Steam train may be headed to York County rail trail

Nice proposal that the commissioners should not turn down unless they are brain dead. But why manufacture a new old-looking train? Aren't there any antiques available for refurbishment and reuse? Might be cheaper and would be more authentic for sure.

Allen Smith did everything he could to gain support to use the rail line. He finally gave up and moved his authentic caboose to New York. Why a new train?
How will the income of the train be used? Will it support the maintenance of the rail trail. We have had enough "special deals" in York County to look very carefully before we leap,

Dont worry chronister will make sure he makes some money on this deal.

Regarding the question about a new locomotive, you have to certify the boiler if you want to use it. It would be easier to certify a new locomotive than and old one. Also, while a high initial cost, there would be less maintenance for the first few years.

Prospect does sound interesting!

Wait, why not put a casino at the station where Lincoln was? Wouldn't that solve the whole problem?

Awesome! I would love this, as would my family. Long over due, and cant wait!

Better this than what Rep Depasquali wanted in bringing the light rail here from Baltimore..and all its crime and crap that would come with it.

They should open passenger service from Harrisburg to Baltimore. Just like it was in the 50's. High speed trains would relieve traffic and save lives on 83. How about from York to Columbia.

Rails will be the way of the future with all the congestion. Lets get to the real thing here, not just excursion's.

Gosh, do something in York to bring it back.

Great idea!! Lookin forward to it.

I live in NF and miss the train whistles from when the dinner trains were still running...would be nice to hear the sounds of the railroad again!! I hope this comes to fruition!!!

Toilet Freckles wrote:

Better this than what Rep Depasquali wanted in bringing the light rail here from Baltimore..and all its crime and crap that would come with it.

Actually, I wish they had a light rail for people to commute from York to Baltimore or Harrisburg.

long time over due what in the world were you people waiting on let.,s get paid

Jim wrote:

They should open passenger service from Harrisburg to Baltimore. Just like it was in the 50's. High speed trains would relieve traffic and save lives on 83. How about from York to Columbia.
Rails will be the way of the future with all the congestion. Lets get to the real thing here, not just excursion's.
Gosh, do something in York to bring it back.

Here are some problems with that. First the track that we are talking about is on the rail trail. They would not be allowed to go more than 30mph. The rail also go through some pretty expensive realestate in MD I doubt high speed trains would get a pass from those folk. The track would run on the same as the baltimore light rail so forget high speed there.then of course you have the problem of where the train will go. Baltimore has no real public transport. The lightrail, metro, and this train would only go into the downtown and back. From Hunt Valley to the inner harbor is a 45min + ride. IF you wanted to go from Hunt Valley to Owingmills you would have to go all the way downtown get on the metro and go all the way back out. I did this ONCE 3 hours.

To sum up. it is not only impossible but would end up being worthless even IF it got built.

FYI there is not a single passenger rail system in the WORLD that is profitable. All exist with Government help.

Allllll aboard!

Toilet Freckles wrote:

Better this than what Rep Depasquali wanted in bringing the light rail here from Baltimore..and all its crime and crap that would come with it.

Bringing the light rail from Baltimore to York wasn't Rep. DePasquale's suggestion, it was outgoing York City Mayor John Brenner's. I see to remember watching a public meeting on what was then YCAT (public access televison) in which a person in the audience spoke out against this mentioning they did not want an increase in crime or drugs and prostitution brought into the southern end of the county. This was a public meeting that outgoing Mayor Brenner and county commissioner Chris Reilly held jointly about the baseball stadium. Reilly was county commissioner back then and I think he might have been in his second term. The county commissioner board at that time was Bob Minnich, Shirley Glass (both deceased now) and Chris Reilly. Mayor Brenner had the idea to bring light rail not just from York to and from Baltimore but extend it further to and from York-Harrisburg and York-Lancaster. DePasquale was not in office at that time and I think he may have worked for the state after resigning from the appointed position of city economic director. He attended law school while in that position.

Just thought you might want to know the real facts.

Man in Black wrote:

<quoted text>
Here are some problems with that. First the track that we are talking about is on the rail trail. They would not be allowed to go more than 30mph. The rail also go through some pretty expensive realestate in MD I doubt high speed trains would get a pass from those folk. The track would run on the same as the baltimore light rail so forget high speed there.then of course you have the problem of where the train will go. Baltimore has no real public transport. The lightrail, metro, and this train would only go into the downtown and back. From Hunt Valley to the inner harbor is a 45min + ride. IF you wanted to go from Hunt Valley to Owingmills you would have to go all the way downtown get on the metro and go all the way back out. I did this ONCE 3 hours.
To sum up. it is not only impossible but would end up being worthless even IF it got built.
FYI there is not a single passenger rail system in the WORLD that is profitable. All exist with Government help.

Light rail terminates at the Hunt Valley Town Center. The rail trail at that point is about four miles away going east on Paper Mill road. So I doubt you rode the light rail on the same track that the light rail uses.

Sorry the end should have read track rail trail uses.

bill from westminster wrote:

Dont worry chronister will make sure he makes some money on this deal.

Don't forget to include Stock & Leader attorney Reed Anderson who happens to be one of the major partners involved in this venture.

His father was a state representative for 20+ years and retired at an annual pension salary far more than what his wages were when he was in office which was in excess of $40,000+ in addition to 100% medical, optical, dental insurance along with a nice hefty life insurance policy, all compliments of taxpayers.

His father was also involved in the Stewartstown Railroad when it was running and after it shut down and was brought back out again. His father had someone run around buying up all the stock in the defunct railroad back then at cheap price telling older people that the railroad was never going to come back out so they might as well sell their stock. People sold their stock dirt cheap only to discover the railroad was returned to service with his father being one of the major stock holders. His father owned a railroad car which was stuck in York City when Hurricane Agnes hit the area hard. He whined to his fellow state representatives that Stewartstown really needed the railroad restored. He received a nice retirement gift complients of taxpayers--$40,000 which was used to bring his stranded railroad car back to Stewartstown. He didn't want to have to pay out of his own pocket to bring his railroad car back so he had taxpayers do it for him. The railroad was restored and offered excursion runs which as one of the many major stockholders increased his wealth. Interest waned with using the railroad to transport items between businesses so the railroad shut down and sat idle for years until now. While the railroad was running an employeed tossed large barrels marked hazardous over the hillside which ended up on a person's property over and were found in a stream that ran through the person's property in Tola. Hazards marked barrels were tossed into the woods of that property owner. The property owner complained and had to file a law suit. Stockholders of the railroad tried to cover their behinds and sent someone to scratch the name of the railroad company off of the barrels. They missed a couple of them and were found guilty in court.

His father died several years ago and controlled politics in the southern end of the county along with deceased GOP county chair John Thompson. Voter fraud ran rampant throughout the county especially in the southern end of the county.

His father sat in the state house of representatives with resigned Lancaster state rep. John Barley who brough toxic sludge into the southeastrn end of the county. They were bosom buddies. His father planned on transporting toxic sludge via the railroad into the southeastern end of the county. Reed represented Barley's real estate transactions in that section of the county. Barley was buying up farms left and right then subdividing them and selling off lots and the remaining land his sons farmed and applied toxic sludge to. Reed represented in one incident both the buyer and seller. The buyer asked if Barley planned on applying sludge to the farmland adjacent to the lots the buyer who was a builder at the time purchased. Reed said no. Within a few months yep you guessed it, Barley's sons applied to the state to use toxic sludge on the adajcent farm.

No doubt Reed is major partner in this railroad venture because he inherited a lot of the railroad's stock when his father died. His mother died a couple of years ago so he may have inherited it when she died.

Keep your eyes open people because all taxpayers in the county are going to get screwed on this proposed railroad plan.

Willie Don wrote:

<quoted text>Light rail terminates at the Hunt Valley Town Center. The rail trail at that point is about four miles away going east on Paper Mill road. So I doubt you rode the light rail on the same track that the light rail uses.

Yep it does and look what happened to Hunt Valley before it was given a new face lift? WalMart closed at 9 or 10 p.m. during the Christmas shopping season!!!! Gee why????? Crime that's why. It brought drugs and high crime into the area!

"The project would not use local or county tax dollars, but instead, the group would seek state or federal grants, the release states". And where in the hell does this state/federal grant money come from, China? Possibly the railroad could also be run to Soverign Stadium, for the Baltimore crowd to come to York for baseball. How about a spur to THAT park overlooking the river. What a nice picnic excursion, like they had about 1910. Frickin' pipe dreamers. Go to Strasburg to listen to train whistles and ride your families a$$es off.
Contact Strasburg to see how profitable running an excursion railroad is. In the end, it will deeply cost all York County taxpayers; always does.