Hello All

Haven't seen this one advertised much (which seems to be the norm for Steamtown specials) but this one sounds like fun. On monday October 14 Steamtown will be running a trip to Tobyhanna PA and back. True its not an all day jaunt (only about 50 miles r.t.), but its certainly welcome in the steam-hungry Northeast.

The Steamtown shop has worked hard to keep both mainline steamers on the road this year, this will be a good opportunity to see one of the mainline engines stretch its legs. I believe this is only a single-engine trip, not a double-header

Trip leaves at 11:00 and returns around 2:30. Price is $25 for adults, which is great is you want to introduce your family to a steam excursion and can't afford those $200 dollar trips. Hopefully my fiance hasn't made other plans for me already.....

Reg Lewis

boredinnepa@yahoo.com

Reg,

That's a nice ride as you get to experience the whole hill up to Lehigh Summit. It is well worth $25.

I wonder if we'll start seeing some "to Scranton" trips?

Given that the NPS site is a good destination, it might be worth the consideration to run steam trips to Scranton with a 3 or 4 hour layover. The Susie-Q and sponsors have done this, but not Steamtown.

Even a local jaunt from Carbondale or Wilkes-Barre might fill a train. Better yet, how about down the river from Tunkhannock on the R&N/LV?

Might be worth the thought!

Rob

trains@robertjohndavis.com

Hello Rob

Actually, when I was at Steamtown as a Park Ranger we did this a few times. Once for "National Park Week" when we ran an old time local to bring people INTO the park. We had the 2317&425 faced WEST, ran them tender first to Pocono Summit and then made stops there, at Tobyhanna, Gouldsboro and Moscow. There was the option of riding in on the train or taking one of the two round trips out of the park. Was a great event, though not too many people rode the "inbound" trips, but the "outbound" trips from the park were well attended. This (1997) was the weekend when the grates were damaged on the 2317 which led to a long hiatus for the engine.

Another other "inbound" train was the trip in from Analomink which went down in the books as an example in Murphy's Law as applied to steam trips. The concept was for the trip to run empty to Analomink, pick up passengers, run into Steamtown, have them visit the park for a few hours and then take them back, with the return trip coming back empty in the evening. Due to the high interest, we opened all movements up to paying passengers, making for essentially two round trips, like the one mentioned in the first paragraph.

There were supposed to be 2 engines, the 3254 and the 2317 (due back from the grate incident above). The 2317 wasn't finished in time, it rained (alot), the sanders stuck on one side of the 3254, the toilets... well you get the idea. The first round trip the "inbound" leg arrived in Scranton around 4:30 PM several hours late. We probably would have cancelled the second if it were not for dozens of people who had boarded at Analomink and had to get home! I believe the train returned to the park sometime after midnight. It wasn't a complete disaster, people actually seemed to enjoy the trips and it was something to watch the 3254 head to the roundhouse, get watered, coaled and serviced and return in less than an hour. Everyone banded together to keep the passengers happy, get the train ready to go back out an such. I can't speak for everyone, but its one of my fondest memories there.

So these trips were learning experience. From my recollection the park hasn't done too many since. I guess since the whole thing requires two round trips to accomplish it becomes problematic, combined with the fact that most people elected to come into the park anyway and right the trips originating from there. We also learned that its tough to get "locals" out to ride these things, as most of out passengers on those dates were from out of town.

One of the more successful trips involved area veterans. It was a much more subdued diesel-powered trip in from Carbondale on the old D&H line. We stopped and picked up area veterans groups at various stations and brought them to the park for the Memorial Day festivities we used to have. They went pretty well from what I remember.

Any other museums out there have experience with "Inbound" trips?

Dave Crosby


bing@epix.net

Among the logistical problems of inbound trips to Steamtown is the fact that the NPS doesn't own any stations or even the main line on which it runs. Parking cars at the stations could be seen as trespassing by the station owners or tenants. Conductors are not bonded to handle money, and can't sell tickets on the train. The rangers who are bonded, don't carry tickets with them. If we insisted that the riders only purchase tickets in advance, then we have to turn away people at these stations, who are willing to pay, and decide too late that they want to ride. Their desires are as legitimate as the ones who planned ahead. Also, light movements are charged, in addition to revenue trips, by the host railroad.

All these and other logistics need to be looked at and may add to excursion ticket prices. STEA has hosted a couple in-bound trips sponsored by the Reading and Northern, and the 1998 NRHS convention trip from Syracuse. It seems to me a lot of folks from NJ could work a deal with D-L to run from the Delaware river area to Scranton, if they were so inclined.

http://www.nps.gov/stea/
mustang746@earthlink.net

Hi Tim!

How are you, my friend. Hope all is well. Actually, the R&N trip is what got me thinking about it. I rode that one from Jim Thorpe up to Scranton. Nothing beats riding through the Lehigh Gorge on a fall night!I'll never forget that experience. It over shadowed the rest of the trip.

I guess what I was thinking of is more along the lines of how mainline fantrips used to be. You buy your tickets in advance, the host arranges parking (supermarket lots, fields, fairgrounds) and the train boards along the ballast. Look at those great trips Mr. Muller ran with the T-hog 15 years ago. Most of them boarded in a field in West Leesport.

You make excellent points about ferry moves and the like. It all adds to the cost of the ducats, for sure.

Hope all is well with you and yours!

All the best,

Rob Davis

> Among the logistical problems of inbound
> trips to Steamtown is the fact that the NPS
> doesn't own any stations or even the main
> line on which it runs. Parking cars at the
> stations could be seen as trespassing by the
> station owners or tenants. Conductors are
> not bonded to handle money, and can't sell
> tickets on the train. The rangers who are
> bonded, don't carry tickets with them. If we
> insisted that the riders only purchase
> tickets in advance, then we have to turn
> away people at these stations, who are
> willing to pay, and decide too late that
> they want to ride. Their desires are as
> legitimate as the ones who planned ahead.
> Also, light movements are charged, in
> addition to revenue trips, by the host
> railroad.

> All these and other logistics need to be
> looked at and may add to excursion ticket
> prices. STEA has hosted a couple in-bound
> trips sponsored by the Reading and Northern,
> and the 1998 NRHS convention trip from
> Syracuse. It seems to me a lot of folks from
> NJ could work a deal with D-L to run from
> the Delaware river area to Scranton, if they
> were so inclined.


trains@robertjohndavis.com

> Among the logistical problems of inbound
> trips to Steamtown is the fact that the NPS
> doesn't own any stations or even the main
> line on which it runs. Parking cars at the
> stations could be seen as trespassing by the
> station owners or tenants. Conductors are
> not bonded to handle money, and can't sell
> tickets on the train. The rangers who are
> bonded, don't carry tickets with them.

Well then, either bond the conductors or give the tickets and a conductors uniform to a ranger. Such a simple solution that it would never work.

rick@todengine.org