A perfect weekend at the end of August for a perfect train experience.
Our first trip to SteamTown, a national Park Service site, that delights the young and old with trains,
trolleys, and more trains. The highlight was a trip behind an elderly but in perfect working order Mikado steamer, which was authentic including the barrage of tiny cinders from the stack even in the last Pullman.
A 53-mile round trip up steep grades to Tobyhanna, PA and return (behind F- Unit Diesels of the ’50′s) with a stopover for hotdogs and a walking tour of Tobyhanna at the depot was an affordable $31.
A four-star hotel accomodation (Hilton, just a couple of blocks from the train) at $95 was perfect. The nice folks there will even drop you off and pick you up at the ticket counter (perfect if you have a lot of video gear to tote). Outstanding service, meals, and cleanliness. If you stay there, see Rebecca at the Trolley Eatery -=- she’s a real railfan.
We’ll be going back to Scranton soon for more trains, trolleys, haluski, halupki, pierogie and other Polish delights.
Roll ‘em Harvey.
DR
