Gettysburg Electric Railway
The Gettysburg Electric Railway was a borough trolley that provided summer access to Gettysburg Battlefield visitor attractions such as military engagement areas, monuments, postbellum camps, and recreation areas (e.g., Wheat-field Park and the Pfeffer baseball diamond). Despite the 1896 Supreme Court ruling under the Takings Clause against the railway, battlefield operations continued until 1916. The trolley generating plant was leased by the Electric Light, Heat, and Power Company of Gettysburg to supply streetlights and homes until electricity was imported from Hanover.
The trolley line east of Plum Run extended to Round Top, Pennsylvania, through the Slaughter Pen, across Warren Av, through the Valley of Death, and across the north foot of Little Round Top to end behind the Round Top Station's warehouse. | |
| Overview | |
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| Locale | Adams County, Pennsylvania Powerhouse: Gettysburg Terminus: Round Top |
| Operators |
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| Dates of operation | 1894 (circaJuly) – 1916 November 16 |
| External images | |
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| c. 1908 summer ("Howard") & winter cars | |
| cars near the cemetery entrance & The Loop |
The 94-passenger, 14-bench "Brill double-truck summer cars" used the main line of 5.7 mi (9.2 km) on 10-minute intervals and were powered by a 150 ft × 100 ft (46 m × 30 m) electric plant with 150 hp (110 kW) Corliss steam engine(s) driving 500 volt Westinghouse railway generator(s). Employees included superintendent Hal J. Gintling, managers Thomas P. Turner & Harry Cunningham; crewmen Charles W Culp Jr, Mr. Grinder, William Shields, George Hughes, Norman Murray, Reuben Rupp, Walter Plank, Harry Robinson; conductors John Thomas, William G. Weaver, & Edward Weikert; and motormen Warfield Collins, Mr. Emmons, Gervus W. Myers, Arthur "Ott" Shields, & S. A. Troxell.