PUMPING the Pedals Along the IRON Rails

   Cyclists always say, in regard to weight training, “Adding muscle means more to carry up the hills,” but

I wasn’t in York, Pennsylvania, to check out the barbells that have been manufactured there since 1932. I was taking a ride through the Heritage Rail Trail County Park, a true “rails with trail” route that runs 27 miles from the John C. Rudy Park, just north of the city, to the Maryland state line just south of New Freedom, PA.
   While only the first couple miles north out of York and the last ten into New Freedom are active, railroad tracks run parallel to the trail the whole length of the route. In fact, the trail crosses back and forth many times over the tracks in order to take advantage of space along the right-of-way, as there are several rock cuts and bridges on the route that needed to be considered when laying down the mostly cinder path.
   The history of this route involved the North Central Railway, a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The NCRY was an important supply line for the Union Army during the Civil War, and famously Abraham Lincoln traveled the railroad and switched trains at Hanover Junction (photo below) on his way to deliver his Gettysburg Address in November of 1863. Sadly, after his assassination, the president’s body travelled the same rails on the way from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Illinois. The modern day Northern Central Railway of York operates as a tourist train between New Freedom and Hanover Junction, often running behind a replica of a Civil War-era steam locomotive.

   Most of the first four miles of the trail, from the large sports complex at Rudy Park to the bridge at Route 30 is paved, then the trail climbs a gentle switchback in order to cross the bridge over to the west bank of Codorus Creek. The trail runs atop the levee into downtown York, eventually crossing back over the creek at the George Street Bridge, right near WellSpan Park, home of minor league baseball’s York Revolution.

Some of the pleasant scenery just north of the Rt. 30 bridge

   I have to admit that the trail wasn’t particularly well-marked at the turn onto the bridge. Even though I had done some preliminary recon of the route online, I could see how someone new to the area could be confused about exactly where the trail goes at George Street.
   Now following the east bank of the creek, the trail crosses a few busy streets, and I was disappointed that most did not have a signal of any kind, leaving walkers and cyclists to fend for themselves against the traffic. When I was safely out of the city, the trail became a nicely-shaded path, and I was able to increase my pace.
   During some stretches out in the woods there wasn’t too much to see, but before too long I reached Brillhart Station (below), one of a handful of railroad structures still standing by the trail. During this ride I pushed my total to 703 railroad stations that I’ve “collected” all over the U.S.

   About a mile and a half later I passed through Howard Tunnel. Opened to rail traffic in 1838, the 275-feet-long, brick-lined structure is the second oldest active rail tunnel in the country:

   The trail had been following the south branch of Codorus Creek since leaving York, and it had been very gently climbing through the borough of Seven Valleys. Here was the headquarters for American Railbike Adventures, which was a bit of a misnomer, as “bi-” implies two wheels. These were more of a pedaling railcar, but I can see how that doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. In any case, the site featured self-propelled machines that can be used to explore an abandoned rail line. It was interesting to see that these vehicles could go off individually or be coupled together to form an actual train of railcars.

   After passing Hanover Junction and the borough of Glen Rock, the incline becomes noticeably steeper, though covering about 300 feet of elevation in five miles isn’t exactly unbearable to even the most casual cyclist! Soon I pedaled through the pretty little borough of (appropriately named) Railroad and was in the outskirts of New Freedom.
   The various railroad cars and locomotives on the storage tracks around the station (below) made it obvious this was the hub of the tourist railroad. About the size of Royersford, the borough was the longtime home of Summers Canning, now part of the Hanover Foods Corporation.

   A few blocks later, I reached the 880-foot summit of the ridge, just before the Mason-Dixon Line. This would be my turnaround point, though the NCR Trail (officially known as the Torry C. Brown Trail) does continue for another twenty miles into Maryland. Leaving that segment for another trip, I enjoyed a speedy descent, which involved a good amount of coasting, back towards York.