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As the railroad was built to connect cities and towns across the United States of America, each town and city had their own passenger station. You have train station in the major cities that are still in use today like the Main Street Station in Richmond, the capital city of the U.S. state of Virginia, Union Stations in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Illinois, Saint Louis, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri, Penn Station in Baltimore, Maryland, and Grand Central Station in New York City, New York. You have those old train stations like the terminal in Cincinnati, Ohio and the old train stations in Salt Lake City, Utah and the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania plus the old train terminal in Detroit, Michigan and the Central Railroad of New Jersey terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey. Oh, how it would have been great to see the original Penn Station in New York City, New York. How about those small towns? The train stations in Point of Rocks, Maryland, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, and Lebanon, Pennsylvania were very impressive when they were in service.
Then you have the town of Niles in the southwestern region of the U.S. state of Michigan. The train station in Niles was built by the Michigan Central Railroad in 1892. For a small town, it is one fancy Richardsonian Romanesque style station built with brownstone and gabled roofs with a sixty foot clock tower and a garden surrounding the station. The station was featured in the movies Continental Divide, Midnight Run, and Only the Lonely. If the builders were to see this station today, they would see the same train station that was built in 1892 as the exterior has not been altered. The interior has been rearranged with the elimination of the smoking rooms.
Some of you are saying, “This is very nice. Too bad the station is not being used.”
Do not be mistaken. The station is still in use today except Amtrak, not the Michigan Railroad or the New York Central System who took over the Michigan Central Railroad, brings passenger service today. As mentioned, if the builders were to see the station today, they would see little change. The station is also on the National Register of Historical Places and the Michigan State Register.
The Niles Train Station is now owned by Amtrak. It is located on Dey Street just east of Michigan Route 51 north of the town center. Parking is on site. As mentioned, it is still an active train station.
You may not have heard of the town of Niles, Michigan. When you visit, you will see a very special town with an amazing train station.
Have you ever heard of the small town of Victoria in the southern region of the U.S. state of Virginia? If you have never heard of this town, do not feel sad as very few people even know that this town even exists. The town, located halfway between the port city of Norfolk at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and the city of Roanoke, has no famous historic sites or landmarks. It is your typical small town with a main street with stores. The only routes through the town is Virginia State Routes 40 and 49.
Some of you are saying, “Well, that is not much. With a name like Victoria, it would be funny if the town is named after some famous queen.”
Ladies and gentlemen, start laughing. This small one-horse town is named after Queen Victoria. Yes, it is named after the British Queen Victoria. The county the town is located in, Lunenburg County, is named for a German Duke. As you can see, the town of Victoria is a small town that has much European royalty.
Now some of you are saying, “Amazing. Queen Victoria would be very proud to have a town named in her honor. Being a small town with no castles or palaces, she would probably never visit here. What is really bad is that there is no railroad in this town. Therefore, I will not accept the royalty of visiting this town.”
So, you do not want to visit this town because of the fact that it is not a railroad town. Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to learn about a small town in southern Virginia.
The U.S. state of Virginia is a state that has much history, and the history begins long before the state was established. Before it was a state, it was a British colony, one of the original thirteen colonies. It has the oldest continuous American city in the United States of America which is the site of the first English settlement in the nation, Jamestown. (Yes, Taos, New Mexico and Saint Augustine, Florida are older establishments, but they were not part of the United States of America until years later.) The state has many great historical cities like the state capitol, Richmond, a city that served as the Confederate capital during the American Civil War, and Williamsburg, a city that was once the state capital of Virginia, and Yorktown where a great victory over the British and where they surrendered during the American Revolutionary War, and, as mentioned, Jamestown, the oldest continuous American city, and Charlottesville, the home of Thomas Jefferson, and Manassas where the first major battle of the American Civil War took place and it the only place that was the site of two major battles during that war, and Alexandria, a city with deep history, and Bristol, a town that is partly in Virginia and partly in Tennessee where it is said that country music began here. The state has produce more U.S. presidents than any other state. The father of the nation, George Washington, and the man who drafted the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, two U.S. presidents, were born here and had their homes here. Speaking of Thomas Jefferson, his home, Monticello, located in Charlottesville, is the only U.S. presidential home that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The state is one of the most visited states in the nation.
That brings us to the town of Victoria, a town that very few have heard of.
Some of you are saying, “If nobody has ever heard of this town, then the town most likely had no significance.”
What is special about the town of Victoria, Virginia? When you arrive here, you with see a town just like any other small town, but then you notice something. You see a park with a caboose. What caboose? It is from the Virginian Railway. What is it doing here in this town? You notice what appears to be a trail, but it is not an ordinary trail, but what appears to be a rail trail.
What is special about the town of Victoria, Virginia? It was a planned community. As mentioned, the town is halfway between Roanoke and Norfolk. What is so important about that? Norfolk, as mentioned, is a major port city, and it is the largest natural port in the world. Both Roanoke and Norfolk were major railroad cities, and they are major railroad cities today. Why is Norfolk a major port? The Port of Norfolk is a major coal city, and the port is served by many coal trains bringing coal from the mines in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia to the ships in Norfolk.
Some of you are saying, “That is nice, but what does Victoria have to do with it?”
As mentioned, Victoria, Virginia was a planned community. What was the plan? The town was planned around the railroad. The Tidewater Railway came to town. The Tidewater Railway was then taken over by the Virginian Railway. The steam locomotive, after one hundred miles of operation, had to be serviced. What is special about the town of Victoria, Virginia? It was the site of a roundhouse and a railroad yard. The town flourished. As the steam locomotive was replaced by the diesel locomotive that required less maintenance and could go farther before needing maintenance, the roundhouse became obsolete. The Virginian Railway was taken over by the Norfolk and Western Railway which became the last railroad to serve the town. (The Norfolk and Western Railway was later taken over by the Norfolk Southern Railway.) Like with many takeovers of railroads, certain railroad lines are abandoned. Sadly, the railroad line through Victoria was one of those lines. The tracks were taken up, and it was eventually turned into a rail trail.
The railroad in Victoria, Virginia is now gone… but it is not forgotten.
Virginian Railway Caboose Number 342 sits in the place where the railroad yard and main railroad line once was. Next to the caboose, you will see the foundation of the passenger station. What about the roundhouse? Across the street from the caboose is the Victoria Railroad Park. Like the passenger station, only the foundation of the roundhouse and a Virginian Railway gondola car remain. You can walk and see where a roundhouse once stood. What is now a quiet park was once a bustling place. When the railroad left town, the town became what it is today.
The town of Victoria, Virginia is located in southern Virginia served only by states routes 40 and 49. The railroad park is located off of Main Street (Virginia Route 40). The rail trail, part of the Tabacco Heritage Trail, is paved. The Victoria Railroad Park is open sunrise to sunset, and it is free. Parking is on site. The park is flat, but it is not completely paved. Wheelchairs may have difficulty getting around.
The town of Victoria, Virginia, may not be as famous as other cities in Virginia, but it has a place in state, national, and international history. It may be a small town, but it has much railroad royalty.
The city of Alexandria in the U.S. state of Virginia is the most storied town in the United States of America. It was once an independent city that is now a part of the Washington-Baltimore metropolis. How many stories does this city have to tell? Well, you could be here for centuries to hear half of them. It was once one of the busiest ports in the Western Hemisphere. It is the home of Christ Church. What is special about Christ Church? Let us say that all but a small handful of U.S. Presidents have attended a church service there. George Washington, the first President of the United States of America, regularly attended here and had his own personal pew. George Washington was a frequent visitor to Alexandria as his home, Mount Vernon, is south of here. He also had meals at Gadsby Tavern. Both sites are open to visitors. Then you have the Jones Point Lighthouse which is where the southern end of the District of Columbia is located. Where is the park? It is under the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge, the only bridge to pass through three states. (That is Maryland with the border of the Virginia shoreline of the Potomac River with a small section of the District of Columbia next to the Virginia shore.) There is much more that can be told, but you can visit the Lyceum in Alexandria to learn more about Alexandria.
What is the Lyceum? That is a good question. A lyceum is a temple like structure. Yes, it looks like an actual temple, and there are others in the northeast region of the United States of America. The Lyceum in Alexandria, Virginia was originally a lecture hall, but it housed other things until it became the home of the Alexandria History Museum. It you want to learn more about Alexandria, Virginia, the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum is the place to start.
Some of you are saying, “Wow! That is nice. Alexandria, Virginia is a great place to visit. There is so much there. As for the Lyceum, well, it is probably a nice place to see. There is a very big problem. As you can see, this Lyceum is the home of the Alexandria History Museum and has nothing to do with the railroad. Therefore, you will not see a history of me at the Lyceum.”
Well, you have a point. Why visit the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum. It is not a railroad museum which is a good excuse not to visit. Why visit?
As mentioned, the city of Alexandria, Virginia has an extensive history. You walk over to the waterfront along the Potomac River, you see a marina with boats, but you see no ocean bound ships. This was not the case one hundred years ago. The peaceful waterfront was once one of the busiest ports in the Western Hemisphere.
What does this have to do with the railroad?
As mentioned, the city of Alexandria, Virginia has an extensive history. This includes an extensive railroad history. As a busy port, it was the railroad that brought the goods from the ports to towns west and south that did not have access to ports. The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad which ran across the northern region of Virginia (now a rail trail) and the Alexandria and Orange Railroad which ran to towns in the central region of Virginia (later owned by the Southern Railway and now owned by Norfolk Southern Railway today) had direct access to the ports. Trains from the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the Southern Railway were stored in a large railroad yard in the northern region of the city. The railroad yard was at a site that is now a large shopping center on U.S. Route 1. Only the main railroad line which runs from the bridge crossing of the Potomac River and is now owned by CSX Transportation is all that remains today. (The railroad line continues south to Richmond today.)
The railroad yard that was owned by the Alexandria and Orange Railroad remains today and stores railcars from CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway today. (The yard is between Virginia Route 236 and Interstate 495 today.) The original yard was much larger than it was today as it included a roundhouse at the east end of the railroad yard. The roundhouse was demolished years ago, but it had a great place in history. Why? It was where a special railroad car was built. What was this railroad car? It was President Abraham Lincoln’s private railroad car. You can call it the Air Force One of the railroad. It was to be introduced to Abraham Lincoln, but he so desired to take his wife, Mary, to a play a Ford’s Theater that evening. Did he ever ride his private railroad car? Yes, he did, but not as President Abraham Lincoln. That night, he was assassinated. His private railroad car was renamed his funeral car, and it carried his remains back to Springfield, Illinois where his tomb is today.
Now, why visit the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum in Alexandria, Virginia? Even though you do not see full size trains, and though there is no caboose outside the museum, you will see models and displays of the railroad in the museum. You see stories of how that trains passed through Alexandria and how the ports benefitted from the railroad.
Is that all? The answer is no.
During your visit to the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum, you will learn more things about the history of the railroad in Alexandria, Virginia. Alexandria was the headquarters of the United States Military Railroad. The railroad cars were stored in the same yard as the Alexandra and Orange Railroad. Sadly, most of the tracks where the railroad cars were stored were taken up. The United States Military Railroad also operated a railroad ferry. This ferry took railroad cars and locomotives up and down the Potomac River.
It that it? As mentioned, the city of Alexandria, Virginia has an extensive history. As you look at the streets of Alexandria today, you will not see any evidence of trolleys. The trolleys are long gone, but the Mount Vernon Electric Railway and the Washington-Virginia Railway Company ran trolleys through the town.
The Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum has many stories to tell including the many stories of the railroad in Alexandria, Virginia. Even after seeing every in the museum, you will realize that you still have not seen it all.
The Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum is owned and operated by the city of Alexandria. It is located in the heart of Old Town Alexandria Virginia at 201 S. Washington Street just blocks east of U.S. Route 1. It is open Thursday and Friday 11:00am to 4:00pm, Saturday from 11:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. (It is closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.) Parking is available from those visiting the Lyceum only. Admission is free, and it is wheelchair accessible. You can get more information at https://www.alexandriava.gov/Lyceum.
The city of Alexandria, Virginia is a city of extensive history, and it is a city of extensive railroad history. Much of the railroads may be gone, but it stays alive at the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum.
The town of Mechanicsburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania is a suburban town of the capital city of Harrisburg. How did the town get its name? The town was established before the automobile so it did not get its name from automobile mechanics. The town got its name from the fact that it was a town were Conestoga wagons were repaired. When the Cumberland Valley Railroad came to the town, the town became a major stop for the railroad. Today, the Norfolk Southern Railway owns the railroad line, and the trains no longer stop here, but the old train station, the freight house, and the stationmaster’s house remain, and they are all part of the Mechanicsburg Museum.
The Passenger Train Station was built by the Cumberland Valley Railroad in 1867. It remained a passenger station until 1952. Today, the exhibits tell the history of the Cumberland Valley Railroad and how the town was a great benefactor to the towns growth.
The Stationmaster’s House was more than just the home of the stationmaster. It was an office for Adams Express, a company that was one of the early companies before the Railway Express Agency, and it was also where baggage was stored. Today, the home is furnished with furniture the way it was furnished back in the day when the train station was active.
The Freight Station is across the tracks from the Passenger Station and Stationmaster’s House. This is the second Freight House for the town that was built in 1886 that replaced the original one built in 1874. It was here where the locomotives received water and wood. There was a side track here where the trains were able to stop for a long time. The track was removed after freight and passenger serviced ceased. Today, it houses exhibits that are about the town of Mechanicsburg itself. The exhibits do change over time.
All three structures were to be demolished, but the Mechanicsburg Museum Association rescued the buildings, and they remain under their ownership today.
The Mechanicsburg Museum is located at 2 W. Strawberry Alley in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania just one block north of the intersection of Pennsylvania Routes 114 and 641. It is open Wednesday to Saturday from 12:00pm to 3:00pm. The complex has the three structures. Admission is free, but they gladly accept donations. The structures are wheelchair accessible. You can read more into the Mechanicsburg Museum Association and read more about the museum at http://www.mechanicsburgmuseum.org/index.html.
The town of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania has automobile mechanics today. It also has the Mechanicsburg Museum. It is a great place to see the history of the town.
What is the Wayne Thomas Gilchrist Trail? Commonly called the Wayne T. Gilchrist Trail that was named after a local politician that served in the U.S. state of Maryland and in Washington, the trail is on an old rail line that winds its way through the town of Chestertown located on the Chester River on the Eastern Shore Region of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is also known as the Chestertown Rail Trail.
The history of the railroad in the town of Chestertown, Maryland is unknown as the town was much more of a port town on the Chester River than a railroad town. It is known the railroad line was once a spur line that connected to a main railroad line in Delaware that ran south from Wilmington, Delaware down the center of the Delmarva Peninsula to the town of Pocomoke City, Maryland and then to the town of Cape Charles in the U.S. state of Virginia at the southern end of the peninsula where the Chesapeake Bay enters into the Atlantic Ocean. A railroad ferry transported the train across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk. (Much of the track in Virginia is no longer active while the active section in Maryland and Delaware is owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway.) Although the Pennsylvania Railroad originally built the line. Smaller short line railroads owned the different spur routes.
Back in the glory days of railroading when the railroads ran both passenger and freight services, the passenger trains served small towns on spur lines like Chestertown. When Amtrak service began, passenger service to small towns on spur lines ceased, and passenger service ceased on the main railroad line on the Delmarva Peninsula, and the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge connecting the east and west coasts of the Chesapeake Bay aided the decline.
What is known about the railroad line? At the southern end of the rail trail is an old passenger train station and an old freight house where two old passenger cars and a red caboose are on display. Between the passenger and freight stations appear to be an area that appears to be the site of an old railroad yard. The trail runs north from here and ends on the north side of the town.
Today, the Wayne T. Gilchrist Trail is the only reminder of Chestertown being a railroad town. It is a reminder of how the railroad was a big part of small town America.
The town of Parksley in the U.S. state of Virginia, a small town on the Delmarva Peninsula is known for its Victorian architecture. The town was built around a railroad line that was extended south from Pocomoke City in the U.S. state of Maryland to Cape Charles, Virginia which sits at the southern tip of the peninsula. (The railroad line in the Virginia section of the peninsula is now abandoned.) It you visit the town, the very first thing that you will notice is the numerous rails cars that are resting in this town. This is the Eastern Shore Railway Museum which celebrates the railroad heritage of the town.
On the outside, you will see the Parksley Depot that was once used for passenger service. The depot was originally the Depot of Hopetown, Virginia that was brought to the museum and sits on the site of the original Parksley Depot. You will also see a section of the foundation of the old 1886 depot that was unearthed while clearing the land for the museum. You can stand in the same spot where passengers stood to wait for the train. The platform is made with bricks that were used at the train station in Ocean City, Maryland. You will see a dining car from the Seaboard Airline Railroad. You see an old maintenance shed and a guard house that was used before crossing gates came along. You see an old Pennsylvania Railroad Box Car, the Fairfax River, a Pullman sleeper from the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, another sleeper car, a baggage car and two cabooses: one from the Nickle Plate Road and an old Wabash caboose. There is so much to see, and you have not even gone inside yet.
On the inside, you will see the gift shop, a small model train display, a maintenance car, a luggage carrier and artifacts from the days when regular rail service came to Parksley.
The Eastern Shore Railway Museum is located at 18468 Dunne Avenue in Parksley, Virginia, just minutes from U.S. Route 13 at the intersection of Virginia Route 176 and Virginia Route 316. Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. The gift shop, model train display and inside areas are open from April to November, but the grounds are accessible all year round. A drive along Virginia’s Eastern Shore would not be complete without a visit to Parksley and to the spot that the town originated from.
Many of you have heard of the town of Strasburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The town, a suburb of Lancaster, is famous for the Strasburg Railroad, a short line railroad that is the oldest continuously running railroad in the United States of America. There is also a small town called Strasburg in the U.S. state of Virginia. Located about seventy-five miles west of downtown Washington D.C. in the Shenandoah Valley, it is the home of the Strasburg Museum. What is the Strasburg Museum? Well, it is a museum that tells the story of life in the region around the town to include the industries like pottery and other small town industries. If you are in the area of Strasburg, Virginia, you will want to visit the Strasburg Museum.
Some of you are saying, “This is nice. I love the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania. As for Strasburg, Virginia, it is not as famous as being a railroad town as the Strasburg in Pennsylvania. Therefore, you will not see me at the museum.”
So why visit the Strasburg Museum? If you say that it is not a railroad town, you would not be telling the truth. In 1861 during the American Civil War, General Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson of the Confederate Army led the charge where he and his men hijacked the rolling stock of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in West Virginia. This was known as ‘The Great Train Raid’. What does this have to do with Strasburg, Virginia? The rolling stock was transported to the location of the museum and set on railroad tracks and then sent to North Carolina to be repair and to be used by the Confederate Army.
Some of you are saying, “Now I have learned something new, but the museum is about the region around the town and not about trains.”
Ladies and gentlemen, you are wrong again.
Strasburg, Virginia was a railroad town that was served by the Southern Railway, The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the Manassas Gap Railroad. (All of the railroads in Strasburg are under the ownership of the Norfolk Southern Railway today.) It may not be as famous as the town in Pennsylvania, but this town does have a deep history with the railroad. As you approach the Strasburg Museum, there is something that you will notice. Yes, it is next to a railroad crossing, but many places are next to a railroad crossing. The first thing you will notice is the building. What it special about the building? The building is an old pottery factory that was, in 1913, converted into a train station for the Southern Railway with freight and passenger service. You walk around the old station, you will see an old caboose and an old baggage car both from the Southern Railway.
You enter the museum through the gift shop. You then enter the main hall. You see the different displays on life in the region to include a room dedicated to pottery and an exhibit dedicated to the railroad history of Strasburg, Virginia.
Some of you are saying, “Is that all?”
The answer to that question is no. You do have the caboose and baggage car. The caboose is your typical caboose that you can walk through and climb into the cupola. Then you have the baggage car. In the baggage car is where you will find a model train display.
Some of you are saying, “Oh great. Another model train display where you see the model trains go round and round and round and round.”
Ladies and gentlemen, this is not your typical model train display. It is only operational on Saturday, and there is a timed entry. Why? If you only enjoy model trains that just go round and round and round, this is not for you. If you enjoy something completely different, get ready for an experience. You enter the baggage car, and you see the model train display set up with its buildings and other structures. You watch the trains, but then it gets dark. No. It is not a power outage. It is taking you into the display itself. The moon even comes out for the evening, but it is really afternoon.
The Strasburg Museum is designated as a National Historic Landmark. It is located at 440 East King Street (Virginia Route 55) in Strasburg, Virginia east of U.S. Route 11. It is open from May to October on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Parking is on site. Please note that the museum only accepts cash. Also, the main hall has two floors of exhibits and the upper floor is not wheelchair accessible. You can get more information on the museum and the history of Strasburg, Virginia at https://strasburgmuseum.org/.
Strasburg, Virginia may not have the Strasburg Railroad, but it does have the Strasburg Museum. It has much history on display. Make the trip.
What is the Age of Steam Roundhouse? In the early years of railroading, roundhouses were needed to service the steam locomotives. From the first roundhouse in Baltimore in the U.S. state of Maryland, now the home of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum, to roundhouses across the United States of America, they were a very essential part of the movement of the railroad. When the steam locomotives which had to be serviced after one hundred miles of operation were replaced by the diesel locomotives that could run hundreds of miles of operation before they needed maintenance, the railroad roundhouse became obsolete. Although most of the old roundhouses were preserved like the Mount Clare Roundhouse in Baltimore, many were demolished. With many of these roundhouses in small towns, the closure of the roundhouses meant fewer jobs in the small town causing many small towns to decline. The era of the railroad roundhouse was no more.
With the railroad roundhouse obsolete, there will be no need to build a roundhouse ever again. A man named Jerry Joe Jacobson did not think so. Who is Jerry Joe Jacobson?
Originally from Lancaster in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, a city famous for the Amish lifestyle and is home to the famous Strasburg Railroad, the oldest continuously operating railroad in the United States of America, Jerry Joe Jacobson made his way to the U.S. state of Ohio where his work on the railroad began with passenger excursions in the area around the small town of Sugarcreek. It was here where he built a roundhouse.
Some of you are saying, “Wow! He built a roundhouse, and that roundhouse is just a museum that just collects rolling stock, and people go and see the locomotives and old passenger and freight cars.”
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Age of Steam Roundhouse. Jerry Joe Jacobson founded the Age of Steam Roundhouse with a collection of steam locomotives. Yes, it is a museum, but it is also an actual working roundhouse. As mentioned, it is an actual working roundhouse. Yes, locomotives and rolling stock are serviced here. During your visit, you may be fortunate to see restoration of a locomotive or freight car.
There are many railroad museums across the nation. Some of these railroad museums are housed in old roundhouses. What makes the Age of Steam Roundhouse special is that it is a newly built roundhouse with vintage steam locomotives from different railroads as well as diesel locomotives, old passenger cars, freight cars, and cabooses. The founder, Jerry Joe Jacobson, passed away in 2017, and he is entombed in a mausoleum just a short walk from the roundhouse.
The Age of Steam Roundhouse is located at 213 Smokey Lane Road SW south of the town of Sugarcreek, Ohio off of Ohio State Route 93. Different guided tours are offered on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from April into November with events throughout the year. (Please note that due to safety reasons and the fact that this is a working facility, all tours are conducted by a tour guide. Self-guided tours are strictly prohibited.) Parking is on site, and the facility is wheelchair accessible. You can get more information on tours (there are different tours offered), admission, events, read more into the life of Jerry Joe Jacobson and into the Jerry and Laura Jacobson Foundation, Inc. at https://ageofsteamroundhouse.org/.
It is called the Age of Steam Roundhouse to remind everyone of the era of steam railroading and the steam locomotive. As you are taken on the tour, you will be taken back in time.
The small town of Prince in the U.S. state of West Virginia is a small town in the southern region of the state on the New River inside the New River Gorge. This small town owes its existence to the coal industry and a passenger train station that was built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and it remains an active train station today with service from Amtrak. As you drive through the town on West Virginia Route 41, you come upon the U.S. Army PV2 Harold Richard Plumley Memorial Bridge crossing over what is now the CSX railroad line. Many of you are wondering who Harold Richard Plumley is, and you are wondering what is special about him that they would name a bridge after him.
Harold Richard Plumley was born on March 22, 1934, in the town of Prince, West Virginia. As a child and a young man, he spent much of his time around the railroad. On his way to school, he would walk through the Strecherneck Tunnel, a railroad tunnel built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and it is still in use by the CSX Railroad today. He later became an employee of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway working around the New River Gorge. In 1952, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He would depart the town of Prince by train from the old train station. Sadly, it was the last time his friends and family would see him… alive.
Harold Richard Plumley fought in the Korean War, and he fought in the Battle of Outpost Harry where he was killed in battle on June 11, 1953. His remains was brought by train to the same train station that he departed from when he went to war.
Years later, efforts were organized to have the bridge named in honor of Harold Richard Plumley. A bill to have the bridge named for Plumley was erected in Charleston, the state capitol of West Virginia, by a delegate named William Ridenour. The bill passed unanimously in both the State House and the State Senate.
On Thursday, October 25, 2023, a ceremony was held in the town of Prince, West Virginia. The United States Army Private Harold Richard Plumley Memorial Bridge was dedicated. In attendance was William Ridenour, a representative of West Virginia Senator Joseph Manchin, Harold Plumley’s brother and two sisters, reporters from two local television stations, and members of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Historical Society.
The U.S. Army PV2 Harold Richard Plumley Memorial Bridge is located on West Virginia Route 41 in Prince, West Virginia on the west side of the town crossing the CSX rail line. It is eight miles northeast of Beckley and U.S. Route 19 and Interstates 64 and 77, and twelve miles south of U.S. Route 60 and Babcock State Park. (It is the home of the world famous Glade Grist Mill.) Other than an automobile, the only other way the town can be accessed is by Amtrak. Please note that there is no parking at the bridge itself.
Many of us wish each other a Happy Memorial Day, but to those who lost their friends and family who were serving in the United States Armed Forces, it is not a happy day as they spend the rest of their lives without them by their side. Let us spend this day remembering those men and women who sacrificed their lives so that we could live ours. Harold Richard Plumley was among those who gave his life for his country. May we forever be grateful for his service.
Please note that the photograph of Private Harold Richard Plumley is courtesy of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Historical Society who owns the copyright and has granted permission to use this photo for the article.
Harrisburg, the capital city of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, is not known a city that is on many lists of cities to visit, but it should be. One of the city’s famous suburbs is Hershey which is known as the Chocolate Capital of the World and is where the Hershey Chocolate Company was founded by Milton Hershey, and the company is still headquartered there today. What about the city itself? Of course, the State Capitol is here, but it also has great museums like the National Civil War Museum and the Pennsylvania Fire Museum. The downtown area rests along the Susquehanna River, the longest unnavigable river in the United States of America with its beginnings in the U.S. state of New York passing through the east central region of Pennsylvania past Harrisburg before it continues into the U.S. state of Maryland and into the Chesapeake Bay. South of the city, there are four dams which forms the scenery around Harrisburg today. One of the things formed by the four dams is City Island located in the middle of the river. What is special about City Island? Well, it is a playground for the city, and the Harrisburg Senators, a professional minor league baseball team affiliated with the Washington Nationals, have their stadium here. If you visit Harrisburg, you will be totally amazed with a visit to City Island.
Some of you are saying, “This is wonderful. I love chocolate. The city of Harrisburg is probably a great city. As for City Island, it is just an island in the river that is just another tourist destination. Therefore, I will not bother visiting this island.”
What is special about City Island in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
When you arrive in the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, particularly if you arrived crossing the Susquehanna River, the very first thing you will notice is that many railroads pass through here. The electrified section of Amtrak has a terminus here. There are many railroad arch bridges across the river, and the famous Rockville Bridge, located in the suburb of Rockville, is just north of the downtown area.
This brings us to City Island. What is special about City Island? As mentioned, the baseball stadium home of the Harrisburg Senators is on the island. The Walnut Street Bridge, an old steel truss street bridge that is now a pedestrian bridge, connects people with downtown and the western suburbs. It is the home of the ‘Pride of the Susquehanna’, a riverboat that is a pleasure to ride as you get great views of the river as well as the downtown region. It has a miniature golf course, a carousel, and it is the home of the Harrisburg Beach Club. As you enter City Island, there is an important crossing you must make. What is that crossing? The first thing you will see is the City Island Railroad.
City Island is walkable for most people and is mostly wheelchair accessible, but the City Island Railroad is a great way to see the island. It is a miniature train pulled by a replica of an American Civil War era steam locomotive. A ride on the train takes you around the stadium. It takes you past the miniature golf course and beach club. You pass by the dock of the Pride of Susquehanna. Most important, you get great views of the river during your entire ride.
The City Island Railroad begins at the Walnut Street Station which is a short walk from the parking lot and Walnut Street Bridge. If you visit City Island, it will be a great compliment to your visit.
The City Island Railroad runs mainly in the summer months. It is located on City Island which is accessible from the Market Street Bridge which crosses the river between downtown and the western side of the river. Admission is required to ride the train. There is parking available. It is mainly free, but you may pay for parking during stadium events.
The city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has many great places to see. The City Island Railroad is worth your visit. You will be glad you did.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 