When the Strasburg Rail Road was chartered in 1832, no one anticipated the myriad of obstacles the short line would encounter. What began as an afterthought in the early 19th century eventually became one of America's premier steam train excursions and the most visited heritage railroad in the continental United States. By 1957, the declining condition of its rails and the lack of freight and passenger service seemed to mark the end of the railroad, but it was given new life in 1958, and not even the wildest imagination foresaw the remarkable transformation and development this "Methuselah of railroads" would undergo. This book chronicles the unlikely success of America's oldest continuously operating railroad. Explore how and why Strasburg's four-and-a-half-mile line survived, and discover the story behind its ascension to prominence as an iconic, internationally known, small-town steam railroad. The Images of Rail series celebrates the history of rail, trolley, streetcar, and subway transportation across the country. Using archival photography, each title presents the people, places, and events that helped revolutionize transportation and commerce in 19th and 20th-century America. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all. Book jacket. Read Less