It seems like every year, a new Christmas rail experience comes along - in 2023, it was the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine and Steam Train's turn. For two weekends, the venerable attraction debuted the 1st annual Pioneer Tunnels Coal Region Christmas Train.

The Henry Clay 0-4-0 narrow gauge lokie and consist were decked out with Christmas lights, as they made multiple trips at dusk and well after dark, up the 3/4 miles of track to the end of their line, where Santa and Mrs Claus were awaiting everyone for photos. Hopefully this will be an event that takes place for more weekends in the future, and for many years to come. Enjoy!!

N&W J-Class steam locomotive #611 storms northward on the morning of Friday, October 13, 2023, through the area known as Beason Hollow, just north of the town of Goshen on the Buckingham Branch Railroad. The locomotive and 13-car consist are pulling a total of six round-trip excursions each weekend through November 3-5, 2023, from Goshen to Staunton, VA and return. This is just a sneak preview from me - more to come!!

Let's set the scene. With temperatures in the mid-to-high 90's, on a late June day, Reading & Northern 4-8-4 #2102 was set to do something it had only done one other time in it's long and illustrious career - travel up through the Lehigh Gorge to points northward, on what is now the railroad's Lehigh Division. Ever since the Reading & Northern Railroad restored her to operation a few years, ago, for the most part, she's been kept to the railroad's Reading Division mainline, between Reading, PA and Jim Thorpe, PA. However, in early 2024, it was announced that would change - as she would pull two Rambles from the railroad's new Nesquehoning, PA station and campus there, up the Lehigh Division and through the Lehigh Gorge. This first trip, held Saturday, June 22, 2024, ran to the town of Tunkhannock, northwest of Wilkes-Barre, and their Founder's Day event. With a 17-car train, the trip ran essentially flawlessly - there was one planned segment where two of the railroad's diesel locomotives would couple on and lead over a steep downhill segment (to add dynamic braking and control the speed of the heavy train). #2102 sounded amazing on the uphill portions of the trip, and everyone seemed to have a great time. So enjoy this look at The Tunkhannock Ramble: Reading & Northern 2102 on the Lehigh Division! (fonts in the video courtesy of Benn Coifman and www.railfonts.com)

It's been many a year since a Budd Rail Diesel Car (RDC) ran out of the town of Bellefonte, PA - however, over the last weekend of April, 2024, the Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society offered springtime RDC excursions out of their namesake town for the first time since 2005. "Happy Valley" finally has one of their own RDC's back up and running.

In December of 2023, after a nine-year restoration process through an external contractor, the fully-operational RDC #9167 (formerly of the New York, New Haven & Hartford) returned to Centre County, PA for a series of Christmas excursions.

This time, for the "High Iron Limited", five different trips were offered over two days. On Saturday, April 27, 2024, three trips were offered. One was south and west to Dale Summit, one was south and east to Pleasant Gap, and one was north and east to Mill Hall. It was an overcast and sometimes rainy day - but that didn't deter those who happily rode the train and experienced the Bald Eagle Valley area. Enjoy this look at the 2024 High Iron Limited!