Established in 1832 in response to the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad’s bypass of Strasburg, it remains the oldest original railroad operating under its original charter. Local railroad enthusiasts saved it from abandonment in 1958 and developed it as one of the most successful tourist railroads in the US. The fleet of operable historic steam engines and passenger cars, among the largest in the nation, preserves the state’s rail transportation history. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission 2011