The Bent Page

Strasburg, Pennsylvania is not far from all the outlet shopping near Lancaster. The town is well known for its railroad which thrills children and adults alike. On the day I took these shots, Thomas the Train was on site, much to my disappointment. However, kids love that character. I prefer the regular steam engines which make for great photography. The tower at the left was moved to this location. The view from up there is fantastic. Although only two stories tall, the surrounding countryside opens up because it is the gentle, rolling farmland of the Amish. It also gives you the perspective of the yard master in days gone by.

Across the street is the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum, which hosts literally dozens of steam engines and cars of all description. At the height of its operations, the Pennsylvania Railroad was known as “the standard railroad of the world.” It controlled much of the passenger traffic between, Philadelphia, New York, DC, and Chicago, not to mention the freight business. Using the type of engines shown below, the “Pennsy” connected the eastern half of the country with the west.

It’s hard to imagine the smoke and soot of steam locomotives. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some of them in action here at Strasburg as well as in New Hope, PA. They may be majestic, but they’re also dirty. Nonetheless, it’s important to see such machines in action. They are a form of living history that helps us keep things in perspective. Of course, there’s fun to be had in Strasburg, such as this little steam locomotive.

This post begins a new category here at The Bent Page. Years ago I used to take many photographs of trains and industrial sights. Some of them were published in the magazines that focus on those subjects. So TRAINS becomes a category here starting today.