Kids Learn About Trains and History
By Diane McCormick
Central Penn Parent

For a bug-eyed bunch of steel, Thomas the Tank Engine sure has a proud lineage.

“If you take the rail system out of the United States, we wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are,” said Ryan Smith, a spokesperson for the Day Out With Thomas™ 2006: Come Ride the Rails Tour. “Westward expansion, the Gold Rush— trains may be the single most important invention in American history.”

This month, Day Out with Thomas comes to the Strasburg Railroad, part of a 40-city tour of heritage railroads. Kids meet their favorite train while they see, hear and feel the power of the steam engine era.

“When kids think of trains, they may think of Amtrak,” said Hope Banner, spokesperson for the Strasburg Railroad. “Here, they get to see the train come alive—wheels moving, parts grinding. They hear the whistle and the hissing. They see the magnificent steam. It’s so different from what kids think of with trains today.”

The highlight of the show, of course, is a ride on Thomas himself—actually a steam train fitted to look like Thomas, complete with moving eyes. Kids can get their photo taken with Sir Topham Hatt™ and enjoy temporary tattoos and hands-on crafts at the Thomas and Friends Imagination Station.

But the Strasburg Railroad is rich with history, so there’s a lot more. Kids can ride a miniature steam train, or work a vintage pump car just like the old-time railroaders. They can take short-track rides in an old hay-bail car, operate their own pint-sized carts, or see the giant equipment that once moved trains from track to track.

“It’s a great family event, so you can get outside and get away from today’s technology to see what really was advanced technology in its day,” said Smith.

To read the entire article, please visit Central Penn Parent.

‘Little Engine That Could’ Chugs Through Bryson City April 14-16
By SMN

The Little Engine That Could will return to Bryson City for its second run with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Friday, April 14, through Sunday, April 16, and again Friday through Sunday, April 21 through 23.

The engine — modeled after the storybook character by the same name — is the creation of Strasburgs Rail Road Company and was specially made for the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad’s partner company Rail Events, Inc.

When Linn Moedinger, president and chief mechanical officer of Strasburg Rail Road Company, was asked if his company could build The Little Engine That Could, he gave the only natural response — “I think I can, I think I can!”

And so that’s what Strasburg Rail Road Company did.

However, the concept of turning a storybook train into a heavy-duty steam engine presented certain design challenges.

“A drawing doesn’t have to operate on a railroad track,” Moedinger said.
More than a dozen people worked on designing and constructing the actual engine.

“We had to make a few modifications to the original design as we went along,” said Moedinger.

“Complying with Federal Railroad Administration Safety Appliance Act of Congress was the biggest hurdle. We’d work awhile on such things as the bell, headlight and grab irons, and then the FRA inspectors would come out and check it. The engine was painted with marine paint — bright blue with a yellow bell and wheels. The whistle and bell are operable…the smile on the smokestack face stays in place.”

The project took about seven months to complete.

“I remember the story of The Little Engine That Could from childhood,” Moedinger said. “It teaches lessons that I have learned with Strasburg. It takes perseverance, determination and courage to climb a mountain … to save a life.

Tickets to the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad’s Little Engine event are $15 for ages 1 and over, which includes the train ride and an entire day of activities.

Advance ticket sales are available by calling 800.872.4681 or 828.586.8811. Reservations are strongly suggested. Seating is on a limited basis and tickets are expected to sell out quickly.

Strasburg Rail Road Restorers Even Do Facelifts – Just Ask Thomas
By Cindy Hummel
Lancaster New Era

The Strasburg Rail Road workshops can now add celebrity facelifts to their list of accomplishments. Thomas the Tank Engine, based on the Rev. W. Awdry’s series of children’s books, recently underwent major eye changes to get ready for a new season at the Strasburg Rail Road, along Route 741 east of Strasburg.

“Day Out With Thomas” events in Strasburg this year will take place June 17-25, Sept. 16-24 and Dec. 1-3. Thomas also travels up and down the East Coast to appear at other events.

England was the first to have a full-size steam engine rendition of Thomas. In 1998, the Strasburg Rail Road craftsmen created the first full-size American Thomas that could pull coaches full of fans. But those fans kept asking the same questions, according to the railroad’s Kelly Anderson: “Why isn’t he looking at me?” Hence, the facelift.

Throughout the winter, shop workers replaced the stationary, painted-on eyes with round, expressive eyes that move around, Anderson said.
But a recent tour of the workshops revealed more than Thomas’ new and improved face standing upright against the table.

Other shop tour highlights include Engine No. 475, a locomotive with a rare wheel alignment: four wheels in the front and eight toward the back. Strasburg Rail Road purchased the locomotive, which last ran in 1956, in 1991 and spent two years restoring it.

Railroad museums from across the county send their cars to Strasburg for restoration work, which can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, Anderson said.

Hollywood also has called on Strasburg workers. For the 1999 movie “Wild, Wild West” starring Will Smith, a passenger car from the B&O Museum was shipped here to be transformed into a flashy, 1857 era car. Strasburg workers also restored a car for the 1969 movie “Hello Dolly,” starring Barbra Streisand. The railroad also was used in scenes from the 2000 movie “Thomas and the Magic Railroad.”

Workers do their restorations in two shops: one for locomotives and the other for passenger cars. They reuse as much of the original car as possible, Anderson said. When seats, light fixtures or inlay wood cannot be salvaged, workers can either use their supply of extra salvaged parts or recreate them to the tiniest detail. Passenger cars can take up to 13,000 man-hours to restore. The process includes extensive research to learn exactly how the car would have looked new.

Although the railroad uses vintage machines for most restoration, it has made a concession to modern times: a computerized lathe that not only cuts accurately, but also lowers costs. The newest shop expansion is a drive-through of sorts, with tracks that that allow cars and engines to drive in and out. Then new shop was scheduled to go into service March 31.

Asked why Strasburg’s shops are chosen for restoration projects over other shops, Anderson replied, “We are the best.” He pointed out that the railroad has skilled workers and little turnover. “It is a job and a hobby all rolled into one,” 40-year employee Glen Lefever said.

The 2006 railroad season officially kicked off April1. The first special event will be the Easter Bunny train April 14-16. Behind-the-scene tours of the shops are $12 with a ticket stub from the train ride or $20 for visitors who do not ride the train. Tours begin at noon on all days that the trains are running. Shop tours are offered seven days a week. The tours are not recommended for toddlers.

To read the entire article, please visit Lancaster Online.

For Passengers, Strasburg Rail Ride More Than Merely Trip to Paradise
by Sandi Lynn Brown
The Lebanon Daily News

Strasburg, PA - He is known for being a very useful engine. And on a warm, fall day recently in Lancaster County, Thomas the Tank Engine lived up to his reputation. Thomas rolled into the station pulling several passenger cars behind him. Adults and children, including my sister-in-law, her three children and me, boarded the train at the StrasburgRailRoad, located on Route 741 east of Strasburg.

Three times a year, the blue steam locomotive offers guests a 22-minute ride. He will return for a three-day stint beginning Dec. 3. While Thomas brings a certain ambiance to the ride, the railroad’s steam train offers 45-minute round trip rides to Leamon Place Junction in neighboring Paradise Township. Passengers can get off midway at Groff’s Grove to have a picnic or stop at the Cherry-Crest Farm to attempt the Amazing Maize Maze, a labyrinth of cornstalks in the heart of Amish country.

The whole journey gives the rider a glimpse of what rail travel was like in 1915, said Linn Moedinger, president and chief mechanical officer of the railroad. “We hope to be able to bring people right into the heart of what we feel is still some of the best part of Pennsylvania Dutch Country there is,” Moedinger said. “Strasburg itself still looks like it did 30 years ago.”

In 1832, a charter was made to build the railroad, he said. A train was running by at least 1851, and the railway served Strasburg until 1957. The railroad was then abandoned and would have been demolished if it weren’t for a small group. Twenty-four people including Moedinger’s parents bought the railroad in 1968. The consortium began operating freight trains on the tracks soon after and started a small business for passengers. “The passenger business essentially grew to what it is today from there,” Moedinger said. “It’s grown into a first-class operation anybody associated with the railroad can be very proud of.”

Today, the railroad owns seven steam locomotives including Thomas, 22 passenger cars and 12 pieces of freight equipment. Pieces have either been restored or are replicas of originals. Roughly 400,000 people visit the attractions annually, Moedinger said. About 55 percent of that is repeat business. The railroad employs 75 workers. “I’m honored to work here,” he said. “The people are the heart and soul of the railroad.”

Other activities on the site consist of the Cagney Train, a miniature steam train built in 1920 for an amusement park; the Pump Car, a railroad platform riders operate by pumping a lever; and the Noon Shop Tour, a behind-the-scenes tour of the railroad’s mechanical shop.

My nephew, Dylan Patrowicz, especially enjoyed the ride on the Lancaster Oxford & Southern Railcar, a car restored in 1915. Dylan; his sister, Ashley, 1; his mother, Christy, all from New Jersey; and I picked a prime seat right next to conductor Walt Keely, who has worked at Strasburg for 17 years. Dylan was clearly impressed with the various gadgets and with Keely, who patiently answered all of the 4-year-old’s questions.

“Everything in here is for you, Mr. Conductor,” Dylan said.

Thomas Makes Tracks For Strasburg Station
Railroad offers many attractions for youngsters
The Patriot News

The lure of Thomas the Tank Engine, with his big eyes and wide grin, is just one reason visitors hop aboard the Strasburg Rail Road. Its open coaches, allowing fresh country air to breeze through, and its luxuriously restored parlor car also are among its attractions. Steam engines, such as the storybook character Thomas, take visitors back to a simpler time of travel and commerce.

Thomas returns tomorrow to Strasburg, where he’ll be stationed through June 20, giving 25-minute rides that depart every half-hour, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday-Friday. Tickets, at $14, are available by calling (866) 468-7630 or visiting www.strasburgrailroad.com. A “Day Out With Thomas” also will feature Thomas & Friends-themed storytelling, video viewing, live music, photos with Sir Topham Hatt and arts and crafts.

Touted as the most authentic train experience of the era, Strasburg Rail Road was established more than 40 years ago by a group of enthusiasts. The engines and railcars are so meticulously restored that they have been featured in movies such as “Raintree County,” “Hello, Dolly!” and “Thomas and the Magic Railroad.”

Strasburg also offers a separate, 45-minute journey, in which visitors travel past Amish buggies and farm fields still plowed by horses and mules. Travelers may stop at an old-fashioned picnic grove and enjoy a snack while trains rumble by. On board are some of the same men who served as conductors, brakemen and engineers when the Strasburg Rail Road first opened as a tourist attraction.

“Some of our engineers are doctors and lawyers who maintain their FRA [Federal Railroad Administration] certification just so they can come to Strasburg on weekends and run the trains,” conductor Walter Minnich said.

Each train has a narrator who tells the railroad’s history spiced with a few tall tales. For details, call 687-7522 or visit www.strasburgrailroad.com.

Thomas The Tank Engine Chugs into Lancaster County, PA
By Erica Lamberg
The Courier News

New Jersey - The classic storybook friend, Thomas the Tank Engine, steams into Lancaster County, Pa., for a fun-filled visit from June 12 through June 20th at the Strasburg Railroad in Strasburg. This “Day Out With Thomas” event offers children and grown-ups the opportunity to take a 22-minute train ride with Thomas the Tank Engine.

In addition to the ride, the experience includes an opportunity to meet Thomas’s friend, Sir Topham Hatt, and visit the fun tent nearby, with activities including Thomas-book storytelling and video viewing, arts and crafts and live music. Tickets for guests one-year-old and older are $14 per ticket, which includes the train ride and all other activities. And, there’s even a retail store that specializes in all types of Thomas the Tank Engine merchandise for a perfect souvenir from the memorable experience.

The Mandelbaum family of Warren has already purchased their tickets, and sons Craig, 5, and Matthew, 3, are counting the days to the fun outing later this month. “They are really looking forward to it, and I think they will really enjoy the whole experience,” said Jacqui Mandelbaum, mother of the two boys. “This is the first time we are going and we are planning to spend a few days in the area, taking in more of Lancaster County.”

Beginning on June 12th, the train ride with Thomas the Tank Engine will depart every half hour, rain or shine, between 9:00 am through 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, (first train runs at 9:15 a.m.) and 9:30 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. on Sunday through Friday (first train runs at 9:45 a.m.)
“This is a very popular attraction for us, and it draws a lot of people from all over New Jersey,” said Ann Musser, ticket sales coordinator with the Strasburg Railroad. “Even though Thomas isn’t on television anymore, he lives on in videos and books and he continues to have strong appeal for people of all ages.”

The Thomas Ride is taking place at The Strasburg Railroad, a vintage steam train that takes guests to the land of the Amish through acres of beautiful farmland. Between the circa 1915 East Strasburg Station and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania just across the road, there are more trains — and train folk — than you can imagine, with trackside eateries and shops filled with keepsakes.

What: “Day Out With Thomas” event featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, a full-size operating steam locomotive ride. Other activities include photo opportunities with Thomas and other characters, activity tent and live music.

When: June 12 through June 20, various times

Where: Strasburg Rail Road, Route 741 East, Strasburg, PA

Cost: Tickets are $14 for guests one and up.

For more information: Call (717) 687-7522, or visit www.StrasburgRailroad.com.