Quakertown Railfan trip 5/15/04

I'm not sure if this is the place to create this thread, but I know there is alot of interest in the Bethlehem/Quakertown branch.

Anyway, I just got word of a railfan trip in May that is to run on this branch using NHIRR coaches through the Perkasie tunnel. Anyone hear news of this?

Once again, a big dissapointment is that the trains leave from Perkasie and not Lansdale. It's still early, is there anyway to convince EPRR to run the trains through so their trains could connect with the R5? This would be a great way to stir up some interest in the line...hec maybe some of us could even hang up flyers about the trip downtown !

jfrey40535,

A link to yesterday's post on the PA Railfan forum:

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 3&start=15

From the way you phrased your message, I'm not sure if you know why the May 14 trips are being operated. It's part of a joint celebration of the 125th anniversary of the founding of Perkasie Borough, as well as the Quakertown Alive event. While it would be entertaining for railfans, I can see how the boroughs would have no interest in extending the trips as far south as Lansdale. It's beyond the scope of what the boroughs are interested in (packing a lot of folks together where they'll have fun and maybe spend some money locally). Keeping the focus tightly centered on just those two towns is the best way to do that. A campaign to post some flyers and pass out handbills at the big Center City railroad stations would probably help bring a modest amount of additional folks to the celebrations. I doubt it'll make a major difference, but I'm not going to rain on the parade. Power to ya!

I believe that it's just a happy coincidence that (1) there's an operable track between the boroughs; (2) there's a half-mile long± tunnel & an ancient wooden water tank along the way; (3) there are local shortline RRs to bring a loco + cars ; and most of all, (4) the 10-mile round-trip is just short enough (even on that slow trackage) that the boroughs can run many trips, further boosting the cash take for the events. An attempt to extend these trips further south will cut into the number of trips that can be operated during the hours that the joint celebrations are being held. That has surely occurred to the event planners. Of course they'd love it if everyone in Bucks & MontCo showed up. But extending the train trips would harm rather than help.