Lancaster to Gettysburg Great American Railroad Journeys

I have crossed the Atlantic to ride the railroads of America

with a new travelling companion.

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

to everything that's novel,

beautiful,

memorable,

or curious in the United States.

-ALL:

-Amen!

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

when powerful tycoons launched a railway boom

that tied the nation together

and carved out its future as a superpower.

I'm continuing my journey through the Pennsylvania landscape.

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

"agricultural districts in America,

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

"districts of England."

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

had a decisive influence on American history.

It was a field of battle, not of crops.

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

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

before turning south to Baltimore in Maryland.

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

continue on to Richmond, Virginia,

ending in Jamestown - the first permanent English settlement

in North America.

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

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

and finish my journey on the battlefield of Gettysburg.

I'll discover an apparently unchanged community...

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

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

INDISTINCT AUCTION CHANT

Sold. 350.

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

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

He never mentioned slavery, he never mentioned emancipation,

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

..and fulfil a long-held dream.

A memorable moment for me -

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

TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS

RAILROAD CROSSING DINGS

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

"the inhabitants of this district are chiefly of German origin

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

"prevails extensively among them."

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

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

at the time of my guide.

-TRAIN ANNOUNCER:

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

Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

This delightful railway station belongs to Lancaster, Pennsylvania,

which Appleton's tells me "is pleasantly situated near

"the Conestoga Creek."

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

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

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

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

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

The Amish are one of three religious communities here

who lead a simple life.

The groups were created after divisions

in the Swiss Anabaptist church in the 16th century.

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

They became known, confusingly, as the Pennsylvania Dutch.

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

to learn more about the community and its origins.

-Hello, Jack.

-Hello, young man. Nice to see you.

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

-and to be with your beautiful horses.

-Thank you.

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

-Yes.

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

Well, they're people that came from Holland.

Some actually came from Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland

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

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

-Brethren.

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

-Sure, we can. No problem.

-Great.

We'll back right out of here...

Though a few arrived earlier, the largest migration

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

The strictest amongst them believe that modern technology will

undermine their tightknit communities.

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

have echoed to the sound of horses' hooves.

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

-In the state of Pennsylvania - ten million.

-Really?

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

-No.

-That's folks who dress on the street,

you know, just the same as you would.

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

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

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

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

-Do you use a mobile telephone?

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

The Brethren have them, the Mennonites have them.

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

doesn't allow them to have them.

For instance, the district we're in right now

doesn't allow for a power lawnmower.

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

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

Now, that's very interesting, then.

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

-Right.

There are about 100 Amish districts in Lancaster County.

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

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

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

every 20 to 25 years.

And why is that happening, Jack?

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

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

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

makes this decision to stay or to go?

Normally, in their teen years.

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

Nobody is forced to follow those rules.

You know, it's because you want to.

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

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

That's where it all began.

Coming from an urban environment,

I couldn't imagine existing in the country.

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

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

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

how some people would choose community,

neighbourliness, godliness,

in preference to the globalised rat race.

You might think that such a distinct lifestyle would set

the Pennsylvania Dutch apart from others around them,

but that's not what I find.

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

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

mainly of the Pennsylvania Dutch selling some of their items.

Very intriguing.

INDISTINCT AUCTIONEER CHANT

INDISTINCT AUCTIONEER CHANTING

-Hello.

-Oh, hello.

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

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

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

that have been prepared by the Pennsylvania Dutch community.

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

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

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

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

-and hand this space over to the sale?

-That's correct, yes.

And who are the buyers mainly, do you think?

We get buyers from all over the eastern United States.

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

A lot from Pennsylvania and Maryland and Delaware.

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

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

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

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

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

-So, if a quilt goes for 350,

any idea how many hours of work that might represent?

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

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

INDISTINCT AUCTIONEER CHANT

Sold. 175. 349, 349.

INDISTINCT AUCTIONEER CHANT

Sold. 350.

Apart from its Amish heritage,

Strasburg holds another interest for me.

In the early 19th century, the town became prosperous

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

But in 1834, the new railroad from Philadelphia to Columbia

bypassed Strasburg and the town feared decline.

To save it, a group of local businessmen

built a branch to the main line.

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

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

-Hello!

-Hello, there.

-Are you Bill?

-I am, sir.

-I'm Michael.

-Hi, Michael.

-How do you do?

-Can I help you with the oiling up?

-Certainly.

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

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

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

That's moving nice and freely.

-Close it up fully a quarter turn.

-Right.

-Great.

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

-Right.

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

-Thank you.

-It's just a squirt.

After some light lubrication,

I'm thrilled to join Bill on the footplate.

Whoa! This is hot and this is big.

HEAVY THUD

TRAIN BELL DINGS

-Ready to move, Bill?

-We are.

A memorable moment for me on my first trip

on the footplate of an American steam locomotive.

By the end of the 1830s,

the United States had overtaken Europe in rail construction,

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

And Pennsylvania was in the vanguard of the railroad revolution,

with a quarter of all US track.

Thank you.

Bye, guys.

With the locomotive securely attached to its carriages,

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

TRAIN BELL DINGS

TRAIN CHUFFS

Pennsylvania has the most wonderful rural landscape,

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

-Hello!

-Hello.

-I hope you're enjoying the ride.

-Yes, we are.

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

We do this every so many years.

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

Because you enjoy railroads in particular, or what?

We enjoy railroads and the countryside

and seeing the Amish farms.

-Are you keen on railways?

-I like the railroad.

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

and I hung around the rail line quite a bit.

It's not just travelling with a vintage steam locomotive

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

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

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

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

from the Strasburg railroad stationmaster, Steve Barrall.

-Hello, Steve. I'm Michael.

-Hi, Michael.

-Good to see you.

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

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

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

And who was it who got together and saved it?

Well, Strasburg railroad was on the verge of abandonment,

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

that came together and decided to save the railroad.

-Thank goodness.

-Absolutely.

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

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

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

not only our own equipment but the other equipment throughout

other tourist railroads in the United States.

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

-moving through a very traditional rural landscape.

-Absolutely.

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

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

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

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

So, we have a beautifully preserved heritage railroad,

we have a very traditional countryside

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

-HE LAUGHS

-Well, thank you.

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

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

STEAM TRAIN HORN TOOTS

BELL TOLLS

HORN TOOTS

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

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

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

-Good evening!

-Hi, good evening. Welcome.

-Checking in.

-The name is Portillo.

-Perfect. We have you on the top floor.

-Here are your keys.

-Thank you so much.

-Have a great evening.

-Thank you.

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

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

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

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

My destination is Gettysburg -

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

Appleton's tells me that "a great battle,

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

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

"Between the national forces under General Meade

"and the Confederate army under General Lee."

Abraham Lincoln arrived at this station in November, 1863,

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

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

the rebellion of the Southern slave-owning states,

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

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

"shall not perish from the earth..."

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

I've arranged to meet Peter Carmichael,

the professor of Civil War Studies from Gettysburg College,

on the fields where the future of America was forged.

Peter, the Battle of Gettysburg comes roughly at the midpoint

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

The war was ultimately about slavery.

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

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

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

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

actually declare a separate nation, they leave the Union.

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

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

In April 1861, the war began.

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

a quick victory over the Southern Confederate States were dashed.

The conflict settled into a grinding stalemate.

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

Extraordinary. The very nature of warfare itself.

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

and that side was the Confederacy.

Because the political aim of the Confederacy is independence.

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

The more territory that those northern armies gain,

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

Those long railroad lines - which of course brought equipment,

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

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

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

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

made successful advances through Virginia into Pennsylvania.

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

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

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

He did that by orchestrating a massive artillery bombardment -

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

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

and then came the infantry.

Nearly 14,000 Virginia soldiers, North Carolina soldiers,

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

But, anticipating just such an assault on the position,

Union troops had been conserving ammunition.

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

and then unleashed 1,700 muskets and 11 canon.

And how many Confederate casualties did that produce?

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

Though the war continued until 1865,

Gettysburg marked the furthest extent of the Confederate advance.

From that moment, the South was on the defensive.

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

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

-in his thinking about the Gettysburg Address.

-Extraordinary.

Four months later, President Lincoln travelled to Gettysburg

to dedicate a cemetery for the Union dead.

Confederates remained in shallow graves on the battlefield

until repatriated during the 1870s.

Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.

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

and visionary speeches that I know.

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

bringing the nation back together -

it connected it with the high ideas of human liberty.

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

He never mentioned slavery, he never mentioned emancipation,

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

could connect to it and they could draw from that

just cause to continue fighting the war.

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

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

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

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

and 87 years later, here at Gettysburg,

Abraham Lincoln claimed that the American Civil War was testing

whether a nation dedicated to that proposition could long endure.

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

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

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

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

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

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

TRAIN HORN BLOWS

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

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

GENTLE EXPLOSION

Whoa! HE LAUGHS

What a magnificent noise.

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

What you've seen is a touch of wildness.

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