A photograph believed to have been taken about 1916 of the railroad station at Lenkerville (Millersburg), Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, showing the junction of the Lykens Valley Railroad line (freight cars at right) with the Pennsylvania Railroad line (left foreground) along the Susquehanna River.
This post consists of a selection of early stories about the Lykens Valley Railroad, from its earliest days in 1833 to the year 1933.
From the Elizabethville Echo of February 2, 1933, the repeat of a story published by the Harrisburg Patriot in its column, “A Century Ago.”
Simon Sallade, as superintendent of the Lykens Valley Railroad called for bids to supply 400,000 feet of white oak railing and 30,000 feet of rock oak sleepers, proposals to be addressed to him at Millersburg, Dauphin County.
Simon Sallade was a well known carpenter-contractor during that period when he resided at Elizabethville. His grave will be found in the Old Stone Church Cemetery in the western part of town.
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During the entire history of the Lykens Valley Railroad patrons of the line clamored for increased service, but in most cases, the scheduling of trains was beyond their control. On December 8, 1898, the Elizabethville Echo, commented on a possible change of schedule that was rumored to take place that would pit communities along the line against each other.
Note the reference to “Star Routes” which were private transport contracts given to stages or coaches to move mail from one post office to another. Lykens Valley Railroad trains that carried mail usually had official railway post offices on board.
That Change of Schedule
All sorts of rumors are filling the atmosphere of the Upper End, regarding the change of schedule, on the Lykens Valley Railroad. Elizabethville desires no change; we are perfectly satisfied with the old schedule, and the cause for all this flurry we cannot fully understand.
Lykens, of course, would like also to have an early morning mail from Millersburg since Elizabethville is about to be accommodated in that respect, but instead of petitioning for a Star Route, she has again asked the railroad company for a change of schedule, to accomplish that end.
The move is strenuously opposed by the Lykens merchants, who readily understand that if the change should result in the discontinuation of the evening train to Millersburg, they would lose a very heavy trade which comes to them from the valleys below, and which is very largely carried by that train. It is also opposed by the business people all along the line on the ground that this train affords many advantages in the matter of mail.
A change of schedule of our two o’clock train west, would be opposed by the citizens of Millersburg, as the afternoon train east, on Main Line, would certainly make no stop at Millersburg, were it not for the Lykens Valley connections.
To us it appears that the best way out of the dilemma is for Lykens to try the Star Route plan.
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Accidents along the Lykens Valley Railroad occurred occasionally. The death of Joseph Keen of Elizabethvile and the Coroner’s inquest related to the event was reported in the Elizabethville Echo of March 29, 1900:
JOSEPH KEEN KILLED
A very sad accident occurred on the Lykens Valley Railroad at this place, on Wednesday afternoon, in which Joseph Keen, one of the oldest citizens of this community lost his life. Mr. Keen had been to the post office and was returning to his home at Conrad Keilman‘s, immediately east of town, when he was struck by Day’s train coming west, and was instantly killed. He was walking on the ends of the sills, and being partially deaf, it is supposed he did not hear thew oncoming train until it was upon him. He was carried about thirty feet and was thrown upon the side track of Buffington and Enders, with his scull crushed, and his neck broken. He was eighty four years of age on the fourth of July last, and has been a resident of this place for more than sixty years. The old gentleman was a familiar figure upon our streets, and each one had a kind word for him.
Coroner Krause came to town this morning and held an inquest. The jury, consisting of Attorney M. E. Stroup, B. W. Romberger, A. P. Buffington, Dr. C. B. Stroup, Charles Koppenhaver and A. H. Smith, after hearing several witnesses, rendered a verdict in accordance with the facts in the case.
The deceased was the father of Mrs. Keilman of this place, and Joseph Keen Jr., of Millersburg.
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Likewise, wrecks were also reported. Here’s one that occurred in 1902 as reported by the Elizabethville Echo of August 1, 1902:
THE COAL TRAIN WRECKED
A very costly wreck occurred on the Lykens Valley Railroad about two miles west of Elizabethville, on Wednesday afternoon.
The coal train, carrying probably seventy or eighty cars of coal was passing through the “cut” just before the Lenker flag station, when a flange was broken from a wheel, and the truck turning crosswise on the track, caused the loaded cars of coal to pile on top of one another as high as the telegraph poles.
Twenty-three cars were derailed, and the wreckage will probably not be cleared away for two or three days. It is expected the tracks will be sufficiently cleared to admit the running of trains, by tonight. The Sunbury wreck train and crew were assisting the local crew last night and today.
The trainmen on the wrecked train all escaped without serious injury, although one of the brakemen had his nose badly bruised.
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Employee injuries were also reported as in this case from the Elizabethville Echo, March 26, 1908:
Frank Grow, the trainman on the Lykens Valley Railroad, who was so badly hurt several months ago has again taken up his duties on the Branch.
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Announcement of a new telephone service along the Lykens Valley Railroad was made in the Elizabethville Echo, June 24, 1909:
Wires are being strung on the Lykens Valley railroad for a complete telephone service and it is expected to run all trains on the branch by telephone as soon as the new system is installed which will be in about two weeks. This is in line with improvements being made on many of the railroads, particularly the P. R. R. The telephone in operating trains has been tried out and found not only practicable but in many respects preferable to the telegraph. The telegraph wires along the branch are being removed entirely.
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Another accident occurred in 1909, as a nearly deaf man was injured when struck by an engine slightly more than one mile east of Millersburg. The Elizabethville Echo reported on the accident on December 16, 1909:
Struck By Light Engine
While walking on the Lykens Valley railroad tracks about 1 1/4 miles east of Millersburg last Sunday, Charles Doney was struck by Engine 1679, and sustained severe bruises dislocating his collar bone. Dr. Ulrich attended to his injuries. Doney, who is almost deaf, did not hear the engine approach.
The event was significant enough to be repeated in the Elizabethville Echo‘s “25 Years Ago” column, December 20, 1934, but his surname was spelled as “Dohney.”:
While walking on the Lykens Valley railroad tracks more than a mile east of Millersburg last Sunday, Charles Dohney of Millersburg was struck by Engine 1679 and sustained severe bruises and a dislocated collarbone. Dohney did not hear the train approaching because he is deaf.
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Special trains were often run on the Lykens Valley Railroad. This one, as reported in the Elizabethville Echo, May 12, 1910, was for the purpose of employees reviewing new rules of the line.
A special train for employees of the Lykens Valley Branch Railroad was run to Millersburg Sunday morning to meet representatives of the company from Williamsport for examination on the new book of rules. The proposition for operating a Sunday passenger train on the branch is again under consideration. A decision in the matter is expected within the week.
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In its November 17, 190, edition the Elizabethvile Echo announced the inauguration of Sunday passenger service on the Lykens Valley Railroad. A copy of the schedule is provided above. A single train left Lykens at 7:40 in the morning making stops along the way at Oakdale, Elizabethville, Lenkers, and Woodside, before terminating at Millersburg at 8:13 A. M. The return trip left Millersburg at 6:34 P. M., stopping at stations en route, and arriving at Lykens at 7:09 P. M.
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Also, in 1910, surveyors were mapping the Lykens Valley Railroad. The Elizabethville Echo reported on June 2, 1910:
A party of civil engineers has been making surveys along the Lykens Valley railroad for several weeks for the purpose of preparing a map of the road.
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The Elizabethville Echo, May 24, 1917, noted that a new train schedule would probably be issued soon, with “radical changes” possible.
A new time table will probably be issued for trains on the Lykens Valley Railroad in the course of a few weeks. Radical changes have been proposed and as soon as the figures are decided upon the Echo will give due notice.
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Charles Keaffer, a prominent citizen of Elizabethville, was killed instantly when struck by the train that was due in Elizabethville at 4:59 P. M. The accident was reported in the Elizabethville Echo of September 7, 1922.
Prominent Citizen Is Killed Near Crossing
One of Elizabethville‘s sturdy, unassuming, but dependable citizens, and physically a giant, lost his life, in the twinkling of an eye last Sunday evening.
While Charles Keaffer was walking on the main track of the Lykens Valley Railroad he was struck by the train due here at 4:59, and hurled to the ground with such force as to inflict fatal injuries. The accident occurred just west of Callowhill Street Crossing and when the engineer saw the man he blew the warning whistle and applied the emergency brakes but the engine was just off the crossing when the train came to a stand still.
The injured man was taken to Lykens on the train and thence to the Williams Valley Hospital where it was learned that his left arm was splintered and that the spinal cord at the base of the brain had been broken. Twenty minutes after he entered the hospital his spirit passed away.
Just a very short time before the accident Mr. Keaffer and his family were together and he remarked to his wife that he would go down to the coal cars where a new platform for loading cars had been erected. He examined the platform and it is presumed that he was in deep thought when he was walking on the track. Not only is Mr. Keaffer’s death a great shock to the family but to the community.
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In 1926, a coroner’s jury rendered a verdict of “lack of judgment of the assistant foreman” that caused the death of Lykens Valley Railroad employee Elmer Travitz. The story was reported in the Elizabethville Echo, December 30, 1926:
CORONER’S JURY RENDERS VERDICT
The inquest into the death of Elmer Travitz, assistant foreman of the Lykens Valley Branch Railroad repair gang, was held last Thursday in the office of W. J. Minier, by Coroner J. H. Kreider, at Millersburg. The coroner’s jury which composed of the following men: D. W. Leffler, C. I. Kulp, F. G. Moyer, Harry Wert, Frank H. Sultzbaugh, and Austin Bair. After hearing the evidence the jury returned the verdict that: “Elmer Travitz came to his death while moving a barrel of tar down the cellar steps at the Elizabethville Station, due to a lack of good judgment of the assistant foreman.”
Travitz met his death two weeks ago when he was assistant fellow workmen remove a barrel of tar, weighing nearly 400 pounds, down the steps of the local freight station. The barrel slipped and crushed him against the foundation wall nearly severing his one arm at the wrist and crushing his scull.
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On December 14, 1933, the Elizabethville Echo reported the following:
An early morning freight is being run from Millersburg to Lykens on the Lykens Valley Railroad, since the first of the month. It leaves Millersburg before six o’clock and is in charge of Conductor Day’s crew. It will be run regularly this month presumably as an experiment and if found satisfactory may carry the early morning mail which Lykens Valley people have been clamoring for. During this month at least, one is able to read the Philadelphia daily papers while taking breakfast.
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News article from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.