18 Years and Three Views at Irishtown Road.

In 2007, I was researching a book at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. The museum’s Kurt Bell suggested that I make some photos at Irishtown Road in nearby Bird-in-Hand, which was one of the few remaining grade crossings on Amtrak’s Harrisburg Line, the former Pennsylvania Main Line via Lancaster.

Working with a Canon EOS-3 and 24mm lens, I made several Fujichrome color slides on a warm evening.

Since moving to Lancaster County, I’ve revisited Irishtown Road on several occasions. The public crossing was closed a number of years ago and the road redirected.

Below are three comparision photos. While these are all exposed from the same approximate vantage point, in my recent images I’ve not tried to exactly replicate the light and angle of my 2007 photo.

Amtrak’s westward Keystone passes Irishtown Road on 25 September 2007. An Amtrak AEM-7 works at the back of the three-car consist. Since this photo was exposed, Amtrak closed the crossing and removed the grade crossing signals. The road on both sides of the crossing was relocated.
Irishtown Road with an Amtrak Keystone in June 2004.
Amtrak Keystone 664 works east behind ACS-64 656 at Irishtown Road on 17 May 2025. Nikon Z7-II photo.

In 1963, my father also made photos near this crossing. In those days, Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 and E44 electrics were the rule of the day. Working with scans from his old slides, I may try to replicate his images at a later date.

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