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America’s oldest short line has reached a significant milestone. Yesterday, the Strasburg Rail Road Co. marked its 175th anniversary.

Chartered in 1832 in Strasburg, Pa., the short line — now one of the country’s busiest tourist railroads — received a proclamation from Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell commemorating the Strasburg’s long history.

In the 1800s, the railroad served as a connecting short line with the Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad and, later, the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Strasburg provided freight- and passenger-rail services.

After World War II, the railroad was nearly abandoned. But the Strasburg was reborn in 1958 as a steam excursion line in Lancaster County.