The Strasburg

My family took a ride on the historic Strasburg Railroad this weekend. The train was pulled by a magnificent Baldwin 2-10-0 locomotive through the Pennsylvania countryside on a magnificent August afternoon. What a treat.

One question I neglected to ask concerns carrying freight on the Strasburg. I seem to remember the last time I rode - probably 12 or 13 years ago - the conductor mentioning that they still haul one or two loads of freight per year from the old PRR main line siding at Paradise to Strasburg. I didn't hear that this time. Does the railroad carry freight anymore?

This topic was discussed in the Clubs, Museums and Tourist Lines forum about two years ago. Thread here:

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3025

Having just returned from 13 weeks at the Museum across the street I think I provide a little fresh information. The SRC used to handle freight on a somewhat regular basis, bringing in plastic pellets for a local battery manufacturer. The owner of this company was also on the SRC Board. He has since died and this business dried up. Within the last 5 months they got in one bulkhead flat of lumber which was then transloaded to trucks for its last few miles. This was before mid-May. Since then no freight has been handled. Many people did not even realize the lumber had come in as it was set off in the coach yard.