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Several dozen youngsters offered their choice of names during Railfest 2019, the park’s annual celebration of all things railroading. This year’s themes were commemorating the 150th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad (1869), and the 60th anniversary of the first Reading Company’s “Iron Horse Rambles” that ran through east and central Pennsylvania (1959). While the Transcontinental Railroad linked the nation from coast to coast, the “Rambles” helped inaugurate public interest in special steam locomotive-powered railroad excursions in the era immediately following the end of routine steam locomotive use by America’s railroads. Steamtown NHS’s own Reading #2124 has the distinction of leading the first “Iron Horse Ramble,” and staff and volunteers worked hard this summer to give the engine the paint scheme it had during those glory days. Make sure to stop by the park to see #2124 in its silver and yellow accented “Rambles” livery!
A panel of the three Steamtown NHS employees with the longest park tenure, Preservation Specialist John Melliand, Supervisory Park Ranger John Mucha, and Trainmaster Willard Sturdevant, with a combined service of roughly 100 years at Steamtown NHS, reviewed the entries and were in agreement that “Rover” best fit BLW No. 26’s personality. Gracee received a certificate, tickets for her family to ride behind “Rover” on the Scranton Limited, and several of the site’s collectable trading cards showcasing some of the park’s locomotives and rolling stock. Congratulations again, Gracee, on your winning entry!
“Rover” was built in 1929 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works at their massive locomotive building complex south of Philadelphia and used it in their own railroad yard. Although small by steam locomotive standards, it can carry nearly seven tons of coal and 1,750 gallons of water in its tender to produce 29,375 pounds of tractive effort to perform work in the rail yard.
Although “Rover’s” work leading the Scranton Limited yard shuttles this year ended with rides during Veterans Day 2019, “Rover” looks forward to carrying Santa on the annual “Christmas in a Small Town” special train that will run from Carbondale to Steamtown National Historic Site on Saturday, December 7, 2019. The public can greet Santa along the line but cannot ride behind “Rover” that day. Keep checking the Lackawanna Heritage Valley website for updated Santa Train information at: https://lhva.org/
Located in downtown Scranton, Pa., Steamtown NHS is open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily. From I-81 follow exit 185 (Central Scranton Expressway); then follow the brown and white signs to the park entrance at Lackawanna Avenue and Cliff Street (GPS: N 41.41, W 75.67). General park information is available by phoning (570) 340-5206 during regular business hours, or by visiting the park website anytime.
www.nps.gov/stea
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Last updated: November 12, 2019