Paradise, Pennsylvania

The eastern terminus of the 4.5 mile Strasburg Rail Road is Paradise, Pennsylvania. Just southeast of the village center, the Strasburg line navigates its longest curve section to come alongside former Pennsylvania Railroad mainline trackage connecting Philadelphia to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and points west. This busy line is electrified and hosts Amtrak's Keystone Corridor trains (see below). Class one successor to Conrail (ex Penn Central and Pennsylvania) Norfolk Southern provides local freight service along the route, including interchange service for the Strasburg. Interchange drop off and pick up for SRC includes transload freight shipments for Strasburg area customers, steam and passenger car equipment for SRC's contract backshop, and rolling stock bound for the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Here at Leaman Junction, in addition to a lead for interchange the Strasburg maintains a long run-around track. Outbound tourist trains always feature steam running in reverse; at Leaman Place locomotives run around their trains for proper orientation for the inbound trip back to East Strasburg. Outside the curved trackage there is a picnic grove available for tourist railroad patrons.