The Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad is a shortline railroad which operates freight and tourist passenger trains between Middletown to Hummelstown, Pennsylvania.

Passenger excursion trains The Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad (M&H) uses both steam and diesel locomotives for passenger excursions. Coaches are 1920s-vintage Delaware, Lackawanna & Western High-Roof MU Trailers. Passengers board at the 1891-era freight station in Middletown for an round-trip excursion along the Swatara Creek and Union Canal; a narrator relates history of the canal and various sites along the trip.

There is also a collection of heritage railway rolling stock displayed at Middletown Yard. A 1969 engine is used to transport freight trains. Freight service has been provided since 1976 and passenger excursion service has been provided since 1986.

U.S. Route 322 restriction Though M&H owns all trackage between its two namesake towns, it only regularly operated as far north as Indian Echo Caverns until 2011. U.S. Route 322, a four-lane limited-access highway, lies between Indian Echo Caverns and the town of Hummelstown, where M&H connects with Norfolk Southern Railway's (NS) Harrisburg Line. PennDOT restricted M&H to just 12 crossings per year. However, M&H had requested additional crossing allowances and was willing to install additional crossing safety hardware.

Freight business is minimal on M&H, primarily due to the restricted access to NS in Hummelstown. M&H has stated that this restriction greatly hampers growing freight potential. PennDOT said it believes more discussion regarding warning devices for the crossing is needed given the volume and type of traffic on Route 322. In addition, the Hummelstown Borough Council has expressed "not in my backyard" concerns with having additional freight trains passing through town.pennlive.com "Hummelstown wants hearing on M&H Railroad"

2011 flood damage Historic flooding in September 2011 from Tropical Storm Lee damaged significant parts of the railway along Swatara Creek, including completely washing out the northern approach to the bridge crossing the creek. Repairs have been estimated to cost between $250,000 and $300,000, and thus the route stops short and no longer reaches Indian Echo Caverns or Hummelstown.Diana Fishlock "Weekend railroad ride takes passengers back in time", The Patriot-News, October 09, 2012.

2014 transformer delivery On Friday, January 24, a leased NS locomotive operated by M&H crew delivered a transformer, using line, to the PPL sub station on Fiddlers Elbow Road. Following extensive track repairs to the line, north of the 322 crossing over the summer, the transformer was delivered by NS Engine GP38-2 #5046. The transformer was brought in from the NS connection line, crossed U.S. Route 322 and then used the spur line to deliver the transformer to the sub station. It would be the first time since 1994 that a transformer was delivered to the substation via M&H.Drew Weidman, , "The Sun Newspaper", January 30, 2014.

Equipment Locomotives +Locomotive detailsNumberImagesOriginal ownerOriginal number Manufacturer TypeBuiltStatus1US Army7272GE Transportation60-ton switcher1941Operational2Standard Slag and Stone Co.46GE Transportation65-ton switcher1955Operational66Kansas City Public ServiceUnknownGE TransportationSteeplecab1948Inoperable91Canadian National Railway1013Canadian Locomotive Company1910Undergoing 1,472-day inspection and overhaul151Western Maryland Railway151American Locomotive CompanyS-61956Operational1016Newburgh and South Shore Railroad1016American Locomotive CompanyT-61969Operational

Trolleys +Locomotive detailsNumberOriginal ownerOriginal number Manufacturer TypeBuiltNotes 9425South Brooklyn Railway9425UnknownTrolley Freight Car1903Sold4550Brooklyn Rapid Transit4550UnknownUnknown1911SoldC121Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co.C121BrillUnknown1923Sold77Philadelphia Suburban Transit77BrillUnknown1932Sold86Philadelphia Suburban Transit86BrillUnknown1932Sold3323Dallas Railway and Terminal Co.3323BrillUnknown1945Sold162York Railways162BrillUnknown1924Donated to the Rockhill Trolley Museum in January 2025.441Rio de Janeiro Tram Co.441UnknownSingle Truck Trolley 1909Sold1719Rio de Janeiro Tram Co.1719UnknownUnknown 1911Sold to the Fox River Trolley Museum in March 2025.

Coaches +Rolling stock detailsNumberOriginal ownerOriginal numberManufacturerTypeBuiltNotes302Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad2302Pullman CompanyDL&W High Roof MU Coach Type 11916-1920Erie Lackawanna #3302, NJ Transit #4302307Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad2307Pullman CompanyDL&W High Roof MU Coach Type 11916-1920Erie Lackawanna #3307, NJ Transit #4307329Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad2329Pullman CompanyDL&W High Roof MU Coach Type 11916-1920Erie Lackawanna #3339, NJ Transit #4339. Equipped with a bell and ditch lights330Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad2330Pullman CompanyDL&W High Roof MU Coach Type 11916-1920Erie Lackawanna #3330, NJ Transit #4330 Lettered as Gettysburg 330343Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad2343Pullman CompanyDL&W High Roof MU Coach Type 21920Erie Lackawanna #3343, NJ Transit #4343 originally built by Pullman in 1920, Converted to MU car and renumbered along with 29 other cars in 1930352Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad2352Pullman CompanyDL&W High Roof MU Coach Type 21920Erie Lackawanna #3352, NJ Transit #4352 originally built by Pullman in 1920, Converted to MU car and renumbered along with 29 other cars in 1930366Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad2366Pullman CompanyDL&W High Roof MU Coach Type 21920Erie Lackawanna #3366, NJ Transit #4366 originally built by Pullman in 1920, Converted to MU car and renumbered along with 29 other cars in 19309269Pennsylvania Railroad9269UnknownBaggage CarUnknown726Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadUnknownUnknown"Boonton" CombineUnknownIn Gettysburg Livery

Cabins +Rolling stock detailsNumberOriginal ownerOriginal numberManufacturer TypeBuilt18871Central Railroad of New Jersey18871UnknownCupolaUnknown95123Lehigh Valley Railroad95123UnknownCupolaUnknown

Freight cars +Rolling stock detailsNumberOriginal ownerOriginal numberManufacturer TypeBuilt407Philadelphia and Western Railroad407UnknownFlatcarUnknown99398Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad99398DiffcoSide-dump carUnknown106362Chesapeake and Ohio Railway106362UnknownHopper carUnknown90388Pacific Fruit Express90388UnknownRefrigerator carUnknown7769Railway Express Agency7769UnknownRefrigerator carUnknown

References

External links

Official website