5 September 2007
CP Makes for Historic Train Run
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An aerial view of the Nicholson Bridge shows a Canadian Pacific
freight train traversing the huge concrete span. CP has given clearance for Steamtown to run a passenger excursion across the bridge
this Sunday afternoon.
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Nicholson Pennsylvania USA - When a train from Steamtown
National Historic Site carries passengers over the Nicholson Bridge on Sunday, 9 Sep 2007, it will be the result of a lot
of international negotiation.
The last time Steamtown ran excursions over the bridge was in 1993, before the museum established its regular route to the Poconos.
Ever since that change in the route, Steamtown officials said they have been trying to resume runs over the Wyoming County landmark.
"Over the years, many visitors have requested us to go over the viaduct," said John Mucha, Steamtown's supervisory park
ranger.
Mucha said there have been many changes over the years - such as new ownership of the rail line - that have made excursions over the
bridge if not impossible at least impractical until now.
The bridge and its track are owned and operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Mark Seland, Canadian Pacific's public affairs director, said the railroad wanted to accommodate Steamtown if possible, but there were
a number of concerns.
The biggest obstacle was making sure the excursion did not interfere with existing railroad traffic. Seland explained that the track
through Nicholson is one of CP's main lines. As such, it carries a substantial number of freight trains - not only CP's but those of
other railroads which contract with CP.
"We needed to work very closely with them (Steamtown) to understand the timing," Seland said. "It's a rather complex
logistical thing."
Another matter to be dealt with was liability. Normally, when one railroad runs on another's tracks, the track owner is responsible for
insurance coverage. But running a passenger train - especially one pulled by a steam engine - brings additional issues, Seland said. It
took some time to make sure all the details were worked out.
Finally, Seland said CP had to make sure that Steamtown's locomotive and coaches were suitable for the track. Canadian Pacific is
designated as a Class I railroad by the U.S. and Canadian governments, meaning it is one of the largest freight railroads in North
America.
Traditionally, Steamtown runs its excursions on tracks owned by smaller railroads, designated Class II, or Class III. Seland explained
that Class I railroads have much stricter requirements set by the federal government.
To make sure Steamtown's train met those requirements, CP officials visited Scranton earlier this summer to inspect the locomotive and
coaches. Satisfied that the equipment was up to standard, the railroad gave its okay to the excursion.
Steamtown has been trying to maintain a good working relationship with Canadian Pacific over the years, Mucha noted. For the past six
years, the park has hosted the start of the railroad's annual "Holiday Train," which travels across the northern U.S. each
December. And recently, Mucha noted that Steamtown gave the railroad a vintage CP steam locomotive, which is now used on passenger
excursions across Canada.
Both the railroad and Steamtown agreed that Nicholson Bridge Day would be the ideal time for an excursion. On 9 Sep 2007,
the community will mark the 92nd anniversary of the completion of the massive structure with a day full of activities.
Mucha said Steamtown officials were hoping to allow passengers to get off on top of the bridge for a grand view. However, the railroad
won't allow that for safety reasons. Instead, the train will stop for a few minutes on top so people can enjoy the view from the
coaches. It will then continue on to Hop Bottom, where the locomotive will switch to the other end of the train. The train will also
stop on top of the bridge on the return trip.
Ticket sales for the excursion have been brisk. Mucha said the park's ticket office was inundated with phone calls almost from the
moment the trip was announced.
The train will pull seven coaches, with a total capacity of 428 passengers. On Monday, a spokesman at Steamtown's ticket office
announced that the excursion had sold out completely on Sunday, a full week before its historic re-run.
The first Steamtown train to cross the bridge was in 1990, when Nicholson celebrated the bridge's 75th anniversary. On that occasion,
dignitaries rode the train from Scranton to Nicholson, and disembarked on top for a re-dedication ceremony.
At the time, the bridge and the tracks were owned by the Delaware & Hudson Railroad, which filed for bankruptcy and was absorbed by
Canadian Pacific not long after. After CP took over, the excursions continued during the years that Steamtown's downtown Scranton
facility was being expanded. Once that work was finished, Steamtown started running excursions on lesser-used tracks to
Mount Pocono.
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