Excursion Train

Cliff_Jennings · June 1, 2025, 8:49pm

Linda and I had a blast yesterday on the Potomac Eagle train, between Romney and Petersburg WV. Though they have several trip types, this all-day trip happens once a month, and it’s quite a long train of around 8 coaches of various styles, an open-air observation car, open gondola, and a vintage diesel at each end.

They have 5 different levels of service to choose from, and we chose the club car service with breakfast, lunch, and (on the way back) 5-course dinner. Adult beverages are extra. We had an assigned table with our name on it.

Several cars had their own food prep area.

The club cars had interesting seating arrangements. This shot shows half the car.

While in Petersburg, a group of us were bussed to Smoke Hole caverns and back.

This loco was on the rear of the train going south, and the front of the train going back north.

Here’s some videos.

Well, that’s our story. Feel free to post on your RR excursions here if you wish.

richardcrain · June 2, 2025, 4:41am

Thank you for sharing

Dave_Meashey · June 2, 2025, 3:08pm

Folks;

If you ever pay a visit to Burlington, VT, I highly recommend the Champlain Valley Dinner Train of the Green Mountain Railroad. It’s a really nice trip (often with a beautiful sunset over Lake Champlain) with a really good meal, but you do have to book online.

Regards, David Meashey
P.S. We rode during the end of June last year, and notice the jackets we are wearing - so please be prepared for lower temperatures.

Cliff_Jennings · July 11, 2026, 11:56am

Last evening we did the dinner train on the Colebrookdale RR. This was our “consolation railroad event” which I booked after missing out on tickets for the 2102 “race” against the Big Boy excursion. But this was wonderful.

I really have to recommended this ride. For $90/person, one gets a nice 3-course dinner aboard a 2-hour train ride through beautiful rocky and forested scenery of central PA. The RR is on clearly the upswing, with new construction at the station, and smaller stations being recreated along the route.

We arranged travel on their lounge car, which is a fantastically-equipped and restored ~1916 Pullman. That car really made the trip worth the travel for me. Definitely reflects the grandeur of the early Pullmans, for which @John_Wilda posted a 1901 catalogue.

I got a laugh when the train had to stop to clear a limb from the track, prompting the violinist to play “Nearer my God to Thee” (from the Titanic movie sinking scene).

Earlier yesterday we visited Hopewell Furnace, where they’ve restored a water-powered bellows for their furnace, which was started in the late 1700’s. My understanding is that they’ll fire it up and do a pour (using aluminum) on August 1, for the first time in almost 150 years. I made a mistake in the video when describing the pour: I thought it had been done on July 1, but learned after I shot the video that it will be done on August 1 (2026).

The National Park Service have done a fantastic job in restoring this facility.

RRRR4 · July 11, 2026, 1:06pm

I have but one reaction to the opulence - WOW!

Korm · July 11, 2026, 1:10pm

i can’t help it: these people, a hundred years ago, must have been more civilized, than we are!

Rooster · July 11, 2026, 10:04pm

Till Cliff showed up and ruined everything Korm!

I love high Victorian …thanks for sharing Cliff!! BTW…if you are gonna explore that area again jump over to Lebanon County and check it out. No train rides there that I’m aware of though.

John_Wilda · July 13, 2026, 2:35pm

This is insanely beautiful, Cliff! I would love to do this someday with my wife.

Dave_Meashey · July 13, 2026, 2:43pm

Yes, no train rides, Cliff;

BUT the Cornwall Furnace museum preserves a foundry that cast cannon balls for George Washington’s army. It’s an enjoyable visit, and I’ve been told that it may even be haunted!

Best, David Meashey

Cliff_Jennings · July 13, 2026, 5:20pm

Should definitely put it on your Before We Have Kids List, John!

Rooster · July 13, 2026, 10:20pm

Dave,
In all honesty it’s beyond that. He could make it a day with an overnight stay then back home.

Start at the furnace cause he’s coming north into Pennsyltucky.

https://cornwallironfurnace.org/

Then walk or follow the the old beds into Lebanon. Honestly there is still a good bit there you just have to search it out along the old line.

http://cornwallrailroad.com/frameindex.html

Once in Lebanon check out the old Cornwall station along with the Reading station. Then head head to the Union Canal for a boat ride.

Mind you this is Lebanon County which borders Lancaster so a lot of rebels there with sheering, yarn, quilting etc.

Then you can head over to Dauphin county and grab a 5 star hotel in Hershey with a floor where you can see the NS Lurgan branch from your room along with everything else.

I’ll warn you that strange people can be seen walking around with cameras in Lebanon though.

Cliff_Jennings · July 14, 2026, 12:49am

Love it all, thanks for the ideas Rooster!

And for the Hollywood pics, just great. You two really got around.

Rooster · July 15, 2026, 9:59pm

Cliff,
Considering your interests in mining and history and Linda’s in history and yarn I highly recommend a trip into the Cornwall, Lebanon County, Eastern Dauphin county area. Then head home following the Susquehanna River south crossing the river just south of Holtwood on RT 372 making for a long drive however a TON to see and still standing or visible.

Google maps will kinda tell the story. It took the old man and myself 2 different trips in the Lebanon county area and still a ton to see.

Just don’t ask this guy for directions!!

What happened in the barrel stays in the barrel!!

I don’t even wanna know.

I think that might have been the same guy I saw along the tracks earlier that day taking a leak??

I think he did tell me his name once. I believe it was Yew Fuker (pronounced with a light southern draw). Guessing the guy was from the Baltimore area from his accent.

Turbo4whl · July 16, 2026, 1:03am

Hopewell Furnace is surrounded on 3 sides by French Creek State Park. The scouts and I have camped at the park a few times. One time just by chance they were doing a reenactment with all the period garb! That weekend they were making the charcoal for the furnace. Yes, the water powered bellows are very impressive! Would have pictures, but that phone died. Many of the pictures did not get saved

Dave_Meashey · July 16, 2026, 1:35pm

Guys;

The Cornwall RR was still running (with diesels) when I was a kid. I remember the diesels had whistles instead of horns. To me at least those whistles sounded like an American Flyer “air chime whistle” whistling billboasrd.

Regards, David Meashey

Cliff_Jennings · July 16, 2026, 2:02pm

Super ideas, Rooster, thanks!

JRad · July 16, 2026, 11:35pm

That car is amazing! I’ve been in some nice Victorian cars, but that one is exceptional .

Cliff_Jennings · July 26, 2026, 12:40pm

Last weekend we took the fam to Walkersville, MD for a simple, out-and-back, hour-long train ride. It was so hot waiting in the station! But a storm began as soon as we headed out, which cooled things down a lot. The seats got pretty wet on one side.

The Walkersville Southern is a smaller operation, but they seem to have an active volunteer base, with car restoration, a museum and an HO layout inside a passenger car. Here’s their first loco:

One gentleman was there running his homemade gypsy-type loco. He said the boiler was from a steam tractor.

We also saw the smallest steam tractor I’ve ever seen:

A couple more railroady items: Linda and I went to the mill in Savage MD for dinner last Monday, and walked the awesome Bollman bridge there. I love the intricate details. Would be such a fun model.

Not sure if this counts for prototype or not, but almost all our kids (and g’kids) got together for sushi train night last wednesday.