(The following story by Josh McAuliffe appeared on the Times-Tribune website on August 14.)
SCRANTON, Pa. — Rail travel might not be the most popular mode of transportation nowadays, but that doesn’t mean railroads are stuck in the past.
That continuing evolution of train travel will be the overriding theme of the second Lackawanna Railfest, a weekend-long series of events hosted by the National Park Service and several regional rail preservation groups Aug. 29-31 at Steamtown National Historic Site.
First held last November, this year’s Railfest will spotlight the latest technological advances in railroad technology through a variety of exhibits and interactive programs, according to Mark Brennan, chief of interpretation, visitor services and public affairs at Steamtown.
Everlasting
“Some people think the railroad industry is a dying thing, when, in fact, it’s grown in leaps and bounds,” Mr. Brennan said. “The technology they have today is just phenomenal.”
The festivities get under way Aug. 29 with a banquet from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Guest speakers will include Carl Belke, former president of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, and Bernie O’Brien, a Steamtown engineer and former D&H employee. Admission to the dinner is $35, and reservations can be made by calling Mary Jane Hosler at 689-7760 no later than Aug. 21.
Railfest’s activities will be held Aug. 30 and 31 at Steamtown, and will include: steam-powered “Scranton Limited” short train rides; interpretive programs and films; caboose rides; tours of Amtrak Superliner equipment, the Norfolk Southern Exhibit Car, a restored Nickel Plate railroad sleeper and a Erie Lackawanna dining car; and an up-close look at a variety of vintage and modern rail equipment. In addition, the Union Pacific “Big Boy” locomotive cab will be open to the public, as will the locomotive shops for self-guided tours.
On Aug. 30, Steamtown will hold a “Whistle Stop Excursion” featuring a diesel-powered locomotive taking passengers to Scranton via the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad’s historic Pocono Mainline. Passengers will be able to board the train at stations in Cresco, Tobyhanna, Gouldsboro and Moscow at 9:40 a.m., 10:10 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 10:55 a.m., respectively.
“We’ve never done anything like this before,” Mr. Brennan said of the “Whistle Stop.” “It will more or less simulate how station-to-station passenger service used to operate.”
Once in Scranton, passengers may disembark at either Steamtown or the Radisson at Lackawanna Station hotel, where they can then venture over to that weekend’s La Festa Italiana at Lackawanna County Courthouse Square. (A free shuttle bus service will operate between the Radisson, the Hilton and Steamtown.) The excursion’s return trip will leave Steamtown at 4 p.m. and the Radisson at 4:15.
Choices to make
Round-trip tickets for the “Whistle Stop” excursions are: $41 for adults, $36 for seniors 62 and older, $20 for kids ages 6-16 and free for children 5 and under at Cresco; $31, $26, $20 and free at Tobyhanna or Gouldsboro; and $21, $19, $15 and free at Moscow.
Also on the 30th, a steam-powered excursion will depart Steamtown at 1 p.m. for Moscow, where an art show will be held throughout the morning and afternoon. It will return at approximately 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $21 for adults, $19 for seniors, $15 for kids 6-16 and free for children under 5.
And, on Aug. 31, from 1 to 3 p.m., the Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society will host a book-signing featuring historical fiction authors Judith Miller, Tracie Peterson, Kim Vogel Sawyer and Cathy Marie Hake on the Society’s historic City of Lima sleeping car.
All in all, it should make for a busy and highly informative weekend, Mr. Brennan said.
“It should be a lot of fun,” he said.
Contact the writer: jmcauliffe@timesshamrock.com
If you go
What: Lackawanna Railfest 2008
When and where: Aug. 29-31 Steamtown National Historic Site
Details: Train excursion reservations may be made by calling 340-5204. For further information, call Steamtown at 340-5200 during regular business hours, or visit the park’s Web site, www.nps.gov/stea.