The Friends of the Stewartstown Railroad, Inc. successfully raised more than $10,000 to hire a contractor to install 25 new bridge timbers on the historic Iron bridge. Also known as Valley Road Bridge, or bridge #7, it is the single oldest structure on the Stewartstown railroad. The work was completed and the bridge opened in June 2019 to full sized passenger trains.

The rail line in the nearby vicinity had been out of service to trains since 2004 when a minor derailment demonstrated the need for a significant tie rehabilitation program. Running full-sized trains over the revitalized Iron bridge poses a significant milestone in the expansion of passenger excursions. Train rides now currently run just short distance pasthe Iron bridge with more class 1 track being added monthly.

We sincerely thank all donors and supporters for helping to make this happen. Thank you.

Volunteering is one of the most rewarding activities on the Stewartstown Railroad. We have opportunities in the track department, coach restoration, locomotive mechanical, and train crews open. We especially need help with the station, selling tickets and interacting with passengers. If you would like to help sell tickets or souvenirs, please let us know. We provide all training. You can can volunteer as much or as little as your interests and time permit.

The Friends of the Stewartstown Railroad, Inc. raised more than $7,500 in June 2018 to hire a contractor to replace the failing slate roof on the Stewartstown Train Station. The roof had been leaking for many years, and the Friends have replaced sections of the roof starting in 2008. The cost to replace slate with slate were too cost-prohibitive, so the decision was made to go with a metal roof. Thanks to our donors and supporters, the Stewartstown Station has finally been saved and the station is now water tight. 

COACH WORKDAY ANNOUCEMENT – Saturday, May 26

The Friends of the Stewartstown Railroad, Inc. are sponsoring a coach 1158 workday on Saturday, May 26 at 9:00 AM. Interested individuals should meet at the Railroad Station, 21 West Pennsylvania Ave., Stewartstown. We will be working on removing the passenger seats and placing them into storage. As time allows, we will remove water-damaged ceiling panels to prepare the car for roof repairs by a contractor. We are making great progress on our projects and invite you to become a part of the railroad. Please RSVP (or send questions) to the crew leader, Richard, at rraubensti@aol.com. We thank the community for their continued support of our endeavors! A pizza lunch will be provided for all volunteers. Continued work forward on this car is made possible by a generous $10,000 grant from the John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust.

For more information on the Friends of the Stewartstown Railroad, or to join, please visit www.StewartstownFriends.org. We are also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/FSTRT/. The Friends are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the Preservation and Restoration of the historic Stewartstown Railroad.

We are very pleased to announce that we have received a $10,000 grant from the John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust. These funds will be used to continue restoration work on the Friends’ former Reading Company coach #1158. We sincerely thank the John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust for their most generous grant. We encourage anyone with an interest in passenger coach preservation and restoration to join in on this project. Matt Mundis, one of our project managers, would love to hear from you. Stay tuned for updates as we continue to restore coach 1158 into her former Reading Railroad glory.