Bound for PA - EBT or Steamtown?
Ned Forrester
We will be traveling through PA later this summer (around Aug 1st) with
our 6 year old rail/space fan. I wondered, if we have time for only a
one day stop at either East Broad Top or Steamtown, which might we enjoy
more? Are there any better stops? It would be nice if there were
excursions (preferably steam) and some big iron to look at. Working
shops would be a plus, but I suppose both spots might offer that. Any
thoughts?
--
Ned Forrester nforr...@whoi.edu
Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering Dept. / Oceanographic Systems Lab
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
Dave Rasmussen
From article <4q915g$a...@dilbert.whoi.edu>, by n...@kilowatt.whoi.edu (Ned Forrester):
> We will be traveling through PA later this summer (around Aug 1st) with
I'd say go for EBT given its future is unknown. You can make a stop by
horseshoe curve and maybe even stay in the station inn at cresson and
sit on the porch at night and watch train after train go by.
Martin Goller
n...@kilowatt.whoi.edu (Ned Forrester) wrote:
>We will be traveling through PA later this summer (around Aug 1st) with
>our 6 year old rail/space fan. I wondered, if we have time for only a
>one day stop at either East Broad Top or Steamtown, which might we enjoy
>more? Are there any better stops? It would be nice if there were
>excursions (preferably steam) and some big iron to look at. Working
>shops would be a plus, but I suppose both spots might offer that. Any
>thoughts?
Don't forget Strassburg - IMO a great combination of Live train and
museum. And it gives a trip trough time while travelling trough Amish
country..
MartinGoller
Goll...@bigvax.alfred.edu
Patrick James Rieger
Dave Rasmussen (da...@opus.csd.uwm.edu) wrote:
> I'd say go for EBT given its future is unknown. You can make a stop by
> horseshoe curve and maybe even stay in the station inn at cresson and
> sit on the porch at night and watch train after train go by.
Just remember the EBT is open ONLY on saturday and sunday, so keep that
in mind when you plan out your intinerary. Steamtown is open seven days a
week.
Later
--
"I would rather understand one cause than be king of Persia"
-Democritus of Abdera, ~400 B.C.
Patrick James Rieger, http://www.dementia.org/~patrick
Pittsburgh Model Railroad Historical Society
MIKE PETERSEN
In article <4q915g$a...@dilbert.whoi.edu>, n...@kilowatt.whoi.edu (Ned Forrester) writes:
>We will be traveling through PA later this summer (around Aug 1st) with
>our 6 year old rail/space fan. I wondered, if we have time for only a
>one day stop at either East Broad Top or Steamtown, which might we enjoy
>more? Are there any better stops?
Not to complicate your decision, but you might want to consider the Strasburg
Railroad near Lancaster, Pa. It tends to be somewhat "tourist-y" rather than
catering to hard-core rail fans, but it's still a chance to take the young'un
on a short steam excursion. My kids enjoyed it a lot when they were young. The
added plus is the Pennsyvlania Railroad Museum right across the road from the
Strasburg station.
Mike
Matt Conrad
Martin Goller <Goll...@bigvax.alfred.edu> wrote:
> n...@kilowatt.whoi.edu (Ned Forrester) wrote:
>
<snip>
> >shops would be a plus, but I suppose both spots might offer that. Any
> >thoughts?
>
> Don't forget Strassburg - IMO a great combination of Live train and
> museum. And it gives a trip trough time while travelling trough Amish
> country..
Strasburg is a train lover's amusement park, pure and simple. In
addition to the SRR, there's the Choo Choo Barn toy train layout (huge),
a good hobby shop (next door to CCB), the RR Museum of PA (impressive),
the Toy Train Museum (nice), the Red Caboose (eat in the restaraunt,
preferably the car on the left), and of course all sorts of other
ticky-tacky touristy stuff, including a hotel built to look like a
riverboat. <groan>
Although I enjoy visiting Strasbug very much (and desperately want to
ride behind #475 - I love hooter whistles), I can't reccomend it over
EBT or Steamtown for a real railfan. IMHO, Strasburg does *not* "give a
trip through time." The train has a PA system with a running narration,
and it's very approproiate that you're riding through CORN fields! Also,
Amish Country is so commercialized that traffic is almost like downtown
Philadelphia.
I haven't been to Steamtown since before the roundhouse was finished,
but even then it was definitely a MUSEUM, not a tourist attraction. EBT,
of course, *is* that trip through time, as most of the railroad is
exactly the same as it was when it shut down back in the '50s, albiet a
little (OK, a lot) weedy. The only major change at Rockhill is the
addition of the trolley line on the Shade Gap Branch.
For an adult (or even teenage) railfan, I'd reccomend EBT first and
Steamtown a close second. However, the original poster mentioned a
6-year-old. In that event, Strasburg looks a lot better. But be warned,
the kid will scream and holler if you only spend a day, especially if
you're careless enough to drive past Dutch Wonderland Amusement Park on
Rte 30 without stopping (it's a nice park, targeted at younger kids, but
it has a fairly good - if small - roller coaster with some nice
airtime). I suggest at least two days, with one full day at Wonderland
and another full day doing the choo-choos. Allow an hour or so for Choo
Choo Barn, about the same for the Toy Train Museum, about the same for
the womenfolk to shop at the Red caboose while Daddy and the kids watch
the LGB layout, SRR trains, and dump quarters in the player piano. There
are also several shops around CCB and the SRR depot. Allow a good hour
or two for the RR Museum of PA (RMPA), especially if you're really into
examining steam locomotives up close. Try and schedule RMPA so that you
can wander out into the yard, even with their recent expansion there are
still a few steamers out there (or were last summer when I was there
last). For the SRR itself, I suggest taking a picnic lunch and
detraining at Groffs Grove to eat it. If you do that, take either a
half-hour or an hour and a half for lunch so you don't ride the same
train back (SRR runs 2 trains). For dinner, eat at the Red Caboose one
night and at Joe Meyer's Family Restaraunt (I think it's still there,
directly across from the monorail station at Wonderland) the other. At
Myers', order chocolate cake w/ caramel icing for dessert! <yum>
--
-Matt Conrad, Artist, J.M.Conrad Co., jmco...@InfoAve.net
Providing fine art and Mac software for train nuts like myself.
http://web.InfoAve.net/~jmconrad/
The gelding's name is "No Steam."
joe kelly
Take him to EBT. While Steamtown will be around for quite awhile. the
EBT 's future is a little dicey right now.
Maybe if we all get together and FAX Governor Ridge at 717/783-1396
things will be different next year.
eflo...@servtech.com
n...@kilowatt.whoi.edu (Ned Forrester) wrote:
>We will be traveling through PA later this summer (around Aug 1st) with
>our 6 year old rail/space fan. I wondered, if we have time for only a
>one day stop at either East Broad Top or Steamtown, which might we enjoy
>more? Are there any better stops? It would be nice if there were
>excursions (preferably steam) and some big iron to look at. Working
>shops would be a plus, but I suppose both spots might offer that. Any
>thoughts?
Ned: Suggest to you that Steamtown would be the better of the two,
however:
Whatever Andy's running these days would be worthwhile, as well..
(Ahem... sorry... I mean the old Blue Mountain Reading BTW, anyone
know if 425 is back from Steamtown, yet?)
Strasburg would be super, as well. Strassburg has the Strasburg
railway, but also has the State Museum there, as well as the CHOOCHOO
BARN and a few other little goodies.... not to mention the fact that
you're smack dab in the middle of Amish country. Other members of your
family might get a kick out of that part of it.
I guess if you're chosing one of them, Strassburg will be my choice.
We did three while we were there: Steamtown, BM&R and Strassburg. Took
three days.
/E
=0=
There is no 'shades of grey',no 'grey areas', only black
and white spots, some of which are very small. If you
see grey, you're not getting close enough to what you're
looking at to know it's true nature.
===============
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Ron Kohlin
>Dave Rasmussen (da...@opus.csd.uwm.edu) wrote:
>> I'd say go for EBT given its future is unknown. You can make a stop by
>> horseshoe curve and maybe even stay in the station inn at cresson and
>> sit on the porch at night and watch train after train go by.
>
>Just remember the EBT is open ONLY on saturday and sunday, so keep that
>in mind when you plan out your intinerary. Steamtown is open seven days a
>week.
>
last year (and a third to West VA) and had a great time. There are other things to do
besides, which can be a consideration when taking the family ...
1-an excellent Anthracite Coal mine and museum in Scranton. This is great after a hot
day going thru Steamtown and riding the excursion ... it's real cool down in the mine.
-a tourist train (diesel, I think a BL-2) at Honesdale, NW of Scranton.
-between Hazleton and Jim Thorpe is a state park built around an old Coal Company town.
-a tourist train and a couple of museums, and an HO layout in Jim Thorpe (aka Mauk Chunk).
-a tourist train (0-4-0 steam) at Kempton, off 79 west of Allentown.
-Roadside America, a huge model layout, near Shartlesville on 79, further west.
-The Reading H&T society has excursions some evenings.
-Daniel Boone homestead off 422 east of Reading.
-Valley Forge is down the road toward Philly.
-Franklin Mint and Museum is sw of Philly.
-a little further west is Longwood Gardens, at Chatham.
-hit all the sites at Strasburg.
-west to Gettsyburg National Military Park.
2-Cumberland, in western Maryland is home of the (guess what) Western Maryland Scenic RR.
I got a cab ride in their Consolidation, #734.
-Romney WV is home to the South Valley Branch RR, which runs excursions on selected
week-ends. Its a short drive south of Cumberland. I got a cab ride in their F-unit
thanks to a great conductor, who was also on the WM train.
3-At Altoona, you watch the trains on Horseshoe curve and at Gallitzen tunnels and take
in the Old Railroaders Museum.
-drive west to Johnstown, take in the flood museum, then catch Amtrack for a quick
round-trip back to Altoona thru the tunnel and around the curve.
-We overnighted in Altoona when we took in the big steam-up weekend at EBT
-Oh, yeah, there's a chocolate factory of some sort in Altoona as well.
-and a shop where they do lots of car repair. Had a one-hour special on TV the night
we were there; drove my wife to despair.
Try to find a Steam Train Directory; I think Kalmbach has recently bought this outfit
out, but we've relied on them for the last 10-12 years. Has all the phone numbers and
directions so you can make some plans. As mentioned, many of the excursions are only
conducted on the weekends, so you have to plan, plan, plan!
I'm hoping to get Anita back up there this summer, but she thinks we need to check
out the western part of the state before doing a repeat. We'll see ...
BTW, I have a lot of rail links on my web site ... check it out and let me know
what y'all think.
o o O O O O O O O o o o o o o o o . . . . . . . . . .
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Rob "Inlinebob" Davis
<snip>
>
> Ned: Suggest to you that Steamtown would be the better of the two,
> however:
> Whatever Andy's running these days would be worthwhile, as well..
> (Ahem... sorry... I mean the old Blue Mountain Reading BTW, anyone
> know if 425 is back from Steamtown, yet?)
I would reccomend the trip hit both the EBT and Steantown, however the EBT is THE
place to see NOW!
Don't go to the Blue Mountain and Reading. The passenger operation is finished. #425
and #2101 are in Scranton indefinitely. #425 should run this weekend.
OK, now my list of "must-do's" for railroad and industry in PA.
EBT Railroad, Orbisonia
Strasburg Rail Road (correct spelling, locals pronounce it "Stahhhhzburg.") and the
associated attractions
Horseshoe Curve
Kinzua Viaduct excoursion in Kane
Steamtown
Jim Thorpe
The Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour in Scranton
Teh Mining Museum in Lansford
Eckley Miner's Villiage
The "Viaduct Tour", self-guided to Nicholson, Marten's Creek, Starruuca, Little Starrucca
and Harpursville.
Stourbridge Line in Honesdale
and OF COURSE, the big don't miss for a down home family trip......
the Wanamaker Kemtpon and Southern steam train with dinner at the Kempton Hotel with
a prelude at the amazing Roadside America Lionel display in Shartlesville