PRR Octorara Branch...

Hi, if you head towards the Susquehanna river they have some neat bridges on the old right of way. 

After this branch line was washed out in '72 we used to ride it on a home made 10 hp cart.  We used a weed cutter mounted on the front driven by the engine to cut the weeds but alas we all went into different directions and Nature took over.

I remember one scarie night our first time out we were tooling along the rails in Glen Mills when the clickety-clack suddenly silenced and then just as suddenly reappeared.

Upon closer inspection we had just gone over a creek where the only thing remaining were a 60' pair of suspended rails. 

From the List of Railroads and Railroad Towns in Chester County website:

The Pennsylvania Railroad (Central Division) was built between 1853 and 1869 as the Philadelphia & Baltimore Central Railroad. It began at Wawa (Delaware County) with the construction of a spur from the West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad and crossed into Chester County at Chadds Ford. The route crosses Pennsbury Township (Chadds Ford, Mendenhall), then continues into Kennett Township (Rosedale), Kennett Square Borough, New Garden Township (Toughkenamon), Avondale Borough, London Grove Township (Baker Station), West Grove Borough, Penn Township (Kelton, Elkview), Lower Oxford Township (Lincoln) to Oxford Borough.

From Oxford Borough, the railway continues southwest into East Nottingham Township (Barnsley), West Nottingham Township (Sylmar) and south into Cecil County, Maryland.

Here are some of my pictures:

 Tracks through Oxford, Pa.

"Oxford Yard"

East Penn RR switching Oxford Yard

The same train switching the Herr's Potato Chip plant in Nottingham, Pa.

East Penn RR through Lincoln University, Pa.

I'll bet the PRR had a VERRRY interesting "funnel n' diamond stack" era railroading.  Lots of picturesque scenes, interesting industries, really cool funnel n' diamond stacked engines...

I MUST RESIST.