Rail line in New Freedom, PA

I was in New Freedom, PA today and noticed a rail line that does tourist trains. It appears to connect with the Stewartstown RR to the east. Going south from NF the tracks get rusty and fade to grass. Going north the tracks appear to be used somewhat. This must have been an important line at one time, as it was double track and there are PRR style signals (dark) along the line.

Can anyone give me the history of this line, what caused its demise, and its current owner/operation.

Hey carajul,
I believe that this was the former "Northern Central Railway" which ran from Baltimore, MD to Sunbury, PA.
PRR took control in 1861 and it ran until Hurricane Agnes wiped out a bunch of track in Maryland during Penn Central times. Penn Central didn't want to fix it, so they abandoned it south of York, PA.
I think that the state of Pennsylvania bought most of the abandoned section in their state.

Lots of details on these web articles about it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Central_Railway
https://jbritton.pennsyrr.com/index.php ... al-railway
https://railfanguides.us/pa/northerncentral/index.htm

jrevans wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 7:36 am Hey carajul,
I believe that this was the former "Northern Central Railway" which ran from Baltimore, MD to Sunbury, PA.
PRR took control in 1861 and it ran until Hurricane Agnes wiped out a bunch of track in Maryland during Penn Central times. Penn Central didn't want to fix it, so they abandoned it south of York, PA.
I think that the state of Pennsylvania bought most of the abandoned section in their state.

Lots of details on these web articles about it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Central_Railway
https://jbritton.pennsyrr.com/index.php ... al-railway
https://railfanguides.us/pa/northerncentral/index.htm

Rail service was restored on that section in the 80s, the K4 ran on it once (I was on the trip).
Freight service never picked up, so it's been used by tourist trains the last 20 years, or so.
My understanding is, the worst of the damage was in Pennsylvania, the Maryland section was relatively untouched.
but had only two. customers on it.

Hurricane Agnes in 1972 damaged the line both North and South of New Freedom. The last freight cars returned from the Stewartstown RR to New Freedom were removed by PennCentral after the storm on highway trucks.