On the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, June 12 and 13, the Division ran a trip to the Lancaster area that was jointly sponsored by our friends at the NYRRE. Although attendance was less than we originally had hoped for (18 people), the trip was a tremendous success and everybody had a wonderful time.
Each of the stops was very well received by those in attendance, from the short stops in Manheim to ride the Birney car and in Lancaster to view the PCC car; to the mid-length stop at the National Toy Train Museum; and to the longer stops at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, the Strasburg Railroad, and the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum.
On Sunday morning, the group had a terrific ride on the parlor car of the steam train of the Strasburg Railroad (thanks to Dino Mandros) and witnessed hundreds of young kids, hopefully many future railfans, waiting to ride the special Thomas the Train train. Dinner at Shady Maple lived up to its hype on Saturday and we had a nice dinner stop Sunday at the Blue Mountain Family Restaurant in Shartlesville.
Sid Keyles enjoyed organizing and running this trip, and wanted to give thanks to those whose help contributed to make the trip a success: Mike Glikin, who helped in planning it; our bus driver, Ira Steinberg, who did his usual superb jog; and, especially, Dino Mandros, who helped set up many of the stops and added greatly appreciated financial contributions. Most important of all, we had great cooperation from the weatherman.
The N.Y. Division of the ERA is pleased to announce a summer weekend excursion to various rail-related facilities in the Lancaster, Pa. area on Saturday, June 12 and Sunday, June 13, 2010. This trip is being jointly sponsored by our friends at the New York Railroad Enthusiasts.
We are planning the following stops on either Saturday or Sunday, as the exact itinerary is still in the planning stage: see and ride an Old Conestoga Traction Birney car No. 236 at the Manheim Historical Society; see a PPC car in Lancaster; ride the Strasburg Rail Road; visit the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, the National Toy Train Museum, and the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum.
We will, of course, make a lunch stop on both days. One of the highlights of the trip will be dinner on Saturday at the famous Shady Maple Smorgasbord, the price of which is included in your ticket price (including gratuity). All other meals will be on your own at your own cost and expense, including dinner on Sunday at the Blue Mountain Family Restaurant in Shartlesville, Pa. We expect a pretty full schedule to see as many things as we can, so there will not be any time to explore other sites on your own.
Our hotel for Saturday evening will be the Days Inn & Suites in Lancaster. Hotel arrangements are included in the price of the trip. If you want to attend, please be sure to e-mail Sid Keyles at [email protected] or call hime at 201-684-9408 to confirm that there is space available before sending in your form.
Our Coach Tours chartered bus will leave promptly at 8:00 AM from the public city bus stop for the M16 on 8th Avenue, just south of West 41st Street, across the street from the Port Authority Bus Terminal. This will be the only departure point. It is expected that the bus will return home on Sunday at approximately 9:30 PM.
Please join us for a special trip to the rail-related facilities in the Lancaster/Pennsylvania Dutch area. Ticket prices are $200 per person based on a single room or $160 per person for two sharing a room. The ticket prices include your charter bus transportation (including driver gratuity), hotel room, and dinner on Saturday. Other meals are not included. For further updates and information, please call 201-684-9408. This trip operates rain or shine.