Santa Trains Set Behind Steam in Pennsylvania

Santa Claus will be coming to town in December behind steam in Pennsylvania.

Former Central Railroad of New Jersey 0-6-0 No. 113 will pull Santa trains on the Reading & Northern, Railfan and Railroad magazine reported on its website.

The Santa trains will run on Dec. 10 and 11 from Minnersville, Pennsylvania. Trains will depart at 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

No. 113 was built by American Locomotive Company 100 years ago. It is the only operating ex-CNJ steam locomotive in existence.

More information can be found at https://railfan.com/on-eve-of-100th-birthday-cnj-0-6-0-to-power-santa-trains/

Steam Excursion Helped R&N Engineer Pay Medical Bills

A Reading & Northern locomotive engineer who has been a mainstay behind the throttle of a former Central of New Jersey 0-6-0 steam locomotive was the beneficiary of a special excursion featuring the steamer.

Chris Bost is battling the autoimmune disease chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy.

Bost received a check for $12,000 to help pay his medical expenses. The fund-raising was led by the Railway Restoration Project 113 of Minersville, Pennsylvania.

The non-profit group restored the CNJ Alco-built locomotive and has operated it on the R&N since 2012..

It ran a June 19 trips whose proceeds went to Bost for his medical expenses.

Bost is reported to be making slow but steady progress in recovering from the disease through courses of immunoglobulin therapy and physical therapy.

He is not expected to return to work at the R&N until sometime next year.

R&N workers have donated at least 60 vacation days so Bost can continue to draw full pay instead of disability.

Those who worked on the excursion donated their time.

Group Gets Grant to Rebuild CNJ No. 113

The Railway Restoration Project 113 has received a $5,000 grant from the John H. Emery Railway Trust that will be used to pay for running gear work on Central Railroad of New Jersey  No. 113

The 0-6-0 operates on Pennsylvania short line Reading & Northern, but will be ferried to Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, this winter for wheel, axle and side rod work.

Built in 1923 by Alco, the 113 has been restored to operating condition by volunteers.

It is slated to operate on Sept. 24 for Schuylkill Haven Borough Day and lead a series of holiday excursions on Dec. 4 and 18 out of Minersville, Pennsylvania.

CNJ Steam Locomotive to Pull Easter Trips

Railway Restoration Project 113 plans to offer steam-powered Eastern trains in eastern Pennsylvanian on March 19 over the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern.

The trains will be pulled by former Central Railroad of New Jersey 0-6-0 No. 113 and will depart from the Minersville Station at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

The route of the train will be southward through Marlin, Westwood Junction, Cressona, and Schuylkill Haven over track once owned by the Reading Company.

No. 113 was built by Alco in 1923 and is one of just two CNJ steam locomotives to survive.

The Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Corporation bought the engine in 1953 and operated it at the company’s Locust Summit, Pennsylvania, coal breaker until 1960.

After several years of neglect, No. 113 was acquired by Robert E. Kimmel Sr. of Minersville.

His son Robert Jr. led a 12-year restoration project that cost about $600,000.

No. 113 is one of the few standard gauge locomotives in the United States that burns anthracite coal.

For more information about the trips visit http://www.rrproject113.org/#!Easter-Trains-coming-March-19th/c12hj/569d9a9c0cf2dd2c1662236b