Gettysburg Railroad (1976–1996)

The Gettysburg Railroad (Reporting Mark: GETY) was a shortline heritage railroad that operated in Pennsylvania from 1976 to 1996. The 23.4 mi (37.7 km) line ran from Gettysburg to Mount Holly Springs.
The railroad shipped freight for local companies and interchanged with CSX Transportation in Gettysburg and Conrail at Carlisle Junction in Mount Holly Springs. It also operated a tourist railroad under a subsidiary, Gettysburg Passenger Services.
==History==
The railroad was built in the late 19th century and opened in 1891 as the Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railway. The line was later leased to the Reading Railroad and operated as the "Gettysburg Branch." Following the Reading's bankruptcy in 1971, it sold portions of its assets to the newly-formed Conrail in 1976, however the Gettysburg branch was not included in the transfer. The branch was acquired by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which then sold the line to a new company, the Blairsville & Indiana Railroad, in 1976. The latter company subsequently changed its name to Gettysburg Railroad. The Gettysburg Railroad was sold to Delaware Valley Railroad Company, a subsidiary of RailAmerica, in 1996. Delaware Valley created a new operating company, the Gettysburg Railway.
==Locomotives==
The Gettysburg Railroad went through a total of four steam locomotives in use and they only had two by 1988. Between January and June 1995, both locomotives were inspected by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and deemed to be in good enough working order to remain in service.
Number	Builder 	Railroad 	Type 	Build Year	Years of Operation	Notes
3254 	Canadian Locomotive Company	Canadian National Railway 	Steam 	1917 	1985–1987 	Originally built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in 1917. It was acquired by the railroad in 1982 and operated on its mainline excursion trains until August 1987, when it was traded to Steamtown National Historic Site for Canadian Pacific 1278. As of 2022, the engine remains at Steamtown and it is now on static display.
1278 	Canadian Locomotive Company	Canadian Pacific Railway 	Steam 	1948 	1987–1995 	Originally built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in 1948, and is a type 4-6-2, class G5d light weight "Pacific" locomotive. It was acquired by the Gettysburg Railroad in 1987 in a traded with Steamtown National Historic Site for Canadian National 3254. It was returned to operation a year later in 1988, it operated until 1995 when it suffered a backdraft explosion in the firebox, causing it to burn its crew members. It was later acquired by Jerry Jacobson at an auction in 1998, and it sat in an Ohio Central Railroad storage facility. As of 2021, 1278 currently resides inside the Age of Steam Roundhouse on static display.
76 	Baldwin Locomotive Works 	Mississippian Railway 	Steam 	1920 	1976–1996 	Originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1920, and is a 2-8-0 steam locomotive. It was the very first steam locomotive to be used by the Gettysburg Railroad since they began operations in 1976. It continued service until 1995 when the railroad ended steam operations after 1278's boiler accident. The engine was later acquired by the Steam Railroading Institute in 2005, it sat in storage in the yard for several years awaiting for restoration. It was later sold to the Oakland B&O Museum in 2017, where it went under a cosmetic restoration as B&O No. 476.
38 	Baldwin Locomotive Works 	Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Company	Steam 	1927 	1977–1986 	Originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1927 and is a type 2‑8‑0 type steam locomotive. It was acquired by the Gettysburg Railroad in 1977. The engine ran on the railroad for many years until it was transferred to the Knox and Kane Railroad in 1986. It later fell victum to a catestrophic shed fire in 2008. As of 2021, it is undergoing restoration back to operating condition at the Everett Railroad.
39 	EMD GP9 	Western Maryland Railway 	Diesel	1957 	1976–1996 	It was transferred to the Knox and Kane Railroad, and it operated there until it fell victum to a catestorphic shed fire in 2008. As of 2021, it is currently undergoing restoration by the Georges Creek Railway.
28 	GE U30B 	Penn Central Transportation Company 	Diesel	1967 	1985–1989 	It operated for the railroad from 1985 to 1989 before it was sold to the South Central Florida Express, Inc. as 9016. Current status unknown.
56 	ALCO RS-3 	Long Island Rail Road 	Diesel	1955 	1978–1988 	It was used on the railroad from 1978 to 1983. It currently remains on static display as 1556 at the Railroad Museum of Long Island.
70 	ALCO RS-36 	Norfolk and Western Railway 	Diesel	1962 	1985–1996 	It served the railroad from 1985 to the end of operations in 1996 before it was transferred to the Knox and Kane Railroad. It was scrapped in 2004.
407 	Baldwin S-12 	Norfolk and Western Railway 	Diesel	1953 	1976–1985 	It was one of the very first diesel locomotives to serve the Gettysburg Railroad. It was sold to the Nucor Steel Corporation. Presumably scrapped.
==Incidents==
On June 16, 1995, steam engine No. 1278 suffered a boiler backdraft explosion while hauling an excursion train, seriously injuring the engineer and both firemen, however, no passengers were injured. The excursion train was delayed 45 minutes until a diesel could be connected to complete the train's trip. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that the explosion occurred because the crew had allowed the water level in the boiler to drop too low, causing the boiler's crown sheet to fail. The NTSB also determined that poor maintenance of the locomotive, as well as inadequate training, were contributing factors to the accident. The accident kept the railroad from running excursion trips for approximately one week, before they were resumed using engine No. 76 with diesel engine assistance.
Category:Gettysburg Railroad
Category:Railways
Category:Railroads
Category:Tourist Railways
Category:Tourist Railroads
Category:Tourist Attractions
Category:Defunct companies
Category:Companies
Category:Heritage Railways
Category:North American Railroads
Category:American railroads
Category:United States