The “Tour De Lunch” group 2022

 

 

The hostess with the hostess, Gerri and Steve providing a great bike ride the “Tour De Lunch” and party for 18 years and our ride group with phots above and and following 

The Tour De Lunch, takes place on the Northern Central Railroad trail or (NCR) trail

                                                                                                           F.                                                                                                               for 134 Years, from 1838 to 1972, the Northern Central Railroad connected Washington to Baltimore to York PA. The railroad stopped operating due to decline is train business and due the the hurricane Agnus and the flood that destroyed many rail bridges in about 1972. 

The current trail is designated as the “Hall of Fame” for “Rails to Trails”

 

The NCR train line and now the NCR Rail to Trail, follows the Gunpowder river for much of the way towards Pennsylvania providing beautiful views along the way

While the train operated over those 134 years, it encouraged the growth of small towns such as: Ashland, Phoenix, Sparks, Glencoe, Corbett, Monkton, White Hall, Parkton, Bentley Springs, and Freeland. The old Monkton railroad station below. The Railroad was a major link in the exchange of goods between these rural communities and the City of Baltimore. These included flour, paper, milk and farm products, coal, and later the U.S. Mail. The Monkton Train Station below 

 

Those towns had operating businesses and below is a photo of an old bank that operated in Parkton decades ago that is now converted to a home and this is where we started from below 

 

 

Because of the stations there are  old hotels along the route like the one below that is now a personal home

During the Civil War, hundreds of Union soldiers were transported south on the railroad. Abraham Lincoln traveled on the Northern Central on his way to deliver his famous Gettysburg Address, and later his body would be transported to Harrisburg via these same rails after his assassination. Increasing truck and automobile transportation marked the decline of the railroad, and in 1972 Hurricane Agnes washed out bridges and made the line impassable. I was here for Agnes and it totally took out some bridges including the one in Monkton. In 1984, DNR converted the abandoned right-of-way into a multi-use trail

Ok onto our “Tour De Lunch”. The “Tour De Lunch” is a bike ride that was started about 18 years ago by Gerri and Steve Leder. The “Tour De Lunch” Ride has started on various positions on the Norther central Railroad (NCR trail) which begins in the town Ashland Maryland. Here is a shot of our group this year 2022 

Starting our at Parkton and shot riding up to New Freedom  below 

 

Upon Arrival at New Freedom there was a festival happening with great art works below 

And the train was getting ready to leave below

 

Then we went to Paesano’s and we had a great lunch

Part of our lunch group below

 

and then we visited the Norther Central Railway Museum below with great gold train art and the town was filled with art below as well 

Ok then we headed back home after a great day of riding and various shots of that day below 

 

here are more photos below