Everett Acquires 2 Heavyweight Cars

A Pennsylvania short line railroad has acquired two heavyweight passengers from a defunct California tourist railroad.

The Everett Railroad plans to operate the cars on its own tourist trains.

The cars were recently prepared for shipping from the Fillmore & Western Railway via Union Pacific.

The cars being acquired by the Everett include Powhatan Café, a parlor car built by Pullman for the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad; and the Rancho Sespe — named for a large Fillmore ranch — which was once operated by the Colorado & Southern Railway.

R&N Sets Iron Horse Rambles Schedule

The Reading & Northern has finalized its 2022 Iron Horse Rambles excursion schedule featuring restored T-1 4-8-4 No. 2102.

The former Reading Company steamer was overhauled in a $2.4 million project for the Pennsylvania-based regional railroad.

It will pull excursions between Reading and Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, on May 28, July 2, Aug. 13 and Sept. 3.

The May 28 trip is already sold out. Tickets in five classes of seating are still available for the other excursions.

Fare are not based on the age of the passenger and include standard coach for $99, crown class coach for $110, Pullman car private rooms for $299 per room for up to two people, first class dome car seating for $199, first class lounge car for $199, and first class lounge observation car for $210.

R&N owner Andy Muller, Jr. purchased the 2102 in 1986 and operated it in excursion service until it was put into storage in 1991.

The 2102 is one of four surviving T-1 steam locomotives and at one time pulled trips in Northeast Ohio.

Iron Horse Rambles tickets can be purchased at  www.rbmnrr-passenger.com, or by phone at 610-562-2102.

Historic Pennsylvania Tunnel Reopened

A Pennsylvania tourist railroad has reopened a stretch of track that includes the Howard Tunnel near York.

The Northern Central Railway on June 26 ran its replica 4-4-0 steam locomotive to celebrate the occasion.

It was the first revenue service train to pass through the tunnel in more than two decades. The track is a former Pennsylvania Railroad line that once linked York with Baltimore.

Much of the route was abandoned by Penn Central after suffering severe damage by Hurricane Agnes in 1972.

Howard Tunnel is the third oldest railroad tunnel in the nation. Completed in 1838, the 370-foot bricked-lined tunnel is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The rail line itself was built in the 1830s. The segment between New Freedom and York was acquired by the state in order to preserve it.

There is a connection at New Freedom with the Stewartstown Railroad.

The 4-4-0 that ran last weekend was built by Kloke Locomotive Works.

Pa. Tourist Railroad Acquires Steam Locomotive

The Colebrooke Railroad has acquired former Rio Grande Scenic Railroad 2-8-0 No. 18.

The locomotive was built by Alco in 1910 in Pittsburgh for the Lake Superior & Ishpeming in Upper Michigan.

The acquisition comes after the railroad had said it was seeking funding to launch a steam program this year.

Some funding to buy No. 18 came from the Maguire Family Foundation.

Ozark Mountain Railcar helped to handle the transaction of the locomotive, which came via a liquidation of locomotives and rolling stock from the bankrupt Iowa Pacific Holdings.

It will be shipped on a flatcar from Alamosa, Colorado, to Boyertown, Pennsylvania on a flat car.

No. 18 has a year to go before its boiler requires a 1,472-day inspection and will join Grand Trunk Western 4-6-2 No. 5030, purchased in February from the City of Jackson, Michigan.

The latter locomotive needs extensive restoration work before it came become operable.

The Colebrooke operates a tourist line between Pottstown and Boyertown.

Pa. Tourist Railroad Lands Grant

A Pennsylvania tourist railroad has received a $176,470 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to create a multimedia educational program on the railroad’s history.

The Colebrookdale Railroad, which operated nine miles of track between Boyerstown and Pottstown, received the money as part of a grant program to help educational and cultural programs survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding will be established to create a virtual and on-site Rails of the Revolution program for children in grades 3-8.

The grant was one of 317 grants awarded to 2,300 applicants.

In the meantime, the Colebrookdale has yet to reopen during the pandemic and has not said when it will resume operations.

Flooding Damages Pa. Tourist Railroads

Flooding recently damaged a Pennsylvania-based tourist railroad, forcing the cancellation of Labor Day weekend activities.

Much of the damage occurred at the Muddy Creek Forks village museum of the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad.

The A.M. Grove general store, the flour mill and the museum shop building suffered water and mud damage.

Ties and lumber were carried away by the water and several pieces of rolling stock sustained water damage.

Flooding also damaged the tracks of the railroad with the worst damage occurring at Guinston Forge Road, where a 32-foot plate girder bridge was swept from its abutments.

The railroad is hoping to clean up as much damage as possible so it can continue with plans for its annual Heritage Day event on Sept. 22.

The flooding also affected the nearby Stewartstown Railroad, which saw track under water at least one location and mud and gravel deposited on the track near Shrewsbury.

Colebrook Offering Restoration Program

The Pennsylvania-based Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust along with Restoration Works International are sponsoring what they are billing as one of the only U.S.-based railroad restoration programs open to the public.

The event will be held Aug. 3 to 8, in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, and involve hands-on historic restoration.

Among the tasks to be performed by the participants will be painting and staining rail cars, lamp posts, and fences; cleaning train interiors and exteriors; and landscaping work at the station.

The event is suitable for children aged 10 and older.

The week-long event cost $1,100, which includes overnight accommodations, breakfast and lunch, tours, and a farewell dinner aboard the train.

The sponsors are considering the trip fee to be a charitable donation.

Discounts are available for those sharing a room, as well as for children younger than 17 sharing a room with a parent or guardian.