3 replies to this topic

[EllisSimon]

Last Thursday, my wife, Tracey, accompanied me for a trip to New Hope, PA, to ride the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad, a steam train operation that's an easy day trip from Long Island. New Hope, a tiny hamlet on the west bank of the Delaware River about 15 miles north of Trenton, is a popular spot with day trippers because of its antique stores, art galleries, 18th and 19th Century architecture, restaurants, B&Bs and home of the Bucks County Playhouse, one of the oldest U.S. summer stock theatres still in operation. The railroad, which began operation in the mid 1960s on a former Reading RR branch, is just one more reason to go. A good date for rail buffs; you get the train, she gets the stores <G>. It took us just under two hours to reach New Hope, and we were there in time to ride the 12 noon train. The 11 am run was returning to the station just as we pulled into the parking lot. However, we opted for the 2 pm run since the noon and 1 pm trains were story hour specials charging an extra fare that we didn't care to pay. Instead, we went to an Italian restaurant around the corner for lunch and browsed in the shops until it was train time. A little before 2 pm we boarded our train and waited for departure. There were approximately 40 passengers riding with us, most of whom were Japanese tourists. They all opted for the "parlor" car, a former Reading heavyweight coach that was air conditioned and outfitted with tables and a cafe that sold drinks and snacks. We also went into the parlor car to purchase beverages (for the obscene price of $2.75) and then retreated to the second car, an open air Reading coach that we had to ourselves. At 2 pm, the engineer gave a toot on the whistle and we were off. Our power was old #40, a 2-8-0 type that we were told originally ran on the Lancaster & Chester, a South Carolina short line. The nine-mile round trip took just 45 minutes, including 10 minutes for the locomotive to run around our train at Lahaska siding, the end of the excursion (The railroad actually runs to Warminster, where at one time a connection was offered to SEPTA commuter trains.). Along the way we crossed several trestles, ran through forests and valleys and past farms and new luxury homes in Bucks County: a lot of scenery in a little distance. But, to me the main attraction was riding in the open air car, listening to the sounds of the engine and reliving leisurely travel from that earlier period 100 years ago when train was THE WAY to go and nobody gave a second thought to spending an entire day traveling in coach to reach a city or village a few hundred miles away on a remote branch line. After our train returned to New Hope, I walked a few hundred yard to a bridge where I was able to photograph the locomotive on its next run as it crossed over the line's number one scenic attraction, the "Perils of Pauline" trestle, which was the setting for the early serial of that title. Then we did more window shopping and stopped for ice cream before walking back to our car along the towpath of the old Delaware Canal, which, we were told, is still in place as far as Easton. After looking at some rail equipment in the yard, including former Union Pacific and CSX six-axle diesel locomotives, we got back in our car and headed back to New York. Along the way, we learned about the blackout, but, fortunately, it did little to impede our progress, other than having to be extra cautions at intersections where the traffic lights were out.

[KevinKorell]

Ellis, Thanks for that report. Several years ago, there was another tourist railroad within walking distance of the NH&I. The Black River & Western RR makes its usual bread-and-butter runs between Flemington, NJ and Ringoes, NJ (the latter is its headquarters, while the former has a station within an outlet mall and thus attracts lots of families already in a tourist mode). For a while they operated a Sunday-only train that originated in Ringoes and ran further south to Lambertville. It was possible, therefore, on a Sunday, to go all the way from Flemington to Ringoes behind steam, change to another train (diesel) from Ringoes to Lambertville, and then walk over the bridge crossing the Delaware River and ride the NH&I behind steam to Lahaska...and then reverse the process. For want of time, I drove to Ringoes and did the southern BR&W and the NH&I in one day. I also got to ride the other part out of Warminster about three years ago. The tourist train stopped at the SEPTA platform, which is much longer that it has to be since SEPTA only runs two-car MU's on weekends on that line. The trip out of Warminster passed through the railroad's other namesake, Ivyland, and went onward -- although not as far as Lahaska where there New Hope train turns around. Some trains have run all the way through, mostly railfan specials. Unfortunately, the southern portion of the NH&I out of Warminster, like the Ringoes-Lambertville BR&W run, are no longer in service.

[AlanB]

After looking at some rail equipment in the yard, including former Union Pacific and CSX six-axle diesel locomotives, we got back in our car and headed back to New York. Along the way, we learned about the blackout, but, fortunately, it did little to impede our progress, other than having to be extra cautions at intersections where the traffic lights were out.

Boy were you lucky Ellis, because for a while I was hearing that all bridges and tunnels into NYC were closed, just like they were on 9/11. You could just as easily have found yourselves stranded in NJ.

Nice report though, by the way! Thanks.

[EllisSimon]

Several years ago we went to Lambertville for the Shad festival. The town was so crowded that we had to park in New Hope and walk across the bridge (and state line) to attend the festivities. While we were there, we saw the BR&W steam train arrive from Flemington. (We also road a diesel-powered shuttle that was giving free rides.) Thus I had the rare pleasure of hearing steam locomotive whistles from two sides of the river as the NH&I was running fill tilt that day.