The Past At Paradise
By Steve Barry
Railfan and Railroad Magazine
January 2007

THE STRASBURG RAIL ROAD is known as “The Road to Paradise”(Paradise, Pennsylvania, that is) and for rail photographers the four-and-a-half mile line has become a Paradise. Rostering three locomotives in historically accurate paint schemes (Norfolk &Western 4-8-0 No.475, Great Western 2-10-0 No.90 and Canadian National 2-6-0 No.89) and a small fleet of vintage freight cars, the Strasburg can recreate the past quite remarkably.

On October 23, 2006, the Strasburg hosted a photo charter organized by Carl Franz. The event actually started the previous evening when the railroad’s shelter at Groff’s Grove was transformed into Blacksburg, Virginia, for night scenes with N&W475. A few hours later, just after sunrise the next morning, 475 hauled a mixed train into the rising sun at Esbenshade Crossing. Early morning runbys continued under mostly sunny skies with 475. A solid bank of clouds moved in by noon, but one well-timed hole was enough for Great Western 90 to make a spectacular storm light run at Biler’s Crossing before the clouds moved in for good.

Photos Courtesy of Steve Barry