Round Top Branch
Overview | |
---|---|
Locale | Adams County, Pennsylvania, US |
Dates of operation | 1884 | –
Technical | |
Length | 2.798 mi (4.503 km)[1] |
The Round Top Branch was an extension of the
History
After completion of a 22 mi (35 km) initial survey of Gettysburg along
Track workers under foreman Coulson were laying rails of 80 lb (36 kg) per yard for the branch in May 1884,[8] and laborer "Blind Davy" Weikert was blinded by a premature dynamite blast.[9] The Round Top Station's warehouse was completed June 21, 1884.[10] After being surveyed in May, the branch's connection to the HJ, H&GRR was being completed on July 22, 1884 "just beyond the Cashman limestone kilns" and a siding along Fairfield Road had been completed along with a switch at the PA National Guard commissary[11] (the 1913 siding held eight carloads of ice).[12] The "dummy" Baldwin steam engine had begun excursions "to the hill" in June 1884[10] and could carry about 40 passengers[13] (the branch's "dinky" could carry about 10).[14] The G&HRR published a Gettysburg Battlefield guidebook with 1884 images by "the great landscape photographer, Mr. Bell, of Philadelphia".[15]
By 1888 the branch's Hancock Station on the battlefield was south of
The branch's junction was visible on a June 25 aerial photo of the
Route
External image | |
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crossing of gravel Hancock Av |
Intersections & curves[17] | Coordinates |
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Junction | 39°49′57″N 77°14′16″W / 39.832606°N 77.237733°W |
Switch to turntable
|
For three-engine[13] roundhouse[25] |
Wye switch | Behind Meade School |
Stevens Run (three crossings, one in borough) |
39°49′46″N 77°14′20″W / 39.82937°N 77.238801°W 39°49′20″N 77°14′32″W / 39.822214°N 77.242336°W |
Emmitsburg Road
|
39°48′46″N 77°14′21″W / 39.812805°N 77.23923°W |
Hancock Station | |
Slight bend | 39°48′16″N 77°14′07″W / 39.804308°N 77.235169°W |
Hancock Ave | 39°48′12″N 77°14′04″W / 39.803442°N 77.234445°W |
United States Ave | 39°48′09″N 77°14′02″W / 39.80242°N 77.233758°W |
Curve east of Weikert Hill
|
39°47′49″N 77°13′55″W / 39.796997°N 77.231886°W |
Round Top Station | |
Wheatfield Rd | |
Terminus | Between ends of two rock walls |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Seek To Abandon Round Top Branch". February 2, 1942.
extending from a point 1,670 feet south of the point where it crosses the Lincoln Highway on Buford avenue to the end of the branch a distance of about 2.492 miles
- Gettysburg Times. March 25, 1918. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
- ^ "Camp Gettysburg" (Google News Archives). Gettysburg Compiler. July 29, 1884. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
- ^ a b "Railroad Surveys" (Google News Archive). Gettysburg Compiler. Town and County. June 14, 1882. Retrieved 2011-05-07. (1982 Out of the Past commemoration)
- Gettysburg Times. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
- ^ "Out of the Past: Seventy-five Years Ago" (Google News archive). Gettysburg Times. June 17, 1957. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- ^ Gitt, Joseph S (February 9, 1884). "Baltimore and Harrisburg Railroad" (Google News Archive). Gettysburg Compiler; Adams County Railroads: Concluded (published February 19, 1884). Retrieved 2011-05-06.
In August, 1882, I made surveys and a location for the purpose of extending the Gettysburg Railroad to Round-Top for excursion purposes. A charter was granted at this time, under the general railroad law, by the State Department, to the "Round-Top Railroad Company," to build a line from Gettysburg to Round-Top. The capital stock, $25,000, and A. W. Eichelberger President. The directors are Wm. Grumbine, Reuben Young, Peter Flickinger, B. M. Wirt, R. A. Eichelberger, H. A. Young, David Wills, H. D. Scott.
- ^ "Out Of The Past: Fifty Years Ago" (Google News Archives). Gettysburg Times. May 12, 1958. Retrieved 2011-05-07.
Track Foreman Coulson and his force of hands are laying heavy iron rails--80 pound to the yard--on the Round Top branch.
- ^ "David Weikert Is Dead" (Google News Archives). Gettysburg Times. May 8, 1920. Retrieved 2011-05-07.
- ^ a b "Local Flashes & Excursions" (Google News Archive). Gettysburg Compiler. June 24, 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
Mr. Lewis A. Bushman's warehouse at Round-Top was raised on Saturday. ... The two new wells at Round-Top are both successes ... The "dummy" Baldwin made frequent trips ... taking town folks to the hill ... D. S. Fuhrman … on the Gilbert property … will sell tickets covering fifteen baths for one dollar.
- ^ "Railroad Notes" (Google News Archive). Gettysburg Compiler. July 22, 1884. Retrieved 2011-05-07.
The H. J., H. & G. Railroad is completing the track connecting that road with the Round-Top branch of the G. & H. The two tracks have also been joined just beyond the Cashman lime kilns, to allow the new road a more convenient route to Round-Top. … over 500 … colored Odd Fellows of Carlisle.
- ^ a b "First Boys In Gray Here" (Google News Archives). Adams County News. June 28, 1913. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
- ^ a b "Railroaders" (Google News Archives). Gettysburg Times. April 30, 1958. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
- ^ Stewart, Dr. Henry (May 22, 1946). "The Tourist Trade" (Google News Archives). Gettysburg Times. Reminiscences of 70 Years in Gettysburg. Retrieved 2011-05-07.
- ISBN 9780691102719.
- ^ "In The Bloody Angle" (Google News Archive). Bridgeport Morning News. September 25, 1891. Retrieved 2011-05-07.
…Reading railroad station, boarded their cars and were drawn rapidly out to Hancock station on the Second corps line, a short distance from the big [Tammany] monument.
(other "Hancock Station" results at Google News Archive.) - ^ a b Map of the Battle Field of Gettysburg (Map). Cartography by Gettysburg National Park Commission. New York: Julius Bien & Co. Lith. 1904.
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- ^ "Camp Lawton" (Google News Archives). The Star and Sentinel. July 2, 1927. p. 3. col. 4. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
The five switches for use during the National Guard encampment by the Reading road are about completed.
[p 3 col 5] - ^ "Sending Away All Guard Equipment" (Google News Archives). Adams County News. October 24, 1914. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
- ^ Beitler, Lewis Eugene (editor and compiler) (December 31, 1913). Fiftieth Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg: Report of the Pennsylvania Commission (Google Books) (Report). Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Wm. Stanley Bay (state printer). p. 173. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
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has generic name (help) - ^ Cohen, Stan B (1982). Hands Across the Wall. Charleston, West Virginia: Pictorial Histories Pub. Co. p. 64.
- ^ "Excursions to Bring Visitors Here Sunday". Gettysburg Times. May 6, 1939. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- ^ "450 Bethlehem Hi Students On 'Field". Gettysburg Times. May 2, 1958. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- ^ "The Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad Depot". HMdb.org. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- ^ "Dan Skelly" (Google News Archives). Gettysburg Times. April 30, 1969. Retrieved 2011-05-06.