All dressed up and ready to go at Rail Mechanical!

Workers rolled out another completed train car at Rail Mechanical Services, Inc. in Columbia on Friday. In conjunction with Kinsley Education Center, the company builds and refurbishes train cars for railroad companies and museums. Building the cars affords apprentices the opportunity to learn construction trades as part of an apprenticeship program offered by Kinsley.

Instructor Steve Taylor led a team of over half a dozen apprentices, who built up the vehicle from the steel base of an older train car, using wood from old buildings in York County, as well as newer lumber to finish out the project. The car was built on-site at the Columbia location.

The car pictured here was on its way to Steam Into History, Inc. an organization in New Freedom, PA that operates a steam train and promotes York County's role in the Civil War.

The completed car about to leave.

The car was pushed from the construction building.

. . . and onto a waiting flatbed trailer.

Workers exercised extreme caution during the loading process, stopping several times to make sure the car was "on track."

Finally loaded, the car was secured to the trailer bed and transported to New Freedom.

According to a spokesman, train rails will eventually be installed that will connect with existing lines to allow for rail transport of newly built cars, eliminating the need for truck hauling.

The car was built up from an older train car bed, similar to the one shown here.

Columbia on the Susquehanna on Vimeo

For a spectacular video of the borough by Columbia filmmaker Jerry King Musser, 

GO HERE:
http://vimeo.com/m/100463202

Columbia bypass groundbreaking ceremony

(Click on the pic for a larger view.)

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Columbia bypass project was held today at 9 a.m. at Cedar and Second streets in Columbia. 

State, county and local officials, including Columbia Mayor Leo Lutz, Borough Manager Sam Sukolsky, Former Borough Manager Norm Meiskey, State Representative Dave Hickernell, State Senator Mike Brubaker and others, spoke at the ceremony.

When completed, the bypass will reroute heavy truck traffic along the borough's perimeter. Currently, trucks travel along Route 441 through Third Street and down Locust Street, essentially cutting though the center of town.

The total cost of the project is almost $20.4 million, according to PennDOT spokesman Greg Penny.

Groundbreaking Friday for Route 441 project in Columbia

A groundbreaking ceremony for the relocation project will be held Friday at 9 a.m. in the borough.

The public event will be held at Cedar and Second streets. In case of rain, the ceremony will be held at the River Park pavilion.

MORE:
http://m.lancasteronline.com/columbia/news/groundbreaking-friday-for-route-project-in-columbia/article_8ad5dfce-06cd-11e4-8a64-0017a43b2370.html?mode=jqm

Jerry King Musser took the following photographs today showing the progress of the bypass project.

(Used with permission)

Fox43 reports on mayflies

http://fox43.com/2014/07/10/mayfly-invasion-a-good-thing-experts-say/

Fox 43's Melissa Nardo did her five o'clock report from the Veterans' Memorial Bridge.

The topic: mayflies, whose carcasses have accumulated in large piles on the bases of the new bridge lights.

Lancaster man dies after jumping from moving car in West Hempfield

In the area of 15th and Manor streets just southeast of Columbia, Beattie jumped from the left rear of the SUV while it was moving.

MORE:
http://m.lancasteronline.com/news/local/lancaster-man-dies-after-jumping-from-moving-car-near-columbia/article_286ffbbc-0835-11e4-9597-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm

'Like a hail storm.' Mayfly blitz from new lights swarm drivers on bridge between Columbia and Wrightsville

The intensity of the swarms amazed even those who have long lived along the river and are used to such phenomena.

MORE:
http://m.lancasteronline.com/news/local/like-a-hail-storm-mayfly-blitz-from-new-lights-swarm/article_2071152c-06e1-11e4-a8d5-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm