Actual Timeline and History

The following time line and history is based on the actual events as they transpired for the railroads located in Perry County, Pennsylvania as recorded in the book "Narrow Gauge in the Sherman's Valley" by Gary Kohler and James D. Weinshencker. The Pennsylvania Railroad is obviously not considered a Perry County road, even though it's mainline ran along the edge of Perry County.

1887 – The standard-gauge Perry County Railroad is chartered.

1889 – The PCRR mainline is completed from a connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Duncannon to a temporary terminus in New Bloomfield.

July 30, 1890 – The narrow gauge Newport and Sherman’s Valley Railroad is chartered by David Gring, a logger, with the intentions of harvesting timber in the Sherman’s Valley.

1891 – The N&SVRR mainline is completed from a connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Newport to the village of Loysville. The N&SVRR mainline misses New Bloomfield by about two miles.

1892 – The N&SVRR is completed to Blain and the PCRR is completed to Elliotsburg via a forced crossing with the N&SVRR at Tressler’s farm. The N&SVRR gets an injunction against the PCRR regarding the crossing; it is taken up in October and replaced with a trestle at the same location. This is one of the few times in American history where a standard-gauge railroad has had to bow to the wishes of a narrow gauge one.

1893 – The N&SVRR completes it’s line to New Germantown. The PCRR crosses the N&SVRR again by way of a trestle at Greenpark and is completed to Landisburg with a branch to Loysville. The N&SVRR contemplates a Path Valley extension.

Oct 23, 1893 – The Path Valley Railroad charter is approved. The PVRR unveils an ambitious plan to run from the end of the N&SVRR mainline in New Germantown, through a tunnel in the Conococheague Mountain, to Fannettsburg PA and eventually to a connection with the B&O at Hancock MD.

Jan 1894 – Work begins on the Conococheague Mountain tunnel. On the Sherman’s Valley side the bore only extends about 100 feet before it hits hard rock and the work is halted. On the Path Valley side the rock is found to be too soft and unstable to permit a portal to be established, the rock just crumbles into the excavation. By April 1894 the money runs out and work on both sides is abandoned.

1901 – The Perry County Lumber Company builds a logging railroad on part of the Path Valley roadbed from New Germantown to the Conococheague Mountain. This is the only part of the Path Valley extension that ever sees rail.

September 14, 1903 – The Perry County Railroad goes broke and is bought by David Gring, representing the Susquehanna River and Western Railroad. The standard gauge road west of the Tressler’s Farm trestle (later renamed New Bloomfield Junction) is abandoned and taken up. The N&SVRR builds a spur from New Bloomfield Junction to a connection with the SR&WRR in New Bloomfield.

1905 - The Perry County Lumber Company harvests all the available timber and it's rails are removed.

1907 – Major renovations are performed on the N&SVRR.

1910 – Another attempt at the Path Valley extension is made and again it fails at the Conococheague Tunnel. The SR&WRR operates at a loss this year and never again regains profitability.

Dec 28, 1917 – The United States Railroad Administration takes control of the Gring railroads during WW1.

Mar/Apr 1918 – The N&SVRR spur from New Bloomfield to New Bloomfield Junction is dual-gauged.

Jun 29, 1918 – The USRA relinquishes control of the Gring railroads.

Jan 14, 1920 – Notices are posted for public sale of the N&SVRR and SR&WRR.

March 1920 – David Gring dies at the age of 63.

Mar 31, 1920 – The N&SVRR and SR&WRR are both sold to Rodney Gring (son of David) and George H. Ross for scrap prices. The Newport & Sherman's Valley Railroad is absorbed by the Susquehanna River & Western Railroad and officially ceases to exist.

April 20, 1920 - Train service is suspended on the narrow gauge between Newport and New Bloomfield Junction. A complaint is soon filed with the Pennsylvania Public Services Commission by the borough of Newport because of the suspension of services.

November 9, 1920 - The Pennsylvania Public Services Commission rules that since the N&SVRR no longer officially exists, the complaint against it must be dismissed. It further rules that the SR&WRR is not obligated to continue service to Newport since they did not take advantage of the opportunity to assume that obligation when the company was reorganized. The company quickly moves to scrap that portion of the line.

1921 – The narrow gauge mainline from Newport to New Bloomfield Junction is abandoned and taken up. The former N&SVRR offices and shops are dismantled and moved from Newport to New Bloomfield.

1933 – The narrow gauge mainline from New Germantown to Blain is abandoned; the rails are taken up in June.

1933/1934 – The narrow gauge mainline from Blain to Loysville is abandoned; the rails are taken up in March 1934.

April 1934 – The remainder of the narrow gauge mainline from Loysville to New Bloomfield is abandoned; the last of the rails are taken up in April 1935. The scrapping is done in steam; the railroad's own #5 pulls the train that takes up the last of the rails. The remainder of the railroad’s assets are sold or scrapped and the Newport & Sherman's Valley Railroad is no more, in fact as well as in name.

May 17, 1939 – The SR&WRR, who had only survived this long by eating itself, finally runs out of options when the Perry County commissioners refuse to pave a short stretch of public highway leading to the proposed site of a Tuscarora Oil Company pumping station that would have been served by the railroad. The station is built across the Juniata River in Inglenook instead, and the Susquehanna River & Western Railroad is abandoned and sold for scrap. The only railroad left operating in Perry County from this point onward is the mighty Pennsylvania.

An alternate timeline will be established when I can cook one up.