Greencastle High Line Train Station

Like the highly anticipated release of a new movie - the ATCS display is back up at the High Line thanks to the hard work of Bob Morningstar and Dan Rapak. Initially installed as part of an Eagle Scout project by Troop 99 Eagle Scout Kyle Kloza, the ATCS provides a live snapshot of train activity on the tracks between Harrisburg and Hagerstown so observers will know when passing trains are expected. A simplified explanation is that the tracks are depicted as color coded lines..., red indicates a train is sitting on that portion of the track and green indicates that a train is traveling on that section of track. If you focus on the lower portion of the screen you will see the Greencastle area of the tracks shown between control points (CP) CP 62 to CP 65. We experienced a major computer failure in November and have been down since. Bob found a replacement computer and he and Dan reprogrammed it to get it operational again. So come out and enjoy a little screen time! See more

Just a quick update that due to the Winter weather we will not be running the model railroad tonight but, will have ornaments for those that pre-ordered them.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Heritage Christmas that is! It was a rainout last night but, we plan to be up and running next Friday, December 11 from 5:30 - 8:30 pm. With a huge help from our friends at the Chambersburg Model Railroad Club, the Elves have started preparing the new G Scale train track so that we can have an outside display this year to comply with current health guidelines. Our Friends from the Lilian Besore Memorial Library have also prepared tr...eat bags with candy, gift passes for yoga classes, bookmarks, stickers and reading books. We have the Station lit up and the canopy wreath makes a great place for a Christmas selfie or a family Christmas card photo. In a case of art imitating life - we will also have a limited number of our annual hand made Christmas ornaments available for sale ($15) with all proceeds going back to the Station for repairs and maintenance. The fourth in a series stoneware ornament, designed and made by a local artist, features the rear canopy, where over the course of five decades thousands of Greencastle passengers embarked on their rail adventures. For more information on Friday night's activities or to purchase a Christmas ornament email us at [email protected]. In addition to next Friday, we will also be running the outdoor train on Friday, December 18 from 5:30 - 8:30 pm. See more

Communications was a major focus of every Railroad operation and through the years evolving technology introduced new methods; lanterns, telegraphs, telephones and now computers. One of the lesser known methods was called Hooping the Orders. A Station master or telegraph operator at a Station depot would wait alongside the tracks when a train approached and hand up orders, waybills, or messages to the train crew using a bamboo pole that was heated and bent to form a hoop on... one end. The crewman on the passing train would stick his arm out and through the hoop. After he pulled the attached message off he would then toss the pole to the ground where the Stationmaster or telegraph operator would walk alongside the tracks until he retrieved it. The bamboo hoops were eventually replaced with Y or string hoops. This allowed the ground operator to retain the pole while the train crew pulled the string off and attached messages with it. See more

Happy Friday! There is one week left (until October 16) in the A Community Thrives fundraising campaign for us and other community non-profits to raise the minimum donations needed to qualify for matching grants - for us the qualifying goal is $3,000. Please consider giving to help us or another non-profit reach their goal or spread the word to your friends and area businesses. It all goes back into making the Community a better place to live!