[timmuir]

Found at the US National Parks Archives, while looking for other things.

What a great name for a railway! These are the little engines that once traversed the future right of way of the Maryland & Pennsylvania RR standard gauge.

Here's a beauty, Mason Bogie Number 5 for the Peach Bottom.

 Peach Bottom Ry.jpg (2.75MB)
Number of downloads: 6

Little Porter 2-4-0's.

 Peach Bottom no. 2 S.C. Boyd--Porter-Bell no. 205--Built 1874.10.jpg (834.58K)
Number of downloads: 6

 Peach Bottom no. 2 Porter-Bell no. 190--Built 1874.05.jpg (1.49MB)
Number of downloads: 2

And a trim little wee 4-4-0, the Number 3.

 Peach Bottom Ry 3.jpg (1.52MB)
Number of downloads: 1

[pnrailway]

timmuir, on 29 September 2022 - 04:31 PM, said:

Found at the US National Parks Archives, while looking for other things.

What a great name for a railway! These are the little engines that once traversed the future right of way of the Maryland & Pennsylvania RR standard gauge.

Here's a beauty, Mason Bogie Number 5 for the Peach Bottom.

Peach Bottom Ry.jpg

Little Porter 2-4-0's.

Peach Bottom no. 2 S.C. Boyd--Porter-Bell no. 205--Built 1874.10.jpg

Peach Bottom no. 2 Porter-Bell no. 190--Built 1874.05.jpg

And a trim little wee 4-4-0, the Number 3.

Peach Bottom Ry 3.jpg

Tim,

Nice shots of the Peach Bottom. It was indeed a predecessor of the Ma&Pa. It was planned as three divisions, the Eastern Division, the Middle Division, and the Western Division. There was no physical connection between the Eastern and Middle divisions, (the Susquehanna River separated them). All of the Middle Division, (from York, PA tp Delta, PA was built while only about a third, (the division was to run from Peach Bottom, Lancaster County to Philadelphia but only the portion from Peach Bottom to Oxford was build and became another railroad after awhile), while there was a branch that ran from Delta east to Peach Bottom, York County). The middle division was what eventually became part of the Ma&Pa. I wish the Western Division had also been built but it never was. It was to run from York west to Orbisonia, Pa where it was to was to interchange with the East Broad Top, (another 3 ft. gauge that would interchange coal with the Peach Bottom). That would really have provided more traffic for the Ma&Pa.

[Frank Musick]

Love the fact that it's in Pennsylvania. Most narrow gauge (the ones modeled) are western or New England. PA had a bunch of them, particularly in the area called "Big Level" Almost all that I have info on were lumber lines carrying railroad ties and such. Big Level is east of Pittsburgh and has mines, lumber and oil.

There's an article in Model Railroader about the area (1950's) and a series of books by Taber and Klein on the little roads that served it. There were also three NG in the area around Horseshoe Curve. They interchanged with PRR branches that came right off the Curve itself. I believe there was also one that interchanged ay Altoona.

Looked them up two in 1963 (not too far off the date) June issue...
 BigLevel1.jpg (483.01K)
Number of downloads: 9

 BigLevel2.jpg (524.75K)
Number of downloads: 9

I believe this is also where the famous Kinzua bridge stood before it fell down a few years back