Pennsylvania Rail Trail

Stewartstown Railroad's future unknown

But they worry that pieces might be sold off as the estate of George M. Hart -- the railroad's former president -- plans to file for abandonment of the railroad in a couple of weeks.

It's a step the estate needs to take so that it can foreclose on the railroad to collect a $350,000 debt the Stewartstown Railroad owed Hart.

"This is a York County historical asset, and we don't want to see it lost," said Carl Knoch, chairman of the county's rail trail authority.

So the authority plans to ask for a meeting with the York County Commissioners and municipal representatives to consider filing for "rail banking," which would allow the corridor to be used as a trail but also save it for future rail use.

Grants could be sought to help pay for it since the authority doesn't own property, Knoch said.

A party can apply to preserve the corridor within 30 days after the estate files for abandonment of the line with the Surface Transportation Board, authority executive director Gwen Loose said.

If negotiations are successful, the parties would agree on a price to be paid to the railroad for preserving it, she said.

Some of that money could be used to repay the Hart estate, Knoch said.

York County Commissioner Steve Chronister said he's not sure he wants to get in the middle of it. He knows that the railroad wants to keep it going.

David Williamson, president of the Stewartstown Railroad, said he was not aware of the authority's discussion at a recent meeting. He hopes that the railroad will be included in future talks because it is the owner.

"Our primary interest is in keeping it an open railroad," he said.

Even though the railroad is not in operation, efforts have been made to restore it to operating condition as a freight carrier, according to a filing with the Surface Transportation Board.

The railroad has developed a business plan for future operations, which would result in the renewal of freight and passenger service. It is expected that they will generate revenues to continue operations indefinitely, the filing states.

But some say time is running out with a deadline approaching for the estate to file its application for abandonment. The deadline is now July 7.

"It's getting to the point where it's out of their hands," Knoch said of the Stewartstown Railroad.

New Extension Brings Great Allegheny Passage Closer to Pittsburgh ...

The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is one of America's best known rail-trails, winding more

The plan for the GAP has always been to provide a continuous

Now, a huge step has been made toward that goal of bringing Pittsburgh onto the GAP.

This Friday, June 17, a new three-mile section of the trail

This extension means that just a single mile of additional trail into Pittsburgh is

At its southern end, the GAP connects with the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park in Cumberland, Md.,

This new three-mile section, which passes by the popular Sandcastle Water Park

Over the past few years, Allegheny

In a Pittsburgh story on the development of the unfinished sections last year, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato described completing the missing links as "a

For more information about next Friday's opening, or the GAP Allegheny Trail Alliance  or e-mail atamail@atatrail.org.