New Hope Railroad

Not to be confused with New Hope Valley Railway.

New Hope Railroad

File:New Hope & Ivyland Railroad 2015 Logo.png
File:NHRR 40 2017.jpg New Hope 40 reversing over 2nd Ingham Run Bridge
Overview
Headquarters	New Hope, Pennsylvania
Reporting mark	NHRR
Locale	Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Dates of operation	1966 (1966)–present
Technical
Length	18 miles (29 km)
Other
Website	www.newhoperailroad.com
Route map New Hope PA 179 West Bridge Street Ferry Street Ingham Run Ingham Run West Mechanic Street Hood South Sugan Road Ingham Run Driveway Ingham Run Pennsylvania Shale Brick Company Reeder Road Reeder Deer Park Aquetong Road Lower Mountain Road Driveway Street Road Lahaska Holicong Road Bycot Driveway Abandoned quarry spur Upper Mountain Road PA 413 Durham Road Farm Lane Upper Mountain Road Buckingham Valley Lower Mountain Road Creek Road New Hope Road Montessori School Smith Road Mill Creek Wycombe Township Line Road Driveway Mill Creek Mill Creek Rushland Swamp Road Neshaminy Creek Sackettsford Road Little Neshaminy Creek Grenoble Little Neshaminy Creek Almshouse Road Traymore West Bristol Road Ivyland Ivyland Road Johnsville PA 132 Street Road Warminster Warminster Line PN to Glenside

The New Hope Railroad (reporting mark NHRR) is a shortline and heritage railroad located in New Hope, Pennsylvania which operates both steam and diesel powered locomotives. The railroad is an associate member of NORAC.

Services

Heritage

The heritage operations utilize both steam and diesel powered locomotives for excursion trips out of New Hope. Regular NHRR excursions are 45–50 minutes long with trains running every hour on the hour between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM (with a 5:00 PM 90-minute trip to Buckingham on weekends). The railroad mostly uses former Reading Company passenger cars, which date between 1914 and 1932, for excursions.

A semi-regular operation has recently began in Lansdale, Pennsylvania on the former Reading Bethlehem Branch between Lansdale station and Souderton Station in Souderton, Pennsylvania.

Freight

NHRR is involved in the import and export of raw materials and manufactured products. Freight customers range from national chemical companies to consumer product manufacturers. NHRR interchanges with Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad in Johnsville, which in turn interchanges with CSX Transportation in Lansdale. NHRR's primary customers are based in Warminster; CRC Industries, Castrol, and Double H Plastics are served on a weekly basis.

History

The line currently operated by the New Hope Railroad was originally known as the New Hope Branch of the Reading Company (RDG), which leased the North Pennsylvania Railroad, of which it was a part. The railroad ran as far as Hartsville Station (near Bristol Road) until March 29, 1891, when the line was extended to the long-desired terminal of New Hope, Pennsylvania.

First train to New Hope.

A decade after June 1952, when Hatboro-New Hope passenger service terminated, RDG's financial situation was precarious. Looking to rid themselves of unprofitable branch lines via abandonment, a group of train aficionados and businessmen led by Philadelphia attorney Kenneth Souser established Steam Trains, Inc. with the goal of operating steam trains on a for-profit basis. Steam Trains, Inc. became organized as the 'New Hope & Ivyland Railroad (NHIR), and on June 20, 1966, the 16.7-mile line was sold for $200,000.

Steam Trains, Inc. started their operations on a high note, often in an extravagant fashion. The company leased freight locomotives from RDG, and used only hired labor to operate their excursions. The "air rights" over the Southern portion of the line from Ivyland to just north of Almshouse Road, were sold to the former Philadelphia Electric Company (now Exelon) in order to stay solvent. Steam Trains, Inc. declared bankruptcy on June 5, 1970. Operations continued under a court-appointed trustee.

The Bucks County Industrial Development Corporation (BCIDC) purchased the trackage from the Steam Trains, Inc. in early 1974 to "preserve rail service through the center of Bucks County." The county selected McHugh Brothers Heavy Hauling, Inc. to operate freight service over the line via a lease agreement. McHugh Brothers continued hauling freight with Edward L. McHugh as president until his departure in 1989. By the summer of 1976, the railroad received state funding to rehabilitate crumbling infrastructure that sorely needed fixing. By August 1977, volunteers from the Buckingham Valley Trolley Association [BVTA] (now the Electric City Trolley Museum Association) were operating state-sponsored passenger service connecting the touristy town of New Hope with SEPTA/Conrail commuter trains at Warminster. Bucks County had made a wise investment, as both passenger and freight service flourished during the 1970s once track upgrades were made. Finally, on June 30, 1979, NHRR finally emerged from its decade-long bankruptcy.

Beginning July 3, 1980, volunteers of the New Hope Steam Railway (NHOP) resumed weekend excursion service after the BVTA decided to end it. The NHOP ran trains under a lease agreement with the BCIDC until 1990, when the line and its equipment were once again in a state of decay and disrepair. The McHugh Bros. operated NHIR until 1989 when their lease ended and the Morristown & Erie was contracted to operate the railroad. The BCIDC sold the line outright to the for-profit Bucks County Railroad Preservation and Restoration Corporation (BCRP&RC) in 1990, who slowly began to rebuild the railroad to its current state of good repair. BCRP&RC is the official corporate structure, doing business as the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad (NHRR). The name is often abbreviated to "New Hope Railroad".

Stations and trackage

NHRR is a single-track railroad with passing sidings at Deer Park, Lahaska, Buckingham Valley, Wycombe and Ivyland. Deer Park is used as a passing siding for passenger trains during the Christmas season. Lahaska serves as the terminus point for the majority of the railroad's excursions. The siding at Buckingham Valley was the original terminus of excursions until the 1980s, and remains empty. At Wycombe, a number of out of service diesel locomotives, the railroad's vintage freight car fleet, and auxiliary Long Island Rail Road commuter coaches are stored. At Ivyland, a series of sidings are present for freight operations out of Johnsville Yard.

A number of stub tracks also exist on NHRR. At Buckingham Valley, a small siding that once served the Buckingham Valley Trolley Association is presently used as a Repair-in-Progress, or RIP-track, for maintenance-of-way crews. At Wycombe, the team track once used for less-than-carload deliveries is utilized as maintenance of way siding. At Grenoble, another siding created by severing the southern switch of a passing siding is present. This siding once held a number of pieces of equipment, but today only passenger car 1542 remains "on" this siding as it was flipped over onto its side by vandals. At Ivyland exists another RIP-track, typically used for storing MoW equipment. The final siding on the railroad is in Johnsville Yard at Warminster on the North side of the Street Road crossing. This siding is used for short-term storage of interchange freight equipment and storing the diesel locomotive assigned to freight service when not in use.

No block signalization exists on NHRR; however, almost all highway grade crossings have been modernized with full signals and gates.

The stations along the NHRR were:

Station Name	Locality	Milepost	Passenger Facilities	Notes
New Hope	New Hope, Pennsylvania	25.5	Combination Freight/Passenger station	32 West Bridge Street in downtown New Hope. Used as NHRR's ticket office. The ex-Reading freight house is used as a gift shop, with a third building constructed in the 1990s as a café for riders.
Huffnagle	Solebury Township	24.8	Original, Wooden shelter. No evidence of station is left.	Originally known as Huffnagle, then Rosenthal. Became Hood after demolition of station.
Reeder	Solebury Township	23.6	Original: Wooden Shelter.	Named after Eastburn Reeder, Pennsylvania's first dairy/farm commissioner.
Deer Park	Solebury Township	23.5	No station present.	Passing siding named after local area. Constructed 2019.
Lahaska	Buckingham Township	21.4	Original: Combination Freight/Passenger station. Currently a wooden platform (not used).	Destination for regular hourly excursions, original building relocated after termination of passenger service in 1952 and is currently in use as a private residence.
Bycot	Buckingham Township	20.4	Passenger station, removed around 1952.	Only stone station on the line.
None Such Farms	Buckingham Township	18.6	Currently no station present	While never an official station on NHRR or RDG timetables, it does serve as the terminus for NHRR's "Buckingham Valley" train and various dinner trains, worth to note.
Buckingham Valley	Buckingham Township	18.6	Current/Original Combination Freight/Passenger station	Destination for regular hourly excursions prior to the late 1980s, original station building demolished in 1953, current structure from the Pickering Branch near Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Montessori School	Buckingham Township	16.2	Passenger station, removed around 1952.	One of three destinations used for RDG's Commutation School Passes
Wycombe	Buckingham Township	15.7	Combination Freight/Passenger station	Built to the same design as the Lahaska Station, current destination for railroad's "Fall Foliage" excursions.
Little Italy	Buckingham Township	14.5	Passenger station, removed around 1952.	Original location of station unknown,
Rushland	Wrightstown Township	13.8	Combination Freight/Passenger station	Freight station built from converted RDG 40-foot wooden boxcar # 13914
Grenoble	Northampton Township	12.2	Passenger station, removed around 1952.	Station relocated to hillside at some point with trails leading down to the platform
Traymore	Warwick Township	10.9	Passenger station, removed around 1952.	Relocated from the North Pennsylvania Railroad around 1890
Ivyland	Ivyland, Pennsylvania	9.4	Combination Freight/Passenger station	Reportedly moved to an unknown location after passenger service ended
Johnsville	Warminster	8.3	Original, Wooden shelter. No evidence of station is left.	Station area's yard still exists as yard for NHRR/PN. Division point for NHRR/SEPTA.

Italicized stations are no longer in existence

Roster

Locomotives used in the excursion passenger service are usually provided by steam locomotive No. 40, built in 1925 by Baldwin with a 2-8-0 wheel arrangement. No. 40 (ex-Cliffside Railroad) is supplemented by diesel powered locomotives primarily for freight operations. The current active diesel roster consists of EMD GP30 No. 2198 (ex-Pennsylvania Railroad), GMD GP-9u No. 8218 (ex-Canadian Pacific), and GMD SD40-2 No. 5577 (ex-Canadian Pacific).

Passenger excursions typically consist of 3–4 former RDG coaches built between 1914 and 1932; total NHRR passenger car count is 25, ten of which are currently in service. The only locomotives owned by the corporate structure of the NHRR are Nos. 40 and 1533.

Locomotives

In Service locomotives

Number	Class/Type	Builder	Built	Heritage	History
40	2-8-0	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1925	Former Cliffside Railroad, Ex Lancaster & Chester	Bought 1925 by L&C, sold 1947 to Cliffside Railroad, sold to New Hope & Ivyland founders in 1962. Was infrequently used due to NHIR's favor of #1533, until that locomotive's withdrawal from service in 1975. After No. 9 was removed from service in 1981, NHOP's main source of motive power between 1981 and 1986 was No .40. Out of service between 1987 and 1990, returned to service by NHRR in 1991.
2198	GP-30	Electro-Motive Diesel	1963	Former Conrail, Ex Penn Central, Exx Pennsylvania Railroad	Constructed as PRR 2250. Renumbered to 2198 before Penn Central merger. Acquired in 1996.
5577	SD40-2	Electro-Motive Diesel	1972	Former Canadian Pacific Railway	Acquired in 2007. Used by NHRR for freight. It is usually based in Warminster, Pennsylvania. In patched CP livery.
8218	GP-9u	Electro-Motive Diesel	1957	Former Canadian Pacific Railway	Built originally as GP9 8678. Upgraded to GP9u, chopped nose, and renumbered to 8218 in 1988 rebuild. Originally PN, transferred to NHRR in September 2017. Painted in simplified NH&I livery. Main diesel passenger locomotive of NHRR.

Out of Service locomotives

Number	Class/Type	Builder	Built	Heritage	History
1533	4-6-0	Montreal Locomotive Works	1911	Former Canadian National (CN), Ex Canadian Northern Railway	Originally CNoR No.264, renumbered by CNoR in 1912 to No. 1325, included in CN merger in 1923, renumbered to No. 1533 in June 1956, purchased by New Hope & Ivyland in 1962. Was NHIR's main locomotive between 1966 and 1974 and last ran in December 1975. Locomotive stored in yard.
3028	4-8-4	ALCo	1946	Former Nacionales de México, 4-8-4	Brought to NHRR in 1994, has never run on the NHRR. Both tender and engine currently connected and stored on deadline. Privately owned.
7087	C30-7	GE Transportation	1981	Former CSX, Ex Seaboard	Acquired in 1998. Was used for both freight and passenger operations. Retired 2016.

Former steam locomotives

Number	Class/Type	Builder	Built	Heritage	History
7	0-6-0	Lima Locomotive Works	1944	Former Virginia Blue Ridge Railway, Ex Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad, Exx U.S. Army Transportation Corps	Built as No. 4061. Privately owned during time on NHIR, was used as parts for No. 9. Never operated on NHIR. Scrapped 1976.
9	0-6-0	Lima Locomotive Works	1942	Former Virginia Blue Ridge Railway, Ex Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad, Exx U.S. Army Transportation Corps	Built as No. 4023. Sold to SMS Rail Lines in 2009. Operated on NHIR 1966-1981.

Rolling Stock

In Service Passenger Cars

Number	Class/Type	Heritage	Builder	Built	History
870	Coach	Reading	Bethlehem Steel Company	1932	Constructed as an electric multiple unit. Class PBn, 72-seat coach. Was No. 9125 under Blueliner and SEPTA service. Became coach on wire train after SEPTA's retirement of the Blueliner fleet. Sold 2004 to NHRR. Is equipped with Taylor flexible-type (MU) trucks. Renumbered back to 870 during 2019 restoration.
1096	Baggage	Santa Fe	Pullman-Standard Corporation	1960	Originally a baggage car No. 3997 during Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and Amtrak service but converted by Iron Horse Enterprises for main line excursion service. Traded to NHRR as partial payment for work done to ex C&O 614. North end baggage door is fake. Windows are removable. Used as No. 40's Tool Car on the railroad's offline / Main Line Steam trips.
1127	Coach	Reading	Harlan & Hollingsworth	1924	Class PBn, 84-seat coach. Was numbered #11 under NHOP operation. Purchased after closure of Valley Forge Scenic Railroad. Saw use during the "Reading Rambles" excursions. Is equipped with Taylor flexible-type (MU) trucks from the 1930s testing of a new truck style to be put on Reading's MU fleet.
1220	Coach	Reading	Harlan & Hollingsworth	1922	Class PBn, 84-seat coach. Wore Reading Company livery from 1991-2008. Was numbered #12 under NHOP operation. Purchased after closure of Valley Forge Scenic Railroad.
1424	Coach	Reading	Harlan & Hollingsworth	1914	Class PBh, 76-seat coach. Retains original Mahogany Interior. Named "Joseph R. Turner" in 1990s after stockholder. Was numbered #13 under NHOP operation. Saw use during the "Reading Rambles" excursions. Opening Day Coach.
1430	Parlor Car	Reading	Harlan & Hollingsworth	1914	Class PBh, 76-seat coach. Retains original Mahogany Interior. Converted to First Class Car in early 1970s with full bar with table and chair seating. Named "Donald L. Hammond" in 2013 after NHRR's Chairman Of The Board. Was numbered #14 under NHOP operation. Oldest coach on the roster. Opening Day Coach.
1505	Coach	Reading	Harlan & Hollingsworth	1916	Class PBh, 76-seat coach. Retains original Mahogany Interior. Was numbered #15 under NHOP operation. Opening Day Coach.
1525	Open Air	Reading	Harlan & Hollingsworth	1927	Class PBr, 76-seat coach. Former air-conditioned/semi-streamlined car. Was converted in 1967 by NHRR to a two-thirds open and one-third closed coach, with open platforms on each end. Was taken out of service in 1979 and stored at Wycombe until 2008. Was rebuilt by NHRR as a full-length open air/observation car with back platform. Named "Jack R. Rominger". Opening Day Coach.
4907	Dining Car	Canadian National	Canadian Car & Foundry	1919	Originally constructed as 14 section "Colonist Sleeper" car. Built as Canadian Northern sleeper car No. 2877, became Canadian National No. 5242 after conversion to coach. Has composite construction; wood frame and steel skin. Purchase by Black River & Western in early 1990s, sold to NHRR in 1999. Converted to Dining Car in 2019.
9123	Coach	Reading	Bethlehem Steel Company	1932	Constructed as an electric multiple unit. Class PBn, 72-seat coach. Originally built as No. 867, was 9123 under Blueliner and SEPTA service. Sold 2020 to NHRR from Reading Technical and Historical Society. Is equipped with Taylor flexible-type (MU) trucks. Still in Reading Livery from the museum.
800301	Dining Car	Union Pacific	American Car & Foundry	1949	Built as Union Pacific as Car No. 5004 for their City of Los Angeles and City of Portland trains. Was sold to Alaska Railroad as a dining car, then to the American Orient Express' operation where it was renamed "Zurich". After the end of AEO's operations it was sold to Ross Rowland for his Greenbriar Presidential Express. At this time the car was renamed "Crater Lake". After the failure to get the train running, the car was auctioned off to New Hope Railroad. Car was restored in 2017 and currently serves as a first-class dining car.

Out-Of-Service Passenger Cars

Number	Class/Type	Heritage	Builder	Built	History
72	Baggage	Central Railroad of New Jersey	American Car & Foundry	1923	Once used as the gift shop and ticket office, One of two CNJ rolling stock owned by NHRR. Currently used for additional storage.
304	Electric Multiple Unit	Reading	Bethlehem Steel Company	1932	Ex Reading Blueliner No. 9103, purchased from the Reading Technical and Historical Society. Constructed as a combine car, converted to coach. Currently in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. Purchased 2020.
983	Coach	Central Railroad of New Jersey	American Car & Foundry	1923	Retains its original Mahogany Interior. One of two CNJ rolling stock owned by NHRR, From Valley Forge Scenic Railroad.
1113	Coach	Reading	Harlan & Hollingsworth	1924	Class PBn, 84-seat coach. Saw use during the "Reading Rambles" excursions. Purchased after closure of Valley Forge Scenic Railroad.
1202	Parlor Car	Reading	Harlan & Hollingsworth	1922	Class PBn. Saw use during the "Reading Rambles" excursions. From Valley Forge Scenic Railroad. Originally an 84-seat coach but converted by NHRR in 1990s into a Parlor/Dining Car. Renumbered #16 under NHOP operation.
1366	Open Air Car	Reading	Harlan & Hollingsworth	1918	Class PBh. Originally 76-seat coach. Purchased by NHIR 1966, converted into an Open Air Car 1970. Opening Day Coach.
1536	Coach	Reading	Harlan & Hollingsworth	1927	Class PBr, 74-seat coach. Last used in 1969. Opening Day Coach.
1542	Coach	Reading	Harlan & Hollingsworth	1927	Class PBr, 74-seat coach. Former "Air Conditioned" Coach. Was used temporarily as a parlor by Reading Company for their Clocker’s Club meetings. Put back as coach before retirement by Reading. heavily vandalized, flipped on its side by vandal in mid-2010, still retains semi-streamlined skirting. Last used in 1969, located in Grenoble. Opening Day Coach.
2004	Parlor Car	New York Central	Pullman-Standard	1914	Constructed as lot 4329, plan 2417A as Parlor-Buffet. Originally Pullman Coach-Buffet No. 2800, named "Andrico". It was a part of the Empire State Limited in NYC years as Club Car ‘’Empire State’’. Sold to LIRR 1959, renumbered 2004 and renamed "Syosset".
2804	Coach	Long Island Rail Road	Pullman Standard	1955	Used for Long Island Rail Road commuter service. Purchased in early 2000s.
2805	Coach	Long Island Rail Road	Pullman Standard	1955	Used for Long Island Rail Road commuter service. Purchased in early 2000s.
2816	Coach	Long Island Rail Road	Pullman Standard	1955	Used for Long Island Rail Road commuter service. Purchased in early 2000s. In NHRR livery.
2817	Coach	Long Island Rail Road	Pullman Standard	1955	Used for Long Island Rail Road commuter service. Purchased in early 2000s. In NHRR livery. Used for the railroad's Haunted Halloween Events in October. While no changes have been made to the outside of the car, the inside of the coach has been fully redone for the event.
2820	Coach	Long Island Rail Road	Pullman Standard	1955	Used for Long Island Rail Road commuter service. Purchased in early 2000s.
2826	Coach	Long Island Rail Road	Pullman Standard	1955	Used for Long Island Rail Road commuter service. Purchased in early 2000s. In NHRR livery.
2834	Coach	Long Island Rail Road	Pullman Standard	1955	Used for Long Island Rail Road commuter service. Purchased in early 2000s.

Freight Cars

Number	Class/Type	Builder	Heritage	Built	Current Use
303	Hopper Car	Pullman Standard	Former Conrail, Ex Penn Central, Exx Pennsylvania Railroad	1955	In service. Wears white NHRR livery. Has open/exposed bin designated for ballast service.
1606	Tank Car	Fleischmann Transportation Company	Former Standard Brands Inc.	1948	Out of service. Only steel frame remains, used to have wooden tank to haul vinegar.
1753	Tank Car	Pennsylvania Tank Car Co.	Former Pennsylvania Tank Lines	1927	In service. Unique due to the platform at the top of the ladder.
3752	Tank Car	ACF	Former Union Tank Car Company	1936	Out of service. Built by Union Tank Car Co., UTLX, 3 dome tanker.
6622	Tank Car	ACF	Former Shippers Car Line	1940	Out of service. Painted white.
8435	Boxcar	Magor Car Corp.	Former Lehigh & New England Railroad	1931	Out of Service, no trucks
8570	Boxcar	Magor Car Corp.	Former Lehigh & New England Railroad	1934	Out of service, no trucks
9005	Boxcar	Despatch Shops Inc.	Former New York Central Railroad 157928	1942	Out of service, no trucks
9811	Boxcar	Pullman Standard	Former New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad	1952	Out of service. PS-1. Stored at Buckingham Valley.
12153	Hopper	Bethlehem Steel	Former Lehigh Valley Railroad	1944	Out of service. 55-ton 2-bay hopper, was also once operated by Roebling Steel, from Pemberton Historic Trust.
38009	Flatcar	Magor Car Corp.	Former U.S. Army	1951	Out of service
53033	Dump Car	Eastern Car Ltd.	Former Canadian National Railway	1957	In service. Used to haul ballast and other minerals.
480047	Flatcar	Pennsylvania Railroad Samuel Rea Shops	Former Indiana Harbor Belt, Ex Penn Central, Exx Pennsylvania Railroad	1959	In service. Wears PRR lettering, steel frame, wooden platform, used to haul railroad ties and other supplies.

Cabooses

Number	Heritage	Type	Notes	In Service
C127	Boston and Maine	Steel	Constructed by the Laconia Car Company of Laconia, New Hampshire in 1921 as a wooden caboose with steel underbody. In 1959, the sides were converted to steel by Morrison International, while keeping the original underbody.	Yes
575	Lehigh and New England Railroad	Wooden	Constructed by Magor Car Corporation. Later sold to Northampton & Bath Railroad, cupola removed.	No
576	Lehigh and New England Railroad	Wooden	Constructed by Magor Car Corporation. Later sold to Northampton & Bath Railroad, cupola removed. Currently under restoration with cupola reinstalled.	No
35174	Central of Georgia Railway	Wooden	Constructed by the Central of Georgia Macon, GA shops in 1937. Later operated by the Southern Railway.	No

See also

• List of heritage railroads in the United States
• Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad

External links

• New Hope Railroad – Official site
• New Hope Railroad Photos
• New Hope Railroad at rrpicturearchives.net