RailNews

Northern Central Reopens Third Oldest Tunnel in U.S.

Northern Central Railway 4-4-0 17 performs a runby on June 26, to celebrate the reopening of trackage through Howard Tunnel in York County, Pa. Photo by M.T.Burkhart. 

Northern Central Reopens Third Oldest Tunnel in U.S.

By M.T.Burkhart

SEVEN VALLEYS, Pa – The Northern Central Railway, which operates tourist trains in south-central Pennsylvania, has reopened a stretch of track between Seven Valleys and the historic Howard Tunnel, just south of York.

On Saturday, June 26, the railroad ran a photo special with its replica 4-4-0 steam locomotive to commemorate the milestone. It was the first revenue train through the tunnel in more than two decades and the first steam locomotive since Pennsylvania Railroad K4 1361 in the late 1980s.

Howard Tunnel is the third oldest railroad tunnel in the country, according to Northern Central. Completed in 1838, the 370-foot brick-lined bore represented the final link between Baltimore and York and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The rail line was constructed in the 1830s and eventually came under control of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It’s perhaps best known as the route that carried President Abraham Lincoln to Gettysburg in 1863. He changed trains at Hanover Junction, where the original station still stands. The route also hosted Lincoln’s funeral train.

Freight and passenger traffic declined in the 1950s. In 1972, Hurricane Agnes damaged portions of the line and then owner Penn Central filed for its abandonment. The section between New Freedom and York was acquired by the state and later the county. A popular rail trail also runs its length, paralleling the railroad.

Between 1996 and 2001, the Liberty Limited dinner train provided excursion service on the line. In 2013, Steam Into History (which was renamed Northern Central Railway a few years ago) started operations with a replica 4-4-0 built by the Kloke Locomotive Works in Illinois. Its southern terminus is New Freedom, where it connects with the historic Stewartstown Railroad.

A portion of Saturday’s $75 ticket price will go towards the restoration of Pennsylvania Railroad GP9 6076, which is the regular diesel power for the railroad. Track repairs were funded in part by the state. For more, visit www.northerncentralrailway.com.

This article was posted on: June 29, 2021