NE Pa. Tourist Line May Restart in early 2015

The Delaware, Lackawaxen & Stourbridge Railroad may reinstate passenger service early next year in northeast Pennsylvania.

The trains will travel 25 miles of former Erie Railroad track between Honesdale and Lackawaxen. The railroad ended excursion service in September 2012 for financial reasons.

“We want to bring the train back bigger and better than it was before,” said General Manager K.C. Smith.

The Lackawaxen & Honesdale Shippers Association, which owns the DL&S, has has approved agreements allowing the DL&S to restart passenger service.

Paul Brancato, a principal in Ideal Steel Supply Corp., purchased the railroad in May 2008 and hired Morristown & Erie to operate it. M&E had a 10-year operating agreement but pulled out in 2012. The new agreements put control of the line into the hands of DL&S.

The railroad has multiple plans to operate trains. The shippers association owns the locomotive and cars.

The locomotive, former Bangor & Aroostook BL2 No. 54, needs work, as do the tracks. Smith said the work will require a “significant investment.” The tracks are in good shape, but vegetation will need to be removed.

“We can’t wait for it to come back,” said Gail Tucker, executive director of the Greater Honesdale Partnership. She added that the excursions will attract tourist to Honesdale and give a boost to local businesses.

Shipper’s board member Donna LaBar said the excursions had drawn between 10,000 and 15,000 riders a year before the Great Recession began in 2008.

 

 

Tags: Delaware Lackawaxen & Stourbridge Railroad, Pennsylvanian tourist trains, Tourist trains