century. The north junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
was with the South Mountain RR
South Mountain Railroad (Cumberland)
The South Mountain Railroad was a southcentral Pennsylvania railway line for "connecting the Pine Grove works to the Cumberland Valley R. R." and which provided mining and passenger services via a southwest section from Hunter's Run, Pennsylvania, and a northern section from Hunter's Run to the...
, and a crossing with the Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad
Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad
The Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad was a railroad line in Pennsylvania in the 19th century. The 38 mile main line ran from Orrtanna to Hanover Junction where it connected with the Northern Central Railway...
's westward extension was at Gettysburg. The crossing also served as a junction for westbound trains to transfer southward across the Gettysburg Battlefield
Gettysburg Battlefield
The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the 4 acre site of the first shot & at on the west of the borough, to East...
via the G. & H. R. R.'s Round Top Branch
Round Top Branch
The Round Top Branch was an extension of the Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad from the Gettysburg borough across the Gettysburg Battlefield to Round Top, Pennsylvania...
to the company's Little Round Top Park
Round Top, Pennsylvania
Round Top, Pennsylvania, is a populated place near Little Round Top that is notable for 2 Battle of Gettysburg field hospitals, the 1884 Round Top Station, and several battlefield commemorative era attractions for tourists...
.
History
The company charter was granted on October 6, 1882, to "J. C. Fuller, Jay CookeJay Cooke
Jay Cooke was an American financier. Cooke and his firm Jay Cooke & Company were most notable for their role in financing the Union's war effort during the American Civil War...
, John M. Butler, Jay Cooke, R. J. Woodward, Spencer Ervin, Charles D. Barney
Charles D. Barney
Charles Dennis Barney was an American stockbroker and founder of Charles D. Barney & Co., one of the predecessors of the brokerage and securities firm Smith Barney....
, Wm. H. Woodward, and Daniel King." The 22 mi (35.4 km) initial route by Professor Ambrose E Lehman had been surveyed into Gettysburg along Rock Creek on January 12, 1882; but the mainline was instead completed into the west side of the borough along Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge, Adams County, Pennsylvania
Oak Ridge is the landform of the Gettysburg Battlefield where the Eternal Light Peace Memorial was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the 1938 Gettysburg reunion. 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, Whitworth rifled cannon fired from Oak Hill at Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill. The ridge...
. The passenger schedules expanded from 3 to 7 stations between Hunter's Run and Gettysburg from April 21 to July 3, 1884; with the former identifying the Pine Grove
Pine Grove
- Nova Scotia :* Pine Grove, Colchester, Nova Scotia* Pine Grove, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia- Ontario :* Pine Grove, Lanark Highlands, Ontario* Pine Grove, Norfolk County, Ontario* Pine Grove, North Glengarry, Ontario...
station off of the mainline and the latter similarly adding "Laurel" ("Table Rock
Table Rock, Pennsylvania
Table Rock, Pennsylvania, is a populated place north of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that was the site of an 1885 Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad station....
" was added by May 25, 1885).
| Coordinates | |
|---|---|
| junction: Hunter's Run | |
| county line | |
| station: Starner's station: Peach Glen Peach Glen, Pennsylvania Peach Glen is an unincorporated community in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The small community is located in uppermost Tyrone Township right on the line of Adams County and Cumberland County.... by 1916 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Gb8lAAAAIBAJ&sjid=U_QFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6216,5654459&dq=starner's-station+peach-glen&hl=en |
1928 partial derailment http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hUkmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Lf8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3557,3224990&dq=peach-glen-station&hl=en |
| station: Idaville Idaville, Pennsylvania Idaville, formerly a borough, is a now unincorporated community in Huntington Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. Idaville is located on Pennsylvania Route 34 south of Mount Holly Springs. This long-stretched town is separated from Tyrone Township, adjacent to the south end of... |
near trestle site of 1907 wreck |
| station: Gardner's Station Gardners, Pennsylvania Gardners is an unincorporated community in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. Gardners is located off of Pennsylvania Route 34, in Tyrone Township just below Idaville.... |
|
| station: Bendersville Bendersville, Pennsylvania Bendersville is a borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 641 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Bendersville is located at .... “Aspers Station” by 1888 |
land of Fred A. Asper |
| station: Sunnyside | 39.947255°N 77.232736°W |
| station: Biglerville Biglerville, Pennsylvania Biglerville is a borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,200 at the 2010 census. The National Apple Museum is located on West Hanover St... |
|
| "Arendtsville Road" | pick-up point |
| bridge: Conewago Creek | curve washed out in 1912 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-oglAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ufIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2148,6526721&dq=table-rock+railroad&hl=en |
| station: Goldenville | Reuben Golden's warehouse |
| landform: Keckler's Hill http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NIslAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wPIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=983,3705191&dq=reading-railroad+gettysburg+1940&hl=en | Susquehanna Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United... /Potomac Potomac River The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles... divide |
| Mummasburg Rd | |
| reroute point | 39.84283°N 77.240748°W |
| 1938 reunion station | end of W Lincoln Av |
| switch for siding | toward college |
| switch for siding | adjacent to station switch |
| switch for station siding | |
| crossing with east-west line | 39.832606°N 77.237733°W |
| road | |
| switch (curve from east-west line) | behind 1896 Meade School |
| Fairfield Rd Pennsylvania Route 116 Pennsylvania Route 116 is an east–west route located in southern Pennsylvania. The route begins at Pennsylvania Route 16 in Carroll Valley north of the Pennsylvania-Maryland state line. It passes through the historic Civil War town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in Adams County, intersecting U.S... siding |
commissary siding |
| Hancock Station | |
| Round Top Station | |
| Wheatfield Road Wheatfield Road The Wheatfield Road is a Gettysburg Battlefield crossroad from the Peach Orchard east-southeastward along the north side of The Wheatfield , north of the Valley of Death, and over the north foot of Little Round Top... |
|
| terminus E of Little Round Top Little Round Top Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg.... |
between ends of 2 rock walls |
Groundbreaking was on April 18, 1883; and grading had been started by June 20 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=t3cmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GgAGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1565,6705580&dq=fuller+round-top+gettysburg&hl=en and completed in October, except for December grading of the Gettysburg roundhouse lot on the north side of the "Tapeworm
Tapeworm Railroad
The Tapeworm Railroad was a railway line planned by Thaddeus Stevens and nicknamed by opponents ridiculing a lengthy serpentine section around the Green Ridge of South Mountain...
" right-of-way. Tracklaying had began on August 20, 1883; the 1st train arrived February 26, 1884 http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50D13F83A5A1A738DDDAE0A94DA405B8484F0D3 (two "golden" spikes driven); the station was completed by Joseph J Smith on March 4 http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/?p=3009 ("cellar and foundations" by George W. Lady); and scheduled passenger service began April 21, 1884. Conewago Creek (west)
Conewago Creek (west)
Conewago Creek is an tributary of the Susquehanna River in Adams and York counties in Pennsylvania in the United States, with its watershed also draining a small portion of Carroll County, Maryland. The source is at an elevation of , east of Caledonia State Park, in Franklin Township in Adams County...
flood damage on June 24 was repaired,http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BFQmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JgAGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1659,1043476&dq=fuller+pine-grove&hl=en and the first fatality was on July 22, 1884, when the "Jay Cooke" locomotive decapitated a man who stopped his wagon on the tracks (additional locomotives included Engine No. 7, the "J. C. Fuller".)http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CFQmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JgAGAAAAIBAJ&dq=round-top%20railroad&pg=1409%2C1200026 On May 12, 1884, the company laid east-west Gettysburg tracks along Railroad St across Washington St, and the competing east-west railroad to Gettysburg
Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad
The Hanover Junction, Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad was a railroad line in Pennsylvania in the 19th century. The 38 mile main line ran from Orrtanna to Hanover Junction where it connected with the Northern Central Railway...
added track on Carlisle St the next morning to prevent the Gettysburg and Harrisburg from continuing eastward. (By 1904, the east-west railroad had allowed the G. & H. R. R. to connect for a southern junction near the lane now named Gilliland Alley.)
The 1st Gettysburg excursion train to Pine Grove Park was on May 28, 1884. Two additional G. & H. R. R. stations were south of Gettysburg for excursions on the Round Top Branch
Round Top Branch
The Round Top Branch was an extension of the Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad from the Gettysburg borough across the Gettysburg Battlefield to Round Top, Pennsylvania...
; which had been surveyed by July 14, 1882; had began construction by May 1884; and had started operations in June 1884. Beginning with the 1884 Camp Gettysburg
Gettysburg Battlefield camps after the American Civil War
Gettysburg Battlefield camps after the American Civil War were used by the Pennsylvania National Guard, Civil War veterans, the United States Marine Corps, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the United States Army, and the Youth Conservation Corps....
, the Round Top Branch supported various Gettysburg Battlefield camps after the American Civil War
Gettysburg Battlefield camps after the American Civil War
Gettysburg Battlefield camps after the American Civil War were used by the Pennsylvania National Guard, Civil War veterans, the United States Marine Corps, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the United States Army, and the Youth Conservation Corps....
such as the 1918 Camp Colt
Camp Colt, Pennsylvania
Camp Colt was a military installation near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania used for Tank Corps recruit training prior to deployment in World War I. The camp used the Gettysburg Battlefield site of the previous Great Reunion of 1913 and the preceding 1917 WWI recruit training camp for U. S. troops along...
.
In October 1884, Chief Engineer Lehman commenced an Idaville
Idaville, Pennsylvania
Idaville, formerly a borough, is a now unincorporated community in Huntington Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. Idaville is located on Pennsylvania Route 34 south of Mount Holly Springs. This long-stretched town is separated from Tyrone Township, adjacent to the south end of...
-to-York Springs
York Springs, Pennsylvania
York Springs is a borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 574 at the 2000 census. York Springs is served by the Bermudian Springs School District .-History:...
survey for an eastward branch. A new Baldwin locomotive
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
had been purchased by April 10, 1889, when Lehman began the survey for the southward extension from Round Top to the Washington, DC, Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
terminal at the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
via Westminster, Maryland
Westminster, Maryland
Westminster is a city in northern Maryland, United States. It is the seat of Carroll County. The city's population was 18,590 at the 2010 census. Westminster is an outlying community within the Baltimore-Towson, MD MSA, which is part of a greater Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV...
and that was never built (Lehman & Col Fuller had visited Littlestown, Pennsylvania
Littlestown, Pennsylvania
Littlestown is a borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,434 at the 2010 census.Originally laid out by Peter Klein in 1760, the town was first named "Petersburg". German settlers in the area came to call the town "Kleine Stedtle"...
, in 1884 regarding the Westminster route.) In February 1899, an engine derailed while a hostler moved it from the Gettysburg roundhouse.http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Jl4mAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j_8FAAAAIBAJ&dq=roundhouse%20gettysburg&pg=5696%2C370432
The "Reading Railroad" took control of the Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad on May 22, 1891, and retained the G & H's superintendent (W. H. Woodward) as the head of their Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railway
Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railway
The Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railway was a Pennsylvania line from near Carlisle southward to Gettysburg operated by a of the Reading Company...
subsidiary.