Are there any train rides, events, or attractions worth taking in this weekend (August 29-30) in the Allentown, PA area? Thank you.
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
You're one week too late...
You missed a great ride behind 765 from Bethlehem/Allentown to Pittston and Jim Thorpe. I rode it. Next weekend after this the 765 pulls long trips from Scranton toward Delaware Water Gap and East Stroudsburg. The Nicholson/Binghamton runs in mid Sept are cancelled due to insurance issues with Canadian Pacific, NS isn't the owner of the tracks yet.
Just to clarify Robert K's post, the 765 does not run at Steamtown THIS weekend. We run there on Labor Day weekend. Tickets are still available for those trips. You can purchase tickets for those trips here...
The Phoebe Snow trip on Saturday 9/5 to Delaware Water Gap
The East Stroudsburg Special trip on Monday 9/7 to East Stroudsburg
I corrected my post to mean the following weekend which is the first weekend in Sept.
The Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway at Jim Thorpe is running with custom-painted diesel 426
The Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern departs Kempton at 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 4:00 PM
Philipsburg, NJ has the Bel-Del #142 if it's running, sometimes they use a diesel if #142 is down for servicing or in the off season. 765 is running out of Steamtown next weekend twice, Sat and Mon Sept. 5 and 7. Both on the DL Pocono route. #425 is running from Duryea to Jim Thorpe in Sept. and Port Clinton to JT in Oct. possibly at Schuylkill Haven late Sept. There's also the Colebrookdale in Boyertown, and the new railroad at Kutztown, both diesel power, and Black River in Flemington, NJ, they have #60 running on certain dates. There's just no more Norfolk Southern steam trips in PA this year, Allentown to Pittston was the only one in conjunction with the Reading and Northern.
I was visiting family in Hazleton yesterday afternoon. On the way home, passing through Tamaqua, I saw smoke and steam and heard a bell near the Tamaqua train station. I pulled into the parking lot, and there was 425, uncoupled from her train, taking on water a few hundred feet ahead behind a store where there was a standpipe and hose. I got a picture on my phone of the train cars and the back of 425, but when I walked up to 425 to get a good picture of her, I kept on getting a "memory full" message on my phone! ARRGH! I cleared out pictures but not enough to clear out the memory. So, the great picture got away...but I still had a nice late afternoon with 425, smelling coal smoke.
