A short, informal history of the Colebrookdale Railroad--the Secret Valley Line--narrated by John Genther. Copyright 2011 Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust. All Rights Reserved. www.colebrookdalerailroad.com
The Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust was founded to promote a tourist passenger operation on the Colebrookdale Railroad between Pottstown and Boyertown, Pennsylvania. Working in concert with Berks County, owners of the line, the Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad, operators of the line, the Boroughs of Pottstown and Boyertown, and other interested parties, the Trust seeks to build a partnership of local attractions to offer a unified, integrated, and multi-dimensional visitor experience.
The Trust's goal is to establish a dedicated tourist railroad based on the Colebrookdale Railroad. Among the Trust's short- and long-term objectives toward that goal:
Completion of an implementation plan; Acquisition and restoration of historic passenger equipment of the 1900-1916 era; Construction of passenger facilities in Boyertown and Pottstown; Integration of passenger service with local events and attractions; Provision of dining and lounge service on Colebrookdale trains; Operation of a steam locomotive; Assisting the County of Berks and the designated freight operator in raising funds to maintain and preserve the line
Additionally, the Trust may assist in the operation of a number of trial-run excursions along the line in concert with the designated operator, the Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad.
The Trust is seeking volunteers to assist in fundraising and planning. If you would like to join the effort, contact us through www.colebrookdalerailroad.com.
More about the Secret Valley Line:
Lost in the deep woods sheltering the Manatawny and Ironstone Creeks is a mythical secret valley. Though today only white-tailed deer, great blue heron, and bald eagles know the beauty of this legendary land, it was once the province of pioneers and patriots.
Their stories can be heard in the soft winds whispering through the tall trees and towering trestles of the Colebrookdale Railroad-a magical, forgotten railway to the heart of this Secret Valley. The "Secret Valley Line" is your ticket to a place and time when iron rails connected a divided people and the heart of the nation pulsed with the potent energy of the steam locomotive.
Completed by soldiers home from the Civil War just four months after the Transcontinental Railroad united East and West, the Colebrookdale is a record of epic engineering and heroic human drama. Eight-point-six miles long and a century-and-a-half back in time, the Secret Valley Line beckons you to experience for yourself the unexpected treasures of Southeastern Pennsylvania.