Whistlestop at Company Shops

Click for larger image
Carneal Gilbert Collection

The Aston, named for the Greek word meaning "star" built by R. Norris & Son, Philadelphia. Put into service July 1855. Shown here at Company Shops circa 1880.

Company Shops consisted of brand new buildings designed and constructed to maintain and repair track, cars, and locomotives. There were 2 machine shops, a carpenter shop, blacksmith shop, dry kiln, foundry, boiler room, turntable, coal house, wheel house, passenger shed, engine house, privy, gantry crane, and a track scale. Tracks connected all of the main buildings so that engines and cars could be driven indoors for service.
By the time these structures were complete, the NCRR owned enough rolling stock to keep the Shops and workers bustling. The first engine, named Traho for the Latin verb "I pull," arrived at Company Shops in February 1854. The Traho, built by R. Norris & Son of Philadelphia, was a gravel engine built for use in completing the roadbed still under construction. By 1861 the NCRR owned 43 Norris & Son Engines.