I arose at 8:00 AM and left the Skyview Plaza Hotel and drove Interstate 95 north through Philadelphia to Pennsylvania Highway 513 and stopped at MacDonald's for breakfast then took 532 east to Pennsylvania Highway 431 north, to Pennsylvania Highway 232 East to Pennsylvania Highway 29 into New Hope. I turned left on Bridge Street and then into the railway's parking lot.
The Delaware River tow canal from a time past.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad GP30 2198, ex. Penn Central 2198, nee Pennsylvania Railroad 2250 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1963. It was assigned to power some of the longest, heaviest and fastest freight trains that the railroad operated and could be seen traversing the mainline between New York, Philadelphia and Chicago, passing through a varied landscape which included the famous Horseshoe Curve. As delivered, 2250 wore a simplified dark "Brunswick Green" paint scheme with the railroad's familiar red and white Keystone logo applied to the sides and nose of the unit.
When the GP30 fleet arrived on the Pennsy, money was getting tighter every day. The once-mighty railroad was becoming a shadow of its former self due to many different factors, including competition from roadway vehicles and the inability to freely change rates charged to customers. The locomotive only worked for its original owner for less than five years before becoming part of the giant Penn Central Transportation Company roster, the result of a 1968 merger of the PRR with its longtime rival, the New York Central.
It also received the simple black and white colors of its new owner, with the red Keystones giving way to a curvy wormlike Penn Central logo. The locomotive was one of only a few in the late 1960's and very early 1970's to have the "P" portion of the logo a bright red, changed to white as time went on. During its Penn Central years, 2198 continued to serve on former home rails, but also occasionally migrated to former New York Central territory. Due to the railroad's perilous financial condition, like most of its roster mates, the young unit would suffer from deferred maintenance.
On April 1st, 1976, after several years of planning on Capitol Hill, Penn Central became one of several bankrupt railroads in the northeastern United States merged into the government-funded Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail), aimed at keeping the region's railroads from total collapse. 2198 became Conrail property, losing its Penn Central markings in favor of tiny Conrail lettering on the sides and nose. While at times roaming the system, Conrail tended to keep the locomotive assigned around New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, including the Philadelphia region. It received a much-needed refurbishment in 1978, which included a new paint job into Conrail's attractive blue and white scheme, and continued to work until 1991 when age and new locomotive purchases sidelined the unit to storage along with similar members of the fleet.
In 1996, the locomotive was acquired and moved to Bucks County to begin a new career on the New Hope and Ivyland. After some mechanical work was performed, it was pressed into both freight and excursion service on our seventeen-mile line, with a new paint job of burgundy and gold following shortly after.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad C30-7 7087, ex. CSX 7087, exx. Seaboard System 7087, nee Seaboard Coast Line 7087 built by General Electric in 1981.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad coach 1127, ex. Valley Forge Scenic Railroad 1776, nee Reading 1127 built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Harlan & Hollingsworth Division in 1924. It features a rounded "Turtleback" style roof instead of the older clerestory style. In addition, the interior walls originally came without decorative mahogany woodwork, with the New Hope and Ivyland shop later adding some to match the older fleet.
Between 1959 and 1964, 1127 was regularly used in consists for the Reading's steam-powered Iron Horse Rambles through Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware and was operated in commuter service into the mid-1960's, its last runs for the Reading taking place on the nearby Newtown Branch. After retirement the car was acquired from the St. Clair, Pennsylvania storage line between 1966 and 1967 for excursions by the Valley Forge Scenic Railroad of Kimberton, Pennsylvania. Located about four miles from historic Valley Forge Park, this company ran excursions similar to those of the New Hope and Ivyland over a portion of the Reading Company's former Pickering Valley Branch. During their short time at Kimberton, both were repainted and renumbered.
Following the closure of the Valley Forge Scenic Railroad in 1970, it were acquired by the New Hope and Ivyland, joining several of their former Reading sisters on the Bucks County shortline.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad baggage car 1096, ex. Iorn Horse Enterprises semi-open air car 001 "Sound and Fury", exx. Amtrak maintenance-of-way storage car 17072, exxx. Amtrak 1096, nee Santa Fe 3397 built by Pullman-Standard in 1960 and was delivered in kit form with final assembly taking place at the railroad's own shops in Topeka, Kansas. In addition to four sliding doors, two on each side and one smaller door on each end, it was one of ten cars in the order that had the capability of the entire end opening on one side for better interior access and loading. It was operated on the railroad's long-distance trains out of Chicago, destined for points west, carrying passenger baggage, parcels and decent amounts of mail.
In 1971, the car was included in Santa Fe’s transfer of all passenger operations to Amtrak and continued to be used in regular revenue service until the purchase of new equipment several years later. It was then repurposed as a maintenance of way storage car. In 1994, Iron Horse Enterprises, a company specializing in mainline steam excursions, acquired the car and refurbished it for use behind former Chesapeake & Ohio Railway 4-8-4 614. This work included the addition of many new windows along both sides of the car, from which the panes could be removed for an instant transformation into a semi-open air car. For the next few years, the car could often be found directly behind the steam locomotive on excursions, allowing passengers to record both excellent video and sound of a true American classic at work.
In 1999, "Sound & Fury" was acquired by the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad, becoming the youngest passenger car in the fleet, a title that it still holds today. Renumbered back to 1096, it has seen several uses since arriving in Bucks County, including open car, food service area for dinner trains, and even as a mobile dance floor during weddings. It has also been No. 40's official tool car during offline excursions in recent years. Currently, it serves as material and supply storage in support of the railroad’s extensive passenger excursion schedule.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad coach 1202, ex. Valley Forge Scenic Railroad 1202, nee Reading Railroad 1202 built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Harlan & Hollingsworth Division in 1922.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad coach 1505, nee Reading 1505 built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Harlan & Hollingsworth Division in 1916 and is the only surviving car from that year's order. As constructed, it came with a double-deck clerestory style roof similar to what was found on the Reading's earlier wooden coaches. This would be changed in the 1930's when the railroad rebuilt them with a rounded "Turtleback" style roof, identical to what was found on younger passenger cars. They also came with decorative mahogany woodwork on their interior walls.
The car was acquired directly from the Reading Company by the founders of the New Hope and Ivyland between 1963 and 1966. Selected from a storage line in St. Clair, Pennsylvania, it was refurbished for service before moving to New Hope for the start of operations in the summer of 1966. Since coming back to Bucks County many decades ago, 1505 has been in consistent operation and retains much of its original interior, including the beautiful mahogany woodwork on the walls, giving today's travellers an excellent example of what it was like to travel here during the 1910's and 1920's.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad coach 1220, ex. Valley Forge Scenic Railroad 1775 "Pickering Valley", nee Reading 1220 built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Harlan & Hollingsworth Division in 1924. It features a rounded "Turtleback" style roof instead of the older clerestory style. In addition, the interior walls originally came without decorative mahogany woodwork, with the New Hope and Ivyland shop later adding some to match the older fleet.
It was operated in commuter service into the mid-1960's, its last runs taking place on the nearby Newtown Branch. After retirement the car was acquired from the St. Clair, Pennsylvania storage line between 1966 and 1967 for excursions by the Valley Forge Scenic Railroad of Kimberton, Pennsylvania. Located about four miles from historic Valley Forge Park, this company ran excursions similar to those of the New Hope and Ivyland over a portion of the Reading Company's former Pickering Valley Branch. During their short time at Kimberton, both were repainted and renumbered.
Following the closure of the Valley Forge Scenic Railroad in 1970, it were acquired by the New Hope and Ivyland, joining several of their former Reading sisters on the Bucks County shortline.
National Railways of Mexico 4-8-4 3028 built by American Locomotive Company in 1946, under restoration. In 1966, it was sold to Great North Eastern Railroad Foundation, Incorporated at Altamont, New York then in 1982, moved to Colonie, New York. The company restoring this locomotive is now the Alco Historical & Technical Society.
The cab of National Railways of Mexico 4-8-4 3028.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad baggage-railway post office car 72, ex. West Chester 72, nee Central of New Jersey 72, built by American Car and Foundry in 1923.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad coach 1536, nee Reading 1536 built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Harlan & Hollingsworth Division in 1927.
New Hope and Ivyland 4-6-0 1533, ex. Steam Trains, Incorporated 1533, exx. Canadian National 1533:2 1962, exxx. Canadian National 1325 1956, exxxx. Canadian Northern 1325 1920, nee Canadian Northern 264 built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1911.
The tender of New Hope & Ivyland Railroad 4-6-0 1533.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad tender 602.
New Hope and Ivyland coach 870, ex. South East Pennsylvania Railroad 9125, ex. Reading 9125, nee Reading 870 built by Harlan & Hollingsworth in 1931.
View of New Hope & Ivyland Railroad shop area. Now here are the cars that make up today's train.
The rear of our train.
The brand new New Hope & Ivyland Railroad open air car 1525, nee Reading enclosed coach 1525 built by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s Harlan & Hollingsworth Division in 1927. It was used for longer distance runs between Philadelphia and destinations beyond the regular commuter zone. Some of these places included Reading, Harrisburg, Pottsville, Shamokin, Bethlehem, Allentown and Jersey City, New Jersey, right across the Hudson from New York City.
In 1937, the car received York-style air conditioning units for improved passenger comfort, with the windows sealed closed at that time. Following World War II, more upgrades were added in an attempt to modernize the car, including the addition of steel skirting along with the frame that gave it a semi-streamlined appearance. Following the improvements, it would see regular service on both the Schuylkill between Philadelphia and Pottsville and the King Coal between Philadelphia and Shamokin, until the cancellation of both names trains in the mid-1960's. After retirement and subsequent placement in a storage line at St. Clair, Pennsylvania by the Reading in 1965, it was acquired by the founders of the New Hope and Ivyland and moved to New Hope in 1966 for the startup of operations.
As an enclosed coach, 1525 was only used briefly in excursion service due to the sealed windows and older air conditioning units, which by that point tended to break down most days. In the early 1970's, the problem was solved when the shop personnel converted the car into the railroad's first and only "all-weather car", consisting of the middle retaining its closed windows and seats, and both ends opened up with wooden benches installed. It operated this way until 1979, at which point it was taken out of service for needed mechanical repairs. Due to other projects and priorities at the time, the railroad placed the car in long-term storage with other unused equipment.
In the summer of 2010, following a few years of serious restoration work, 1525 emerged from the New Hope shop in its current form as the railroad’s only operating open air car. The entirety of the interior was opened, removing the "all-weather" configuration of the 1970's, with new wooden benches, set up in a similar style to the cushioned versions in the coaches, replacing the older style. The restoration also included the addition of an observation deck at one end for added passenger enjoyment.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad coach 1424 "Joseph R Turner", nee Reading 1424 built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Harlan & Hollingsworth Division in 1914. As constructed, it came with a double-deck clerestory style roof similar to what was found on the Reading's earlier wooden coaches. This would be changed in the 1930's when the railroad rebuilt them with a rounded "Turtleback" style roof, identical to what was found on younger passenger cars. They also came with decorative mahogany woodwork on their interior walls.
Between 1959 and 1964, the car was used frequently as part of the consists for the Reading’s steam-powered Iron Horse Rambles. Operated over various parts of the railroad’s system in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, these excursions were powered by their famed 4-8-4 class locomotives.
The car was acquired directly from the Reading Company by the founders of the New Hope and Ivyland between 1963 and 1966. Selected from a storage line in St. Clair, Pennsylvania, it was refurbished for service before moving to New Hope for the start of operations in the summer of 1966. Since coming back to Bucks County many decades ago, 1505 has been in consistent operation and retains much of its original interior, including the beautiful mahogany woodwork on the walls, giving today's travellers an excellent example of what it was like to travel here during the 1910's and 1920's.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad parlor car 1430, nee Reading coach 1430 built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s Harlan & Hollingsworth Division in 1914. It is the oldest of three dining cars currently in service on the railroad. It came with a double-deck clerestory-style roof, later rebuilt with the rounded "Turtleback" style, and decorative mahogany woodwork on the walls.
Serving its original owner into the 1960's, it was one of the last fifteen of its class that the Reading retired. Acquired by the New Hope and Ivyland founders from a St. Clair, Pennsylvania storage line, it became part of the original fleet used when operations began on the New Hope Branch in the summer of 1966. In the early 1970's, 1430’s time as a regular coach would come to an end when the interior of the car was converted in-house to resemble an early twentieth-century parlor car for use in charter and special event services. During the conversion, much of the original mahogany woodwork was kept, ensuring a classy, old-fashioned atmosphere.
The late 1980's saw the interior of the car refurbished once more, this time to its present dining car configuration. Over the years, further improvements were accomplished, including the addition of a modern climate control system to ensure comfort for passengers paying the higher fare at all times of the year. Only added to the train for private events during its early days as an extra fare car, this car nowadays can be found riding the rails of most excursions operated by the New Hope and Ivyland as one of the main First Class experiences.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad coach 4907, ex. Black River and Western 4097, ex. Canadian National 4097, exx. Canadian National 5242, nee Canadian Northern colonist sleeper 2877 built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1919. It is the only passenger car currently in service on the railroad with a double-deck clerestory-style roof. As built, it was as a colonist sleeper car to convey persons arriving from other nations between eastern Canadian seaports and the largely unsettled western regions of the country. This ultimately led to the establishment of many towns and settlements still in existence in the modern era.
In addition to regular padded bench seats for daytime riding, the interior also contained wooden bunks attached near the ceiling that could be pulled down at night for sleeping accommodations. There was also a small kitchen area at one end of the car for travellers to prepare light meals while en route.
Acquired by the Canadian National Railway in 1923, following its absorption of the Canadian Northern, the interior accommodations for sleeping and meal prep were removed from the car in the years following the onset of the 1930's Great Depression. With only the coach seats, it was reassigned to commuter operations around the cities of Montreal and Toronto and moved passengers between their home communities and the big cities where they worked until the latter decades of the twentieth century. Retired in the 1990's, 4907 made its way south, first to a shortline railroad located in western New Jersey, and then in 1999 across the Delaware River to the New Hope and Ivyland.
Reading Railroad New Hope station built in 1891, once the terminal point of the railroad's New Hope Branch. Regular service to this station ended in September 1952. The station became a heritage railroad station of the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad, which was originally known as the New Hope Branch of the Reading Company, which leased the North Pennsylvania Railroad, of which it was a part. The railroad ran as far as Hartsville Station (near Bristol Road) until March 21, 1891, when the line was extended to the long-desired terminal of New Hope.
Baggage cart.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad GP30 2198.
Our train is ready to leave New Hope for Lahaska.
I was the first person to board the open air car.
A Brief HistoryIt was incorporated in 1962 as Steam Trains, Inc. by a group of Philadelphia-area railroad enthusiasts and businessmen. This private venture searched for local trackage and acquired vintage railroad equipment in order to start their own tourist railroad. After investigating a number of area railroad rights-of-way, in 1966 the group obtained the northern 16.7 miles of the Reading Railroad's New Hope Branch in Central Buck County for a price of $200,000. Using a former Canadian National steam locomotive and seven steel suburban passenger coaches, the new for-profit company was named the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad in honor of the villages at either end of the railroad.
Steam passenger service began on August 6, 1966 between New Hope and the Buckingham Valley. The New Hope & Ivyland Railroad ran one of the last steam powered mixed freight trains east of the Mississippi River. The all-steam tradition was broken in 1971 when the railroad bought their own diesel, an RS-1 from the Washington Terminal. Within five years due to extravagant spending and burgeoning debt, the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad was plunged into insolvency. After selling off real estate to Philadelphia Electric, the destitute New Hope & Ivyland Railroad filed for Section 77 Bankruptcy in 1971.
In 1972, the railroad was operated by volunteers. When the Bucks County Industrial Development Corporation acqiured the railroad in 1974 to preserve rail service in the center of Bucks County, they selected the McHugh Brothers Heavy Haulings, Inc. as the railroad freight operator until 1989. Passenger and freight service flourished during the 1970's and on June 30, 1979, the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad was finally released from a decade of bankruptcy. Beginning on July 3, 1980, volunteers of the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad resumed the weekend excursion service after the previous operators decided to end it.
The New Hope & Ivyland Railroad ran under a lease agreement with the Bucks County Industrial Development Corporation until 1990, when considerable decay of the railroad's equipment and properties convinced them to sell the railroad to the present owners. Since then, the Bucks County Railroad and Preservation Corporation has embarked on a $2 million effort to completely restore the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad to its turn-of-the-century ambience. The Victorian New Hope station, freight house and boarding platforms were refurbished, the tracks were rebuilt and steam passenger service resumed in 1991 using 2-8-0 Number 40 and five vintage passenger coaches. Already hundreds of thousands of passengers have ridden the hourly train to Lahaska and return plus other specialty trains since 1991.
Our trip
We departed New Hope for Lahaska.
Ingham Run.
The bridge across Ingham Run.
Looking back at New Hope.
Rounding a curve.
Looking back.
Looking ahead.
The bridge across Ingham Run.
Looking back at a grade crossing.
The interior of the new open air car.
Two views looking back.
The route ahead.
Looking back to where we had just travelled.
Taking another curve.
Views looking back.
The train curving ahead.
This building was used as a station for the Underground Railroad.
The scenery from the rear of the open air car.
Views from both sides of the train.
Looking back as we neared Lahaska.
We have reached Lahaska.
Looking back at Lahaska.
GP30 2198 ran around the train then returned us to New Hope. I relaxed and enjoyed the wonderful view on both sides of the open air car until our arrival at New Hope, where I thanked everyone for the fantastic trip on the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad, then returned to my car and drove to my next train ride.
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