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Tickets for the Reading & Northern Railroad’s new passenger excursions between Pittston and Jim Thorpe go on sale at 9 a.m. today, March 1, and the railroad has a special announcement about the first trip.
The inaugural run on May 27 will be pulled by RBMN’s streamlined F-unit diesel locomotives, 270 and 275.
Full schedules, more information, and tickets can be found at www.RBMNRR-Passenger.com or by calling the railroad’s passenger office at 610-562-2102.
All excursions include free parking at every station, live narration, and interaction with staff dressed in period clothing from the 1920s-1950s.
Passengers will have nearly four hours to explore, dine, and shop in historic Jim Thorpe — which is also home to the company’s Lehigh Gorge Scenic train operations — before re-boarding the train in the afternoon for the return trip north.
The all-day, round-trip excursions will depart the new Pittston station at 9 a.m. sharp, making station stops at Penobscot (Mountain Top) and White Haven en route to Jim Thorpe.
First trip (5/27)
For the first trip on May 27 the vintage F-units, which date to the early 1950s, will pull a special full-length passenger train consisting of the following seating options available to purchase:
• Standard Coach ($49 round-trip from Pittston, Penobscot, or White Haven)
• Crown Class Coach ($55 round-trip, available at Pittston only)
Regular weekend trips
From May 28 to Sept. 24, regular weekend excursions from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Regional Railroad Station at Pittston to Jim Thorpe will led by diesel-powered locomotives. For these trips, passengers are provided with special options such as the ability to ride in RBMN’s Crown Class Coaches and access to a dining car. The trains will make additional stops at Penobscot and White Haven. Tickets from May 28 to Sept. 24 also go on sale Wednesday. Pricing will be as follows:
• $39 round-trip from Pittston
• $36 round-trip from Penobscot
• $29 round-trip from White Haven
About the cars
“Passengers will enjoy their train ride like celebrities from the bygone era of streamline rail travel,” a release from the railroad states.
In Crown Class accommodations, passengers will enjoy large reclining fabric seats in restored six-axle coaches. Clean restrooms are available in each Crown Class coach, and all windows in the coaches open and shut.
During the excursion, guests can also spend time in one of the railroad’s notable dining cars, which was featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s movie “North by Northwest.”
While riding in the dining car, snacks are available to purchase with cash. However, food and non-alcoholic drink can be brought on board for the entire trip, officials said.
About the excursions
RBMN first announced the trips earlier this month, as reported by the Times Leader.
Planning and groundbreaking has already begun at the Pittston location on a station platform, ticket booth, and parking area. The remainder of the construction will be handled in phases. The area leading to the station will be lined with trees and shrubs “and will be a fantastic addition to the neighborhood on 718 North Main St.,” a RBMN release stated.
RBMN, with its corporate headquarters in Port Clinton, Schuylkill County, is a privately held railroad company serving over 70 customers in nine eastern Pennsylvania counties (Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland, Schuylkill, and Wyoming).
It has expanded its operations over the last 40 years and now handles over 34,000 carloads of freight annually over 400 miles of track.
In addition to its successful freight operations, Reading & Northern has become a favorite with families, daytrippers and railfans for its various passenger excursions throughout the region, with 250,000 excursion riders carried annually.
These excutsions have included seasonal day trips from Outer Reading station in Berks County to Jim Thorpe via Port Clinton and Tamaqua, and special trips from Outer Reading to Pottsville.