On a warm spring day, we headed up to the Colebrookdale Railroad in Boyertown, PA to catch Viscose Company 0-6-0ST no. 6 (built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1925). The "Secret Valley Line" was built from 1865-1869 and the original Colebrookdale Railroad operated it until it was leased to the Reading Railroad in the early 20th century.
The Reading operated the line until Conrail began operations in 1976. Conrail planned to abandon the line until the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acquired the line. In 1989, the Blue Mountain & Reading Railroad (now the Reading, Blue Mountain, & Northern or Reading & Northern), under a contract with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, began freight and excursion operations on the Colebrookdale Branch.
In 2001, Berks County acquired the railroad line to keep it active. Sometime between 2003-2006, East Penn Railways, Inc. acquired the line for freight service. In 2007, East Penn Railways, Inc. and Penn Eastern Rail Lines, Inc. merged to form the East Penn Railroad, LLC. East Penn Railroad abandoned the Colebrookdale branch in 2008.
In 2010, the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust brought freight service back to the branch under the trade name Eastern Berks Gateway Railroad (still operates today under the Colebrookdale Railroad). The idea that the line should be used for excursion surface came around 2011 and in 2014, test trips were made on the "new" Colebrookdale Railroad. The Colebrookdale Railroad's first full season of excursions was in 2015.
In collaboration with Boyertown's 150th anniversary, the Colebrookdale Railroad arranged for Viscose no. 6 to lead excursion trains on the line. The Colebrookdale Railroad is currently restoring their own steam locomotive, former US Army no. 5002.
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Credits:
Executive Directors: thehnw1223 and trainboy105
Producers: thehnw1223 and trainboy105
Video Editing/Revisions: thehnw1223
Video Credit: thehnw1223 and trainboy105
Photo Credit: thehnw1223 and trainboy105
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