Hey Mom, I’m Bored
By Cathy Molitoris
Lancaster New Era
Strasburg Rail Road; The little railroad that could; Along the way, farms dot the landscape and history repeats itself for the whole family.
Some days, it feels like you never stop moving from the moment you get up until the moment you fall into bed. We’re all overscheduled. Maybe it’s time we slowed down, took a deep breath and traveled back in time to a simpler life. But that’s not possible, right?
Wrong. Just hop aboard the Strasburg Rail Road, and you’ll be whisked away to an era when life moved at a slower pace. Located in Strasburg, the railroad was chartered in 1832 and has served passengers and hauled freight since 1851. “What is now Amtrak bypassed Strasburg, so the people of Strasburg needed a way to get connections to Philadelphia,” says Linn Moedinger, president and chief mechanical officer for the railroad, noting that the Strasburg Rail Road is America’s oldest short-line railroad. The train still travels on the original route - from Strasburg to Paradise - and the railroad strives to present an authentic experience for visitors, who come from across the country and around the world to ride the trains.
“The cars are restored, replicated or a composite of what it might have looked like,” Moedinger says. “All our coaches are very historically accurate, at least 95 percent accurate.” The railroad works with individuals, historical societies and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania to make everything as authentic as possible, he explains.
The current station was built in 1960, when demand for the trains outgrew the original space. Today, the station is home to a variety of shops, a restaurant and unique attractions, including the President’s Car, a restored private car once used for railroad tycoons and dignitaries. Visitors can also check out the Cagney steam train, an authentic steam train that is one-quarter the size of a standard train and was built for an amusement park circa 1920. If you’re feeling especially energetic, try your hand at the pump car, where you provide the power along a short track.
On the Noon Shop tour, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes guided tour through the mechanical shop where trains are built and refurbished. At the Switch Tower, visitors can get a bird’s-eye view of the countryside in the tower, built in 1855. “Today, people are more sophisticated and more demanding of having an ‘experience.’ They are used to being entertained when they go out,” Moedinger says. “Some people want to do something where they can relax and catch their breath, and then some people want to keep up the pace and enjoy the thrill. With everything we have here, we try to cater to both kinds of people.”
The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed by the stresses of modern-day life, take a step back in time. Climb aboard the Strasburg Rail Road and take a ride into Paradise.
What the kids say:
Our children, ages 3 and 6, couldn’t wait to hop aboard the train. We chose the open-air car because it was a hot day, and there’s no air-conditioning on the train. Our toddler loved the ride and enjoyed pointing out the farms, horses and cows along the way. She was equally thrilled with the small coin-operated stationary train she could ride at the station before we boarded the railroad.
Our 6-year-old especially enjoyed the silly commentary from the train’s conductor, which included asking riders to pick up their feet before the train went over a bridge, to “lighten the load.” She also marveled at the “ghost” train that blew its whistle back at us when the train stopped along the track.
What Mom says:
The Strasburg Rail Road offers a variety of choices for riding options, including coach, open-air, deluxe lounge and first-class parlor cars. The open-air choice was perfect for our family, but if you have very young children, you may want to choose a more enclosed car, as the seats do not have restraints, and the open windows can be tempting for young ones who want to stick their heads or arms outside the train.
The trains do not have bathrooms, so be sure to make a stop at the station before boarding. If a 45-minute round-trip ride seems daunting for your children, consider stopping at the picnic grove at the end of the ride, letting them burn off some energy and then reboarding the next train for the ride back. You can bring your own picnic or buy a box lunch at the station.
The details:
The Strasburg Rail Road is located on Route 741, east of Strasburg. The trains operate February through December. Times vary depending on the season and day of the week. Fares range from $9.50 for adults ($4.75 for children ages 3 to 11) for the coach car to $15.50 for adults ($10.75 for children 3 to 11) for the first-class parlor car. Additional charges apply for the tours, Cagney train and pump car. For more information, visit www.strasburgrailroad.com, or call 687-7522.