Norlo Park, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania

U.S. 30 is known as the Lincoln Highway named after Abraham Lincoln, former President of the United States of America. The highway begins in Atlantic City, New Jersey and ends in Astoria, Oregon. It is the third longest route in the nation behind U.S. 6 and U.S. 20. It passes through many great towns and sights some of which are in Pennsylvania.

One of these towns is Fayetteville which is just east of Chambersburg. While driving through Fayetteville, you will see Norlo Park. From U.S. 30, you see a house and a barn with a silo. Otherwise, it looks like your average township park, but you notice something. It has ball fields like the other parks. It has tennis courts and basketball courts like any other township park. You drive in, and you see a small train with two cabooses, a flat car and a tank car all from the Pennsylvania railroad. You look around the train, and you wonder how it got there. You then see a small train depot. You take a walk and see that it was from the town of Quincy, but next to the depot are some narrow gauge train tracks. You realize that this is not your average township park.

Norlo Park is a township park with a railroad theme. The theme comes from the fact that the original right-of-way of the Cumberland Valley Railroad ran right through what is now the park. To add to the theme, members of the Cumberland Valley Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society operate a small train every Saturday from late May to late September from 1:00pm to 4:00pm (weather permitting). The train is known as the New Franklin Railroad because was originally built in New Franklin, Pennsylvania on the property of the McKenzie household and was later brought to Norlo Park. (The building that houses he train is named for the train’s original owner.) Train rides are free of charge, but they gladly accept donations to help with the costs of operating the train. It is a ride that the entire family will enjoy.

After you ride the train, you can go to the depot. You can go to the ticket window and get your ticket officially stamped by the Station Agent. You can also watch the Station Agent using the telegraph as he taps out messages in Morse code. This was the original passenger depot that was originally in Quincy, Pennsylvania on the Cumberland Valley Railroad. It was previously owned for many years by James Fouchard before it was acquired by the township and moved to the park to be used as the depot for the New Franklin Railroad. Inside, it is set up the way it was back when it was an operating station with James Fouchard serving as the Station Agent. Today, it is a museum that is open when the railroad is running.

The park also features two old railroad bridges. One is from the Cumberland Valley Railroad, and the other was used on the Western Maryland Railroad.

Norlo Park is a public park that is run by the Guilford Township Supervisors. The New Franklin Railroad and the Quincy Station is operated by dedicated volunteers of the Cumberland Valley Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society who proudly maintain the railroad and the Quincy Station. The park is located at 3050 Lincoln Way East (U.S. 30) in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania about five miles east of Chambersburg and Interstate 81 and 25 miles west of Gettysburg. The train and the old depot are open on Saturdays from late May to late September. The park itself is open from sunrise to sunset. You can learn more about the park at www.norlopark.com.