Winter on the NS Lurgan Branch

Flashback Friday: Episode 5 - The Norfolk Southern Lurgan Branch Norfolk Southern's former Reading Lurgan Branch runs roughly 75 miles from Harrisburg, PA to Hagerstown, MD. Though double tracked during the Reading era, it was reduced to single track with passing sidings during the Conrail era. The line became a part of Norfolk Southern after the breakup of Conrail in 1999 and remains NS's eastern most north/south route linking industries in the north and east to those in the south. During the period of my life I like to call the 'transitional year', I was still figuring out what exactly I wanted to do. I was living with a friend of a friend in Mechanicsburg, PA, very close to the Lurgan Branch, which had become a favorite of mine to railfan while I was enrolled at Messiah College. I decided to spend the winter months covering the entirety of the line since I was working very little hours and had a lot of free time. Filmed between January and February, 2015, this video covers the entire length of the Lurgan Branch and highlights some of the attractions along the way including the Reading bridge over the Susquehanna, the twin truss bridges in Boiling Springs, the Cleversburg Junction railfan park and the yard at Greencastle. Power varies from standard Norfolk Southern units, including older units that have since been retired, to foreign units from Union Pacific and BNSF. The F units do make and appearance, as does the Reading heritage unit. I do hope you enjoy this look back at railroading on the Norfolk Southern Lurgan Branch in central Pennsylvania. Enjoy, subscribe and thanks for watching!!