Where does Rail Car Manufacturing fall within The Rise of Industrial York?
Where does Rail Car Manufacturing fall within The Rise of Industrial York? I ask this question during my presentations on 19th Century Railway Car Builders of York. There is no doubt rail car building was one of the earliest industrial industries in York. These 19th Century manufacturers shipped rail car product all over the United States and exported to foreign countries.
Herein is an index to all of my posts related to 19th Century Railway Car Builders of York County, Pennsylvania. A bulletin board with my upcoming talks on the subject (and several variant talks) is displayed prior to the index.
The first York built rail cars were produced in 1847; by 1852 there were three rail car manufacturers within the Borough of York, and a fourth rail car manufacturer added in Glen Rock during 1854. The York Gazetteer and Business Directory for the Borough in 1856 noted:
Over 1,000 cars of different capacities were turned out, by these three factories during the past year. … Who will say that York is not the place for building cars?
UPCOMING TALKS
Tuesday April 22, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. at the Peoples Bank in Glen Rock –A talk for the Glen Rock Historic Preservation Society will utilize parts of my standard presentation on the railcar builders in the York area in addition to other Rail Events in 1800s Glen Rock Area. A Glen Rock company produced railcars from 1854 until about 1889.
If you have an interest in the early industrial history of York County, I present talks focusing on 19th Century Railcar Builders of York, Pennsylvania; along with a growing list of other subjects.
If you would like to have this talk presented to your organization, contact me via a reply to this post. I have three variations of the standard talk, ranging from the detailed talk lasting 90 minutes to the general talk lasting 60 minutes.
Past Talks on 19th Century Railcar Builders of York, Pennsylvania have included:
- November 7, 2012 –A talk at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Penn State York on the many railcar builders in York during the latter half of the 19th Century. [90 minute talk]
- November 29, 2012 –A talk at the Red Lion Area Historical Society on the key railcar builders in the York area and the impact these competitors had on influencing the route of the Peach Bottom Railway (predecessor of the Ma & Pa). [90 minute talk]
- June 8, 2013 –A talk at the Historical Society Museum, 250 East Market Street, York, PA. This was a Second Saturday Lecture for the York County Heritage Trust. [75 minute talk]
- June 21, 2013 –A talk at Normandie Ridge, 1700 Normande Drive, York, PA. [60 minute talk]
INDEX to All My Posts Related to 19th Century Railway Car Builders of York County, Pennsylvania
General Interest
- York, One of the Earliest Railroad Manufacturing Towns; Phineas Davis
- York Rail Car Manufacturers & Their Influence on the Route of the Ma & Pa Railroad; Two Early Rail Routes went through Loganville and then onto Hanover Junction
- Narrow Gauge Railway Along Stonewood Road in Springettsbury Township and Plot of Daniel Brubaker’s 280-Acres; i.e. location of Camp Security
- Narrow Gauge Railway Along Stonewood Road in Springettsbury Township to the Stony Brook Slate & Brick Company
- Stony Brook Slate & Brick Company with a Narrow Gauge Railway in Springettsbury Township
- Two Railcar Manufacturers were in the City of York during the Civil War; plus Origins of the Empire Car Works
- Michael Schall’s Empire Car Works; plus his Family
- 1865 York County Railroad Proposed from Wrightsville thru Long Level, Apple Grove and Beyond
- Letters to LINCOLN during the Invasion; “Burning bridges on the Northern Central”
- 1925 Article sheds light on President Lincoln photograph at Hanover Junction
- Steam Into History’s York #17 and two other Rogers 4-4-0 Steam Locomotives
- Locomotives that pulled Abraham Lincoln through York County; Lincoln Funeral Train
- York #17 and Leviathan #63 Steam Locomotives; Reenactment of Transcontinental Railroad Golden Spike Ceremony, right here in York County
- Talk on Rail Events in the 1800’s for the Glen Rock area
- Nathaniel Seitz; from Glen Rock ITEM Editor to Stock Car Inventor
- Governor Wolf’s profound impact on York County
- Car Building in York County during 1876
Billmeyer & Small
- Who were Billmeyer & Small?
- Billmeyer & Small image of Charles Billmeyer & David E. Small
- Billmeyer & Small as Central Theme in RAILCAR GOLD
- John D. Denney, Jr., Railroad & Trolley Historian
- Billmeyer & Small Companies’ Spring Garden Car Works
- Saga of Billmeyer & Small; John D. Denney, Jr., Part 2
- The Narrow Gauge Railroad Movement and York; Billmeyer & Small at the Forefront
- Was York First? It’s All In The Details.
- York Car Works of Billmeyer & Small
- Billmeyer & Small Rail Cars Were Also for Export
- Why are Billmeyer & Small still Shipping Rail Cars via the Isthmus and Cape Horn in 1879?
- Billmeyer & Small Company produced a large variety of Specialty Cars
- Billmeyer, Lancaster County named by Son & Son-in-Law of Charles Billmeyer
- George S. Billmeyer of York enters the 1867 Freshman Class at Princeton; another Capital of the United States
- Resemblance is remarkable between Goodridge image of Charles Billmeyer and photo of his son, George S. Billmeyer
- The Quest for Early Billmeyer Photos, with some Success
- George S. Billmeyer; All American Football Player in 1869
- Letter referring to George S. Billmeyer is in the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library
- George S. Billmeyer (1849-1917); Biography from Pennsylvania A History
- Four Generations of Billmeyer Family History; from the Immigrant Jacob to Andrew to Daniel to Charles
- #21 Billmeyer & Small Company in York; and their Susquehanna Steam Saw Mills in Wrightsville
RAILCAR GOLD
Every Thursday, I post the next part of my RAILCAR GOLD novel; a historically accurate multi-generational fictional tale of hidden treasure primarily set in York County during the later half of the Nineteenth Century. By happenstance, the main character passes through York, is befriended by Charles Billmeyer and decides to stay. The main character spends the greater part of his life associated with the rail car manufacturing business Billmeyer & Small.
Generally every Tuesday I write the next few pages of RAILCAR GOLD; to do so, I dig into my files of historical background that might be associated with that part of the story. Here is an index to the chapters written thus far:
- Chapter 1 Eureka
- Chapter 2 Orphan
- Chapter 3 Missing
- Chapter 4 Stowaway
- Chapter 5 Westward
- Chapter 6 Independence
- Chapter 7 Driver
- Chapter 8 Rebels
- Chapter 9 Lincoln
- Chapter 10 Work
- Chapter 11 Princeton
- Chapter 12 Narrow
- Chapter 13 PeachBottom
- Chapter 14 Centennial
- Chapter 15 Export
