This volume by Jerry Hartzler, subtitled 'A History of the Kishacoquillas Railway' could be one of the classic shortline history sleepers of our time. It encapsulates all of the rich warmth of an old diary rescued from a musty trunk in the attic of an historic Victorian mansion... <more>

A well written and carefully researched history of a "backwoods" short line in the heart of Pennsylvania. Ample attention is given to finances, passenger service, personnel, anecdotes, disasters, trackage rights, the K.V. Studebaker rail car and the final abandonment in 1940 after 47 years of life. One of the most enjoyable railroad histories that we have seen.

This seems to be a good year for new books on vanished Pennsylvania short lines. The H&BTM RR series is started, the Bellefonte Central RR will be getting a book-length treatment, and now the story of the Kishacoquillas Valley RR is in print. No, it was not narrow gauge, but the "Ol' Hook & Eye" was hard to beat for shortline charm. <more>

Over on the other side of Jacks Mountain, in Big Valley, the 9 1/2 mile Kishacoquillas Valley Railroad connected Belleville with the outside world at Reedsville and Lewistown from 1892 to 1940. Now, 48 years after the 48-year-old standard gauge road was abandoned, a new 170-page six by nine inch booklet provides a thoroughly informative and entertaining look at the KVRR. <more>

From the backwoods of Pennsylvania comes The Ol' Hook & Eye - A History of the Kishocoquillas Valley Railroad. Author John G. Hartzler begins by teaching us how to pronounce this railroad's Indian name, then waxes wonderfully nostalgic about the KV... <more>

When the passengers of Amtrak's Pennsylvanian or Broadway Limited pause at the Lewistown, Pa. station west of Harrisburg on the old Pennsylvania Railroad mainline, no train of the Kishacoquillas Valley Railroad is waiting at the station, nor has one been for many years. But from 1928 to 1940, the KV ran passenger trains over the PRR branch that joined the main line at Lewistown... <more>

"The Ol' Hook & Eye," subtitled "A History of the Kishacoquillas Valley Railroad" is an interesting new (1988) book by John G. Hartzler. The book has 170 9"x6" pages, printed on good quality coated stock. It is professionally typset, with an attractive typeface and 110 very well-reproduced photographs... <more>

The Kishacoquillas Valley Railroad was a shortline that ran in the state of Pennsylvania, northwest of Harrisburg, Southeast of State College. It ran from Belleville to Reedsville, a distance of nine miles and existed from 1893 until 1940. It used second hand Pennsy equipment and ran through some beautiful scenery. It was strictly steam powered and had passenger service. It would be an ideal railroad to model if you were looking for something of this nature. The tank industry photo on page 71 alone makes the book worthwhile. There are plenty of other pictures also to allow you to detail things. Even though intended as a history book, it caught my eye from the modeling standpoint. <less>

The nine-mile Kishacoquillas Valley served agricultural, forestry and later manufacturing needs of the small central Pennsylvania town of Belleville, near Lewistown, connecting with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Reedsville. <more>