Colebrookdale Railroad facts for kids
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Garden Cafe Car
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| Overview | |
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| Headquarters | Boyertown, Pennsylvania |
| Locale | Boyertown-Pottstown, Pennsylvania |
| Dates of operation | 2014–present |
| Predecessor | East Penn Railroad |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 8.6 miles (13.8 km) |
The Colebrookdale Railroad, also known as the Secret Valley Line, is a special train ride experience in Pennsylvania. It's a tourist railroad that takes passengers on scenic trips between Boyertown in Berks County and Pottstown in Montgomery County. This journey covers about 8.6 miles through a beautiful valley.
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Fun Train Rides and Experiences
The Colebrookdale Railroad offers many exciting train rides throughout the year. Most trips start from Boyertown.
Special Themed Trains
You can enjoy different themed rides like:
- A fall foliage train to see colorful leaves.
- A Haunted History train for spooky fun.
- A Santa Claus train during the holidays.
- A Valentine's Day train for a sweet trip.
- An Easter Bunny Express in spring.
- Special trains for Moms and Dads.
- Wine Tasting and Cheese Trains for adults.
Renting a Train Car
Groups can also rent the whole train or just a few cars for private events. You can even rent the caboose for birthday parties!
The Train Cars You Can Ride
The railroad currently uses five main passenger cars:
- A deluxe coach car.
- A dining car where you can eat.
- A cafe car for snacks and drinks.
- A lounge car to relax in.
- A parlor car, which is a mix of a fancy coach and lounge car.
They also have an open-air gondola car for fresh air and a historic PRR caboose. Other cars are waiting to be restored, like a private car called Voiture Lynnewood and a baggage car that will become a kids' play area.
The Railroad's Journey Through Time
The Colebrookdale Railroad line has a long and interesting history.
Early Days and Purpose
The original Colebrookdale Railroad began building this line in 1865. It was built to help transport iron and iron ore for the industry along the Manatawny Creek. Trains started running on September 6, 1869. The line carried both freight (goods) and passengers. It used to go further north to Bechtelsville and Barto, but later the service was shortened to Boyertown.
Changing Owners and Revival
The Reading Railroad operated the line for many years until 1976. Then, it became part of Conrail. Conrail planned to close the line, but the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation stepped in to save it. After a few different operators, Berks County bought the line in 2001 to keep it open.
In 2008, the line was abandoned again. However, the Berks County Redevelopment Authority worked to bring it back to life. The Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad started operating the line in October 2010.
Tourist Service Begins
The Colebrookdale Railroad officially started its regular tourist service on October 18, 2014. Before that, they ran some "soft" trips to make sure everything worked perfectly.
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Future Improvements
The railroad's non-profit group, the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust, has been working to improve the line. They received a large loan of $40 million in 2022 from the Federal Railroad Administration. This money is being used to completely rebuild the tracks and bridges. This will allow the railroad to carry heavier modern freight cars and even extend the line back to Bechtelsville.
As of 2022, the railroad has also added two steam locomotives to its collection. They are also making their train yard bigger and turning parts of their parking lot into a beautiful garden for community events.
Locomotives and Train Cars
The Colebrookdale Railroad has a collection of different locomotives (the engines that pull the trains) and passenger cars.
Engines Used Today
- Pennsylvania Railroad GP9 No. 7236: This engine was built in 1959 and is the railroad's main workhorse.
- Southern Railway GP38-2 No. 5128: Built in 1974, this engine joined the Colebrookdale in 2019.
- Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad Plymouth MDT No. 9: This smaller engine, built in 1964, is used for moving cars around the yard.
- Grand Trunk Western 4-6-2 J-3b No. 5030: This steam locomotive was built in 1912 and acquired in 2021. It needs a lot of restoration work before it can run.
- Lake Superior and Ishpeming 2-8-0 SC-4 No. 18: Another steam locomotive, built in 1910, was bought in 2021 with plans to restore it.
- Canadian National 4-6-2 J-7-b No. 5288: This steam engine, built in 1919, was acquired in 2023. It is planned for display and eventual restoration.
Engines Used in the Past
- Pennsylvania Railroad GP10 No. 7580: This was the first engine to operate at Colebrookdale when it opened in 2014. It was later replaced by No. 7236.
- New Haven Doodlebug No. M-55: This special railcar was used occasionally and was acquired by another museum in 2025.
- Transportation Corps 0-6-0 tank S100 No. 5002: This small engine was stored at Boyertown for a short time before being sold for restoration.
- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe CF7 No. 2627: This engine was stored for a few years and then acquired by another museum in 2020.
Passenger and Special Cars
The railroad has a variety of interesting cars:
- Pennsylvania Railroad caboose No. 477768: Built in 1941, this was the very first piece of equipment owned by the Colebrookdale Railroad. It's now used for private events.
- Two 1916-built flatcars: One was turned into an open-air gondola car for passengers.
- Canadian National Pullman Passenger car M520 No. 5038: This car was turned into a dining car.
- Canadian National Passenger car M500 No. 4970 Dawn Treader: Built in 1919.
- Canadian National Pullman passenger car M500 No. 5033 Storm King.
- Maine Central lounge car: Built in 1914, this car was completely rebuilt and started service in 2020.
- Pennsylvania Railroad sleeping car No. 729 Lake Girard: Built in 1924, it was restored and has been in service since 2017.
- The Beaver sleeping car: Acquired in 2019, this car is waiting for a full restoration.
- Business car M530 No. 4714 Joseph Early Widener Lynnewood: Built in 1917, this car was acquired from Canada.
- Wabash observation car Diplomat: Built in 1927, this car was restored and became part of the regular train rides.
- Wheeling and Lake Erie Palace passenger car #3 Huron: Built in 1887, this very old car was saved from being scrapped and brought to Boyertown.
