Just opened on Aug 22, 2013, it’s the Manor Twp. Lancaster Co. portion, along the east bank (shore) of the Susquehanna River, from the present sole access point at Washington Borough to the Conestoga Creek viaduct/ trestle at the Safe Harbor dam - unfortunately, the bridge is still closed to all traffic (and will be for the foreseeable future).
Notable points include great views from up on the bluffs up to about 150 ft. above the River and the still-operating “Port Road” Columbia & Port Deposit line, a preserved “cabin car”, a wide smooth surface, several viewing platforms, a couple of the PRR’s unique “shoeflys” of creeks* under this upper “Low Grade” line (oxymoron there ?) and across a bridge over the lower Port Road line, and 60 parking spaces at the access point. See the following article (among others):
The above includes a 2:30 video that is mostly an interview with one of the Township officials who pushed for this, but some overall views of the river and the trail. See also the following for good photos:
*See: http://sturmovikdragon.livejournal.com/48887.html especially at 1/4 to 1/2 of the way down this webpage (a model railroader would be laughed at as unprototypical if he built one of these contraptions, I’m sure . . . [swg] ).
Other parts if the trail in the county are open (east of the Safe Harbor Trestle), but I hear the surface on them is pretty rough (almost necessitating a mountain bike). The part Mr. North talks about does open some more view of the NS Port Road, which is a good thing. Though they had to install a large chain link fence separating the trail from the active lines.
PS. > I’ve always heard the shoeflies as referred to as “flumes”. Whether that is the official name or not, I do not know.
PPS.> I even bought myself a bike to check out said line. Hopefully I remember how to ride.
Also about the flumes - but that blogger called them “shoefly’s”, and as it seemed he had a good reason, I was just following his form. But I agree that “flumes” make more sense, and I’d seen that term before someplace, too - just couldn’t find it this last go-round. See:
Paul could this opening be a by product of Amtrak rebuilding the high voltage feeders from Atglen ? The pictures I have seen in the past had that ROW almost completely overgrown. That over growth was one small reason for the rebuilding the main one was many poles rusted beyond repair. ?.
I don’t think so. My understanding is that the rebuilt power feeders run basically eastward from Safe Harbor to Philly; the section that just opened is the other direction, to the north of Safe Harbor, and I’ve not seen any mention of new power poles along it.
Many users of the trail where the power lines were rebuilt have noted and complained about the overgrowth; some are saying that it starting to come back. See the reviews from before August 2013 at:
Trail was in the works ever since the line was ripped out by Conrail. (just didn’t get any traction until a few years ago - there were issues b/t the county and the municipalities) . The placement of the new poles was causing a bit of a stir because it would have interfered with the trail plans - I think Amtrak did agree to move them more off to the side or something (just going by my memory).