10 November 2010

Strasburg Railroad Gets US$1M
for Freight Yard

East Strasburg Pennsylvania USA - Tourists enjoying the historical side of Strasburg Railroad might not realize that, behind the scenes, the popular attraction is a working freight yard.
 
But Harrisburg knows all about it. On Wednesday, Governor Ed Rendell announced a US$1 million grant to help rehabilitate and expand the operation.
 
"Ever since we were constructed, before the Civil War, we've hauled freight, not on a grand scale, always small, usually agriculturally related," Steve Weaver, engineer and freight procurement agent, said Wednesday.
 
"We've done that all the way through the current stockholders, from 1958 on. It's just been low profile, and we hope to maintain it that way," he said.
 
Now, freight operations are on the rise, discreetly, Weaver said.
 
"It may not be apparent to the casual tourist. But it won't be low profile for what it means to Lancaster County."
 
What it means, Weaver said, is about 600 truckloads of shipped goods over the past year that haven't had to pass through Lancaster city or along busy routes 30, 41, or 23.
 
Over the life of the grant, he added, about 6,300 truckloads will be diverted from local highways. And, as the operation expands, increased shipping from the Harrisburg area also will take trucks off Route 283.
 
"We are looking for a new way to generate income," Weaver said. "Tourism represents a shrinking portion of the income we need."
 
The active freight yard, which can be seen as "a great deal of hustle and bustle" to the east of the tourist platform, is a piece of living history, he said.
 
"We hope to achieve a harmony between the two," Weaver said.
 
"Something that is part of our brand and is very dear to us is the accurate portrayal of early 20th century railroading," he said.
 
"As the manager of our freight operations, I am held accountable not to harm that in any way. We are a tourist railroad first and foremost, and we will always remain one."
 
The matching grant is for US$1 million from the state, Weaver said, with an additional $500,000 coming from Strasburg Railroad.
 
The money, Weaver said, will enhance the track to better accommodate the needs of freight service.
 
"Basically, it's to rebuild some of our infrastructure that's worn down," he said.
 
Also, he said, the track isn't up to standards for modern freight.
 
The project includes rehabilitation of the main track, the junction with Norfolk Southern, and a rail bridge, part of which dates back to the mid-19th century. It also will increase the capacity of the freight terminal.
 
Strasburg is part of a rail network that stretches from the Yukon Territory nearly to Guatemala, Weaver said. For businesses in eastern and southern Lancaster County, he said, it is a vital cog in intercontinental freight.
 
"The cachet isn't so much the length of our line. It's always been 4 1/2 miles, it always will be 4 1/2 miles. It's what you provide at the terminal end that makes rail attractive to shippers," he said.
 
"Will it eclipse our contract and repair revenues? Will it eclipse tourism? Probably not," Weaver said. "But it will start to make up a more significant share of our gross revenue stream."
 
The Strasburg grant is part of a US$32.5 million package announced by Rendell Wednesday morning in York. The package is funding 38 rail projects in 28 counties.
 
Funds come from the state's 2010-11 Rail Capital Budget/Transportation Assistance Program and the 2011-12 Rail Freight Assistance Program, both of which are administered by the state Department of Transportation's Bureau of Rail Freight.
 
Tom Knapp.

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