Lancaster to Gettysburg Great American Railroad Journeys


Lancaster to Gettysburg

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Transcript


LineFromTo

I have crossed the Atlantic to ride the railroads of America

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with a new travelling companion.

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Published in 1879, my Appleton's General Guide will steer me

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to everything that's novel,

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beautiful,

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memorable,

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or curious in the United States.

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-ALL:

-Amen!

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As I cross the continent, I'll discover America's gilded age

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when powerful tycoons launched a railway boom

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that tied the nation together

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and carved out its future as a superpower.

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I'm continuing my journey through the Pennsylvania landscape.

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According to Appleton's, I'm passing through "one of the richest

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"agricultural districts in America,

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"which will be apt to remind the tourist of the best farming

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"districts of England."

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I think I'll discover that one part of the Pennsylvania countryside

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had a decisive influence on American history.

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It was a field of battle, not of crops.

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I began this journey at the cradle of American independence - Philadelphia.

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I'm continuing through the American Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg,

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before turning south to Baltimore in Maryland.

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I'll take in the nation's capital, Washington DC,

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continue on to Richmond, Virginia,

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ending in Jamestown - the first permanent English settlement

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in North America.

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On this leg, I leave Philadelphia for Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

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I visit America's oldest short-line railroad in Strasburg

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and finish my journey on the battlefield of Gettysburg.

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I'll discover an apparently unchanged community...

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For folks on the outside it might seem to be a very backward

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way of living, but it's a very enjoyable lifestyle.

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INDISTINCT AUCTION CHANT

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Sold. 350.

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..learn about one of the most famous speeches in history...

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It had such an impact because Lincoln did it in such a way that it was open-ended.

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He never mentioned slavery, he never mentioned emancipation,

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but it was articulated in a way that any group of people could connect with.

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..and fulfil a long-held dream.

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A memorable moment for me -

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my first trip on the footplate of an American steam locomotive.

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TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS

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RAILROAD CROSSING DINGS

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Describing a part of Pennsylvania, Appleton's tells me that

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"the inhabitants of this district are chiefly of German origin

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"and a dialect of German, known as Pennsylvania Dutch,

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"prevails extensively among them."

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I'm hoping to see the diversity of the United States today

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and to glimpse a simpler way of life that was more widespread

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at the time of my guide.

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-TRAIN ANNOUNCER:

-At Lancaster, most doors will open. Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

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Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

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This delightful railway station belongs to Lancaster, Pennsylvania,

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which Appleton's tells me "is pleasantly situated near

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"the Conestoga Creek."

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Having arrived here by electric train, I hope to be transported back

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not just to the age of steam, but to that of the horse and buggy.

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When William Penn founded the state that bears his name, he wanted

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it to be a haven for the religiously oppressed from across the world.

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This rural part of Pennsylvania is known for its Amish population.

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The Amish are one of three religious communities here

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who lead a simple life.

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The groups were created after divisions

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in the Swiss Anabaptist church in the 16th century.

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Persecuted in Europe, many of them emigrated to follow in Penn's footsteps.

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They became known, confusingly, as the Pennsylvania Dutch.

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I'm meeting Jack Meyer, a Pennsylvania Dutch farmer,

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to learn more about the community and its origins.

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-Hello, Jack.

-Hello, young man. Nice to see you.

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Very good to see you and very nice to be in your barn

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-and to be with your beautiful horses.

-Thank you.

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-So, Jack, my guidebook tells me about the Pennsylvania Dutch...

-Yes.

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..and I'm just wondering, who are the Pennsylvania Dutch?

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Well, they're people that came from Holland.

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Some actually came from Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland

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and they compose basically of three groups - Amish, Brethren and Mennonites.

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-Which of those three are you, by the way?

-Brethren.

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Might we take a ride in one of your buggies and talk a bit more?

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-Sure, we can. No problem.

-Great.

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We'll back right out of here...

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Though a few arrived earlier, the largest migration

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of the Pennsylvania Dutch to America occurred in the early 18th century.

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The strictest amongst them believe that modern technology will

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undermine their tightknit communities.

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So, since before my Appleton's, the roads of Lancaster County

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have echoed to the sound of horses' hooves.

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Jack, how many Pennsylvania Dutch are there, do you think?

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-In the state of Pennsylvania - ten million.

-Really?

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That's all sorts and kinds, that's not just horse-and-buggy people.

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-No.

-That's folks who dress on the street,

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you know, just the same as you would.

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Horse-and-buggy people - and how many of those do you think there?

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Well, in Lancaster County, for instance, there are about

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30,000 Amish, 15,000 horse-and-buggy Mennonites -

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so we're looking at 45,000 that still use a horse and carriage.

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-Do you use a mobile telephone?

-People are allowed to do that, a lot depends on your church district.

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The Brethren have them, the Mennonites have them.

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The Amish have them, some of the folks will tell you their district

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doesn't allow them to have them.

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For instance, the district we're in right now

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doesn't allow for a power lawnmower.

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You have to use the old push-type with the reel,

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but that district down the hill there will allow you to use a lawnmower that has a motor.

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Now, that's very interesting, then.

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-So, the district is very powerful in that respect.

-Right.

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There are about 100 Amish districts in Lancaster County.

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Is the number of people leading the traditional life going up or down?

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It's going up. About 85% of the young people stay,

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so the size of, for instance, the Old Order Amish church is doubling

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every 20 to 25 years.

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And why is that happening, Jack?

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For folks on the outside it might seem to be a very backward

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way of living, but it's a very enjoyable lifestyle.

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So, is there a moment in life when a young man or a young woman

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makes this decision to stay or to go?

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Normally, in their teen years.

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There's a set of rules in the church, let's say.

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Nobody is forced to follow those rules.

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You know, it's because you want to.

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You're not forced to join church, but as far as individual liberties

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or choices in religion - a person should have their choice.

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That's where it all began.

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Coming from an urban environment,

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I couldn't imagine existing in the country.

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And I was amazed to discover that those who are choosing to live

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the Pennsylvania Dutch traditional way of life is on the increase.

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But I shouldn't have been, because really it's not hard to explain

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how some people would choose community,

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neighbourliness, godliness,

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in preference to the globalised rat race.

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You might think that such a distinct lifestyle would set

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the Pennsylvania Dutch apart from others around them,

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but that's not what I find.

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I've come to the fire station in Strasburg, Pennsylvania,

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where there's an auction going on and it seems to consist

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mainly of the Pennsylvania Dutch selling some of their items.

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Very intriguing.

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INDISTINCT AUCTIONEER CHANT

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INDISTINCT AUCTIONEER CHANTING

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-Hello.

-Oh, hello.

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I'm a stranger in town, this seems to be a rather extraordinary event, does it happen very often?

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We do two sales - one in the spring and one in the fall.

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The stuff that is being sold here is mainly home-made items

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that have been prepared by the Pennsylvania Dutch community.

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Many of the items, yes. There's wood crafts and there's also quilts.

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So, the fire company does get a bit of the money that they're sold for

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and the rest goes back to the person who made it.

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So, you take all your fire engines out for the day

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-and hand this space over to the sale?

-That's correct, yes.

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And who are the buyers mainly, do you think?

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We get buyers from all over the eastern United States.

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We get a lot of people from New York, Connecticut, New Jersey.

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A lot from Pennsylvania and Maryland and Delaware.

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There is shops in New York that do specialise in Amish quilts,

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so they will come down and it's pretty easy to pick them out

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because they buy a lot of quilts, maybe 20 or 30 while they're here.

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I've just been looking at the quilts that have been on sale. They're stunning.

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-Yeah, most of them are very, very nice.

-So, if a quilt goes for 350,

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any idea how many hours of work that might represent?

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It could be hundreds of hours, depending on the amount of stitching that's in it

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and the detail that they decide to put in a quilt.

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INDISTINCT AUCTIONEER CHANT

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Sold. 175. 349, 349.

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INDISTINCT AUCTIONEER CHANT

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Sold. 350.

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Apart from its Amish heritage,

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Strasburg holds another interest for me.

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In the early 19th century, the town became prosperous

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because it was on the cross-state wagon trade route.

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But in 1834, the new railroad from Philadelphia to Columbia

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bypassed Strasburg and the town feared decline.

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To save it, a group of local businessmen

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built a branch to the main line.

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It opened in 1837 and it's operated continuously ever since.

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And Strasburg itself is affectionately known as Train Town, USA.

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-Hello!

-Hello, there.

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-Are you Bill?

-I am, sir.

-I'm Michael.

-Hi, Michael.

-How do you do?

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-Can I help you with the oiling up?

-Certainly.

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These two cups actually feed oil down onto the piston rod and the valve stem.

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These are already full, but they need to be set so they don't drop too much oil and waste it.

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So, that's what these little knobs do right here. You actually would just open it up to a quarter turn...

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That's moving nice and freely.

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-Close it up fully a quarter turn.

-Right.

-Great.

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-This can has a different kind of oil in it...

-Right.

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..and this gets poured into the weak spots here on the bottom part of the crosshead.

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-Thank you.

-It's just a squirt.

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After some light lubrication,

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I'm thrilled to join Bill on the footplate.

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Whoa! This is hot and this is big.

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HEAVY THUD

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TRAIN BELL DINGS

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-Ready to move, Bill?

-We are.

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A memorable moment for me on my first trip

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on the footplate of an American steam locomotive.

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By the end of the 1830s,

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the United States had overtaken Europe in rail construction,

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with 3,000 miles built compared to 1,800 across the Atlantic.

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And Pennsylvania was in the vanguard of the railroad revolution,

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with a quarter of all US track.

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Thank you.

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Bye, guys.

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With the locomotive securely attached to its carriages,

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I'm joining the passengers for the 45 minute trip.

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TRAIN BELL DINGS

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TRAIN CHUFFS

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Pennsylvania has the most wonderful rural landscape,

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but with apologies to Appleton's, it doesn't in any way remind me of England.

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-Hello!

-Hello.

-I hope you're enjoying the ride.

-Yes, we are.

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May I ask you, what made you take the trip today?

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We do this every so many years.

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We come back to Lancaster, tour around and always ride the railroad.

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Because you enjoy railroads in particular, or what?

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We enjoy railroads and the countryside

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and seeing the Amish farms.

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-Are you keen on railways?

-I like the railroad.

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I grew up about half a mile from a double-track rail line

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and I hung around the rail line quite a bit.

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It's not just travelling with a vintage steam locomotive

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in an old observation car like this that makes me feel that I'm

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travelling through history, it's also the look of the countryside,

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with its very traditional architecture of farms, that takes me back in time.

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I want to find out more about the history of this splendid line

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from the Strasburg railroad stationmaster, Steve Barrall.

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-Hello, Steve. I'm Michael.

-Hi, Michael.

-Good to see you.

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To what do we owe the preservation of this magnificent railroad?

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Ever since 1958, it's been our mission to make sure that this railroad is preserved

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as an example of early 20th-century, small-town steam railroading.

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And who was it who got together and saved it?

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Well, Strasburg railroad was on the verge of abandonment,

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but in 1958, there was a group of 24 railroad buffs and industrialists

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that came together and decided to save the railroad.

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-Thank goodness.

-Absolutely.

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Now, you seem to have a pretty broad collection of rolling stock

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and locomotives and that's a big part of what you do, is it? To restore the old?

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Absolutely. We have a machine shop that's very instrumental in preserving

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not only our own equipment but the other equipment throughout

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other tourist railroads in the United States.

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Part of what makes this a great experience is that we seem to be

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-moving through a very traditional rural landscape.

-Absolutely.

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We're privileged to have a line that goes through Amish countryside.

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Because of that, the Amish really help to preserve not only our line,

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but the landscape around us, as it was, really, in the early 20th century.

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So, you have a very bucolic pastoral view as you go along the Strasburg railroad.

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So, we have a beautifully preserved heritage railroad,

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we have a very traditional countryside

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and, if I may say so, you've dressed the part, too.

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-HE LAUGHS

-Well, thank you.

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We all try to do our part to make this a place that folks can

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have fun and hopefully it's a little bit of a step back in time.

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STEAM TRAIN HORN TOOTS

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BELL TOLLS

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HORN TOOTS

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After the wonderful sights, sounds and smells of the Strasburg railroad,

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I'm spending the night in the old Lancaster cork works,

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now converted to a hotel, before continuing my journey tomorrow.

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-Good evening!

-Hi, good evening. Welcome.

-Checking in.

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-The name is Portillo.

-Perfect. We have you on the top floor.

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-Here are your keys.

-Thank you so much.

-Have a great evening.

-Thank you.

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Today, I'm rejoining the Keystone Service that runs down from New York

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as it continues west to the Pennsylvania state capital of Harrisburg.

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My guidebook recommends a place no longer on the passenger rail network.

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So, I must travel the final 40 miles by road.

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My destination is Gettysburg -

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site of the American Civil War's most famous battle.

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Appleton's tells me that "a great battle,

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"perhaps the most important of the Civil War, was fought here

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"at Gettysburg on the first, second and third of July, 1863.

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"Between the national forces under General Meade

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"and the Confederate army under General Lee."

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Abraham Lincoln arrived at this station in November, 1863,

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to attend a dedication ceremony to the thousands of Union dead.

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In an address, he defined the Civil War as a fight not just to end

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the rebellion of the Southern slave-owning states,

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but also for the nation to enjoy a new birth of freedom,

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so "that government by the people, of the people, for the people,

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"shall not perish from the earth..."

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and for equality, as promised in the Declaration of Independence.

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I've arranged to meet Peter Carmichael,

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the professor of Civil War Studies from Gettysburg College,

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on the fields where the future of America was forged.

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Peter, the Battle of Gettysburg comes roughly at the midpoint

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of the American Civil War, what was the war about?

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The war was ultimately about slavery.

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In 1860, when Abraham Lincoln was elected in the north,

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his party, the Republican party, was viewed in the South as a threat

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against the southern way of life, which is code words for slavery.

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And so, at the beginning of the conflict, the majority of the slave-owning states

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actually declare a separate nation, they leave the Union.

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Yes, and that act of leaving the Union is called succession

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and the succession movement, its epicentre, was in the Deep South.

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In April 1861, the war began.

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Despite the north's having superior forces, the Union's hopes for

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a quick victory over the Southern Confederate States were dashed.

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The conflict settled into a grinding stalemate.

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How important was the role that the railroads played in the American Civil War?

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Extraordinary. The very nature of warfare itself.

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It gave a tremendous advantage to the side on the defence,

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and that side was the Confederacy.

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Because the political aim of the Confederacy is independence.

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They don't need to conquer the North, they just simply need to outlast the North.

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The more territory that those northern armies gain,

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the more extended, the more vulnerable that those armies were to Confederate raiders.

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Those long railroad lines - which of course brought equipment,

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they brought troops - they became more extended, and so that,

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of course, left it vulnerable to Confederate cavalry to come in

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and slash and attack - and that, actually, slowed down the Union.

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In the spring of 1863, the Confederate general Robert E Lee

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made successful advances through Virginia into Pennsylvania.

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On Lee's advance north, he encountered the Union's army here at Gettysburg.

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Despite warnings that the line was too strong, Lee ordered an attack.

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RE Lee decided to strike the very centre of the Union line.

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He did that by orchestrating a massive artillery bombardment -

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a bombardment of more than 120 guns, a bombardment that lasted an hour-and-a-half.

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That bombardment had modest success and knocked out some of the Union batteries

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and then came the infantry.

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Nearly 14,000 Virginia soldiers, North Carolina soldiers,

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struck the Union line and they actually broke the Union position.

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But, anticipating just such an assault on the position,

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Union troops had been conserving ammunition.

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The infantry held fire until its opponents were only a few hundred yards away

0:24:280:24:33

and then unleashed 1,700 muskets and 11 canon.

0:24:330:24:38

And how many Confederate casualties did that produce?

0:24:380:24:42

So, it's roughly 13,000 to 14,000 men - 50% casualties in about 45 minutes.

0:24:420:24:48

Though the war continued until 1865,

0:24:500:24:53

Gettysburg marked the furthest extent of the Confederate advance.

0:24:530:24:59

From that moment, the South was on the defensive.

0:24:590:25:02

The aftermath of the battle was one of the first to be photographed.

0:25:040:25:10

And in looking at those photographs, without question that Lincoln had to be influenced in some way

0:25:100:25:17

-in his thinking about the Gettysburg Address.

-Extraordinary.

0:25:170:25:22

Four months later, President Lincoln travelled to Gettysburg

0:25:300:25:34

to dedicate a cemetery for the Union dead.

0:25:340:25:38

Confederates remained in shallow graves on the battlefield

0:25:380:25:41

until repatriated during the 1870s.

0:25:410:25:44

Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.

0:25:460:25:50

A mere 272 words long, it's one of the most stirring

0:25:500:25:55

and visionary speeches that I know.

0:25:550:25:58

And it had such an impact because it elevated the cause of Union -

0:26:070:26:12

bringing the nation back together -

0:26:120:26:14

it connected it with the high ideas of human liberty.

0:26:140:26:19

Lincoln did it in such a way that it was open-ended.

0:26:190:26:22

He never mentioned slavery, he never mentioned emancipation,

0:26:220:26:25

but it was articulated in a way that any group of people

0:26:250:26:29

could connect to it and they could draw from that

0:26:290:26:32

just cause to continue fighting the war.

0:26:320:26:35

From this point forward everyone understood - North and South alike -

0:26:350:26:39

that this war, if it's going to come to a close, if the North's going to succeed,

0:26:390:26:42

it's going to come with Union preserved and slavery eliminated.

0:26:420:26:47

All men are created equal was the ideal that inspired the American Revolution,

0:27:020:27:08

and 87 years later, here at Gettysburg,

0:27:080:27:11

Abraham Lincoln claimed that the American Civil War was testing

0:27:110:27:16

whether a nation dedicated to that proposition could long endure.

0:27:160:27:21

It has endured, but the struggle for equality has continued, too.

0:27:210:27:26

That doesn't make me cynical. The United States were conceived

0:27:260:27:30

with the noblest of aims and have often failed to live up to them.

0:27:300:27:35

But without an ideal, a nation has no standard by which to judge its shortcomings

0:27:350:27:41

and without a torch of liberty, no way to light the path ahead.

0:27:410:27:46

'Next time, I ride a giant of the railroads...'

0:27:480:27:52

TRAIN HORN BLOWS

0:27:520:27:53

The drama of an American locomotive bears no comparison with anything in Europe.

0:27:530:27:58

'..discover the explosive origins of an American powerhouse...'

0:27:580:28:02

GENTLE EXPLOSION

0:28:020:28:04

Whoa! HE LAUGHS

0:28:040:28:06

What a magnificent noise.

0:28:060:28:07

'..and encounter the untamed landscape that would have greeted the first settlers.'

0:28:070:28:13

What you've seen is a touch of wildness.

0:28:130:28:16

You know, the wildness this place used to have, the wildness that this place still has.

0:28:160:28:20

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