The Noon Shop Tour
Media Release
Strasburg Rail Road

Lancaster County, Pa. - (February 2007) - A little known attraction in Pennsylvania Dutch Country is the behind-the-scenes tour of Strasburg Rail Road’s Mechanical Shop. Few people realize Strasburg Rail Road is an actual real, working railroad that still hauls freight today. Not only does Strasburg Rail Road build and repair the passenger cars and engines used at the railroad, but the mechanical department also has been producing world-class work in the steam railroading industry for more than 40 years.

In fact, the Strasburg Rail Road is one of only three shops in the country to hold what is known in the industry as an “S” stamp. That means the Strasburg Rail Road can build a pressure vessel from the ground up. All other shops have an “R” stamp, qualifying them only to do repairs. Most of the work done inside the Mechanical Shop is still done by hand – a skill dating back to the 1960s.

This year marks the fifth year the mechanical shop tour has been offered to the public. Each day the railroad is open, the Mechanical Shop closes down from noon to 1:00 p.m. while the workers take a break for lunch. During this time, the shop workers at Strasburg Rail Road take turns leading the daily tour of the mechanical shops, making each tour a unique experience for guests.

During a visit to Strasburg Rail Road, guests can view and ride aboard a rolling stock of six vintage steam locomotives and more than 15 passenger cars from the 1915 era of railroading. Engine #31 celebrates her 100th birthday next year; and last year, engine #475 celebrated her 100th birthday. Both engines are still going strong.

Starting in the Engine House, guests can see where water is tested and locomotives are hostled and stored. Guests learn about the various locomotives that pull the passenger cars and how they are cared for to ensure safety. From the 100-year old #475 with a 4-8-0 wheel formation, to a replica of the storybook character, Thomas the Tank Engine™, guests can always expect to see some steam in the Engine House.

From the Engine House, step outside to see the fireman shoveling a half-a-ton of coal into the engine’s firebox. The heat climbs to an astounding 2,500 degrees to transform the water into steam. The resulting energy, along with the engineer’s coaxing of the locomotive’s controls, turns the engines wheels to charge the 185-ton iron horse down the steel rails.

The next stop on the tour is the passenger car restoration shop. Guests can expect to smell the fresh scent of paint and stained wood. Here, passenger cars are restored to their natural splendor. The process of restoring passenger cars includes extensive research to learn exactly how the car would have looked in its original state. Workers try to restore and use as much of the original car as possible, but there are times when replications must be made. Wooden chairs are even whittled, by hand, to recreate the look of circa 1915. Passenger cars can take up to 13,000 man-hours to restore.

Just through the swinging doors, guests can see where locomotives are built and restored. For more than 40 years, the mechanical department has been producing world-class work in the steam railroading industry, with more than 250 years of combined experience in design, repair and construction of heritage and historical railroad equipment. Strasburg Rail Road repairs, reproduces and restores equipment to a museum-quality original state. In the mechanical shop, you will see both vintage and modern-day equipment, which was all acquired with one thing in mind: to keep the history of steam railroading alive.

To learn more about the Mechanical Shops Tour, please visit StrasburgRailRoad.