Steamtown Announces Fall Foliage Trips

Steamtown National Historic Site has announced its slate of eight fall foliage excursions that will operate next month. Ticket sales begin on Sept. 24. The schedule includes the following trips:

Moscow, Pennsylvania, excursions on Oct. 14 and 21 will depart Steamtown at 12:30 p.m. and return about 3 p.m. Light refreshments served on board will benefit the park’s Boston & Maine No. 3713 project.

An East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, trip to the borough’s fall foliage festival on Oct. 7 will depart Steamtown at 9:30 a.m. and return about 4:30 p.m.

A Tobyhanna Station, Pennsylvania,  excursion on Oct. 7 will depart Steamtown at 11 a.m. and return about 3 p.m.

A Carbondale, Pennsylvania,  special excursion with Baldwin 0-6-0 No. 26 on Columbus Day (Monday, Oct. 9) will travel through the Lackawanna Valley. Train leaves Steamtown at 10 a.m. and returns at 4 p.m.

A Delaware Water Gap Station trip on Oct. 15 departs Steamtown at 9 a.m. and returns about 5 p.m.

A Cresco, Pennsylvania,  trip on Oct. 22 will feature an excursion through the Pocono Mountains. The train departs Steamtown at 11:30 a.m. and returns about 4 p.m.

A Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania,  Halloween-themed trip on Sunday, Oct. 29, leaves Steamtown at 11 a.m. and returns about 3 p.m.

The 30-minute Scranton Limited excursions will operate inside park boundaries on Fridays and Saturdays through Nov 11.

Steamtown Sets Railfest Activities

Steamtown National Historic Site will be holding a Railfest weekend on Sept. 2 and 3 featuring the theme of the transition from steam to diesel.

Diesel-powered excursions to Moscow, Pennsylvania, will run both days, departing Steamtown at 12:30 p.m. and returning around 3 p.m.

Other excursions will include shorter train rides on the Scranton Limited and an expanded schedule at the Lackawanna County’s Electric City Trolley Museum.

There will also be hand car rides, blacksmithing demonstrations, locomotive shop tours, presentations from railroad publishers, preservation groups, and entertainment by local musicians and other performers.

The Erie-Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society will an evening dinner and entertainment activity during after-hours events on Friday and Saturday.

A 7,500-pound 1925-built Whitcomb gasoline-powered locomotive will be on display. It is on loan from the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The Railfest activities and programs are included in the park’s $7 daily entrance fee.

Steamtown Sets Summer, Fall Excursions

Steamtown National Historic Site has announced its slate of summer and autumn excursions, the first of which will run on July 22.

Among the destinations are the Pennsylvania cities of Moscow, Tobyhanna, Gouldsboro, Cresco, East Stroudsburg, and Delaware Water Gap Township.

The calendar also included Railfest 2017 on Sept. 2 and 3 with train rides to Moscow on both days.

All excursions include light snacks and refreshments and some excursions will feature local music and entertainment options.

The park will continue to offer shorter Scranton Limited  train rides that operate daily except Sunday.

Those depart four times a day from the museum’s main area for a trip through the rail yards of the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad in Scranton.

Shorter excursions are typically pulled by Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-6-0 No. 26, while longer excursions are assigned Delaware, Lackawanna & Western cab units.

The entrance fee to Steamtown is $7 for adults. Children ages 15 and under when accompanied by an adult receive free admission.

Free Steamtown Admission on April 22-23

The National Park Service is offering free admission to Steamtown National Historic Site on April 22 and 23 to celebrate the 101^st anniversary of the national park system.

The Park Service said free admission also will be offered on Sept. 30 for National Public Lands Day and Nov. 11-12 for the Veteran’s Day weekend.

Steamtown plans to have Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-6-0 No. 26 fired up for the April event and offer short train rides around the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western rail yard for $5. Locomotive No. 26 returned to regular service in 2016.

Steamtown Drew 99,000 Plus in 2016

Steamtown National Historical Site reported this week that it drew more than 99,000 visitors in 2016.

That was a 10 percent increase over the 89,500 who came in 2015. The park drew 84,200 in 2014.

Steamtown Superintendent Deborah Conway said visitation last year might have topped 100,000 but for poor weather in December. Steamtown last drew more than 100,000 visitors in 2012.

Park officials attributed the uptick in visitors in 2016 to the return of steam locomotive powered excursions and the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

Through 2000, Steamtown regularly attracted more than 150,000 visitors, hosting 211,000 in 1995. The low point was 2006 when visitation bottomed out at 61,000.

By comparison, the California State Railroad museum draws nearly 500,000 a year and the B&O Railroad Museum has annual attendance around 200,000.

Steamtown’s Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-6-0 No. 26 pulled short trips around Scranton, Pennsylvania, during 2016.

Steamtown to Have 10 Free Days in 2017

Steamtown National Historical Site will offer free admission on 10 days in 2017.

The dates are Jan. 16; Feb. 20; April 15, 16, 22 and 23; Aug. 25; Sept. 30; and Nov. 11 and 12. The park said that the free admission days coincide with federal holidays and the National Park Week in April.

The free admission does not include train rides or excursions, but does allow admission to the visitor center and museum facilities. Admission is normally $7 per person.

Steamtown said it typically hosts 90,000 people a year.

Steamtown to Have Free Day Nov. 11

Steamtown National Historic Site will offer free admission to all on Nov. 11 in honor of Veteran’s Day.

The fee-free weekend will include complimentary admission to the grounds, museum complex exhibits, and scheduled walking tours.

However train rides and other amenity fees will continue to be collected.

Active duty service members will be able to receive a free annual park pass that provides access to all federal lands, including national parks and wildlife refuges.

The Scranton Limited will offer 30-minute train rides inside the park boundaries on Saturdays through Nov. 19 and the Nay Aug Limited will offer trips every Sunday through Nov. 27.

Steamtown Plans Holiday Trains

Holiday trains will be operated by Steamtown National Historic Site and the Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railroad Historical Society.

The diesel-powered trains will run Nov. 25 through the 27 from Scranton to Moscow, Pennsylvania.

There will be five round-trip excursions named the Holiday Express. All trips will feature a visit from Santa Claus and other holiday-themed festivities.

Tickets will go on Oct. 11 at 9 a.m.

Steamtown to Have 10 Fall Excursions

Steamtown National Historical Site has announced it will sponsor 10 diesel-powered foliage excursions. They include:

• Round-trip excursions from Steamtown to Gouldsboro on Oct. 1 and 29. Train leaves at 11 a.m. and returns at 3 p.m. on both days.

• Round-trip excursions from Steamtown to Moscow on Oct. 2, 10, 15 and 22. The four round-trip excursions will depart at 12:30 p.m. and return at 3 p.m.

• East Stroudsburg excursion on Oct. 8 to the borough’s annual Fall Foliage Festival and fireman’s picnic. The round-trip excursion departs Steamtown at 9 a.m. and returns at 5 p.m.

• Tobyhanna Station excursion on Oct. 9 will depart Steamtown at 11 a.m. and return at 3 p.m.

• An excursion to the Delaware Water Gap Station will take place on Oct. 16. It will depart Steamtown at 9 a.m. and return at 5 p.m.

• Round-trip excursion from Steamtown to Cresco on Oct. 23 featuring live entertainment and light refreshments.

The 30-minute Scranton Limited excursions will operate during weekends in September and October on the grounds of Steamtown.

Tickets for the foliage trips go on sale on Sept. 23. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/stea

Steamtown Announces July Excursions

Steamtown National Historic Site has announced its July excursion schedule. All trips will be pulled by diesel locomotives and will operate wholly within Pennsylvania.

• July 9 excursion from Steamtown to Olyphant and return.
  • July 10, 17, and 31 excursion from Steamtown to Moscow and return.
  • July 16 excursion from Steamtown to Gouldsboro and return.
  • July 23 excursion from Steamtown to Tobyhanna and return.
  • July 24 excursion from Steamtown to Cresco and return.
  • July 30 excursion from Steamtown to East Stroudsburg and return.

All end points are in Pennsylvania. Ticket proceeds for the trips to Moscow will be used to support the restoration of Boston & Maine steam locomotive No. 3713.