A trip to the filming locations of the hit TV show The Sopranos. A drive to Cooperstown, New York, to pay homage to the greats of baseball. An exploration of restaurants and wineries in New Jersey. An exercise in glassmaking. A blast around a Formula One racetrack. For the past six years, my wife has planned some epic road trips for my birthday, taking me on several amazing adventures.
As much of a car guy as I am, I am equally enthralled by the heyday of railroads in this nation. For the first half of the twentieth century, long-distance travel meant boarding a train. So for my birthday road trip this year, my wife dug deep into my appreciation of rail travel. My birthday included rides on two historic trains, drinks in a renovated dining car built in 1949, and dinner at a restaurant housed in a former railroad station.
So come along, then, on a journey back in time, as we rode the rails like it was still 1948!
Let’s begin:
The Birthday Railroad Journey
Although our journey would take us less than one hundred miles, it was an action-packed day of traveling!For the past several weeks, my wife had asked me to block out Saturday for a birthday road trip. The plans, however, were a secret. The decorations on the fireplace that greeted me on Saturday morning were my first clue that I was in for a fantastic adventure.Over breakfast, my wife handed me my present: a schedule for a day of train-themed fun! (The tablecloth was a nice touch, too!).Despite a round trip journey of over 80 miles, we never once merged onto an interstate. Instead, our travels consisted of two lane roads through some of the most rural sections of western New Jersey.A little under an hour after leaving our house, we arrived at our first destination: the Black River & Western Railroad station in Ringoes, New Jersey.The Black River & Western Railroad (BR&W) has existed as a volunteer-led organization since the 1960s, when it was created to preserve the trains that once operated throughout western New Jersey (via Black River and Western Railroad).The Black River & Western offers several different railroad experiences on its historic trains. We would be riding on Coach #605, a passenger car that was built in 1914 for the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad (DL&W).The #605 operated until 1972, serving commuters in this section of New Jersey. The car underwent a major restoration that began in 2015 and did not finish until 2018. It truly felt like stepping into a time machine!As we waited for the train to depart the station, I enjoyed perusing the classic railroad ads throughout the car.I appreciated the little details, such as the antique suitcase on the luggage rack.For several years, my work commute took me through this section of New Jersey on a daily basis. It was fascinating, however, to see the landscape from a train – it seemed like a different state!Speaking of being on a time machine… railroad suspension has come a long way in the past century. I wasn’t prepared for the amount of rocking and swaying as the train traveled down the tracks. Compared to even semi-modern equipment like an Amtrak car, Coach #605 was much less refined. I do not mean that as a complaint – it was a fascinating experience!A little over a half hour later, we arrived at our destination: Flemington Station. Fun fact: passenger train service in Flemington began in 1853 (via Wikipedia).While at Flemington, the crew used a side track to reposition the locomotive so it could take the train back to Ringoes. It was a fascinating process to watch up close.A half hour later, the train rolled back into the Ringoes station. Instead of departing, we watched the locomotive decouple from the train, proceed to the end of the track, and turn around to prepare for the next journey.The centerpiece of the Black River & Western Railroad is steam locomotive #60, which was built in 1937. Unfortunately, #60 is undergoing a lengthy inspection, so the BR&W is using Pennsylvania Railroad #9206 in the meantime. 9206 is a “switcher” locomotive, designed to maneuver train cars for short distances.Before leaving, we chatted with Josh, one of the conductors. He shared that the Black River & Western is fully volunteer operated – keeping these trains rolling is a labor of love for the men and women who staff this organization. If you’re in central New Jersey, definitely take a ride aboard the BW&R!The next stop of our journey took us across the Delaware River to the town of New Hope, Pennsylvania. With the already-narrow New Hope-Lambertville Bridge under renovation, I was glad that the TLX isn’t a wide vehicle.Our lunch stop was to the Greenhouse Bar and Restaurant, located along Main Street in downtown New Hope.We kept our lunch selections on the healthier side, knowing that dinner would be much more adventurous. I ordered the stir fry with fried rice and chicken. It was tasty, but I wasn’t keen on the fried rice… it was a bit on the bland side.My wife ordered the maple bourbon chicken things, served with vegetables and rice. The chicken was absolutely delicious, and the vegetables were tasty. Similar to my meal, however, the rice left a little to be desired. It was still a great lunch overall, and fueled us up for our afternoon!With temperatures in the mid-80s, we decided to walk across town to the New Hope Train Station. Along the way, we passed the Bucks County Playhouse. The playhouse operates out of the old New Hope Mills, built in 1790 by industrialist Benjamin Parry. The mill replaced the “Hope Mills,” which burned down in the 1780s. The “New Hope Mills” was the inspiration for the name of the town (via Wikipedia).After a pleasant, if somewhat hot walk, we arrived at New Hope Station to ride the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad.New Hope Station is the terminal end of what was once the New Hope Branch of the Reading Terminal Railroad, opening in 1891. The current station opened in 1966 as part of the New Hope-Ivyland Railroad, a tourist passenger line in eastern Pennsylvania (via Wikipedia). Our train would be pulled by diesel locomotive 2198, a 2,250-horsepower workhorse which was built in 1963 for the Pennsylvania Railroad (via New Hope Railroad).My wife surprised me with “Platinum” tickets, which gave us seats on the air conditioned dining car! No. 800301 – the Crater Lake – is a first-class car originally constructed in 1949 for the Union Pacific Railroad. Its long service life has seen it operate throughout much of the western United States and Alaska, before coming to New Hope in 2017 (via New Hope Railroad).This opulent space would be our home for the hour-long ride. We had this entire space to ourselves!Not a bad place to spend an afternoon…As we rode through the countryside of eastern PA, the train conductor pointed out numerous historic buildings, such as this 18th century stone mill that is now an apartment building.As the Crater Lake is a fully-functioning dining car, we ordered club sodas, delivered to us with speed and grace by our friendly server.The view outside the train was simply lovely.The end of our journey was in the town of Lahaska, where the locomotive switched sides of the train to pull us back to New Hope.The view on the return trip was just as pleasant!After arriving at the station, we made our way back to the car where my wife presented me with my very own train engineer’s cap! All aboard!!Departing New Hope, we made a quick detour to Bowman’s Hill Tower, part of Washington Crossing State Park. It was built in 1931 to commemorate George Washington’s army’s use of this area during the American Revolution.While the tower is open for tours, we did not stay long, as we had dinner reservations at 5:30 pm. That said, back in 2018 I fought off my fear of heights to climb to the top of the tower – you can check out that adventure in this post!Our last train-themed destination was the Lambertville Station Restaurant & Inn in Lambertville New Jersey. The station opened in 1867, before being converted into a restaurant almost four decades ago.All aboard for eating!! I love how the train station’s architecture was preserved when the building was renovated into a restaurant.We opted for patio seating on what was once the station’s platform. With ample shade and a pleasant breeze coming off the Delaware River, it was a lovely spot for a meal.My wife’s entree was an order of shrimp and scallops, served with lobster risotto. She shared several bites of her meal with me – it was simply divine!When a gentleman at another table orders the burger, I was sorely tempted, but I went with my first instinct and ordered the crab cakes, served with Old Bay-seasoned French Fries and coleslaw. I was supremely happy with my choice!For my birthday dessert, we split a gluten-free flourless chocolate cake. It was decadent, yet light. What a fantastic end to the meal!Before heading home, we took a short walk to enjoy the evening air. With New Hope visible across the Delaware River, it was a beautiful way to end the night.With over 35 miles of twisty two-lane roads for our journey home, my wife took the wheel of the TLX. Needless to say, she had a blast.A little over an hour later, we were back home. It was a wonderful birthday celebration. We were definitely on the right track! Despite the heat, we kept chugging along! We certainly made sure to choo choo our food at dinner! Did you hear the one about the train conductor who… ah, I’ll quit while I’m ahead. Onward!
Wrapping Up
Once again, my wife planned a fantastic birthday road trip. We had a great time traveling aboard two historic trains, riding both a century-old passenger car and a post-World War II luxury dining car. Between the food, the stations, and the trains, it was a magical day!
Thanks, as always, for coming along on another journey down the open road ahead.
Wow! Your wife really did such an amazing job with planning this day! I always love a good theme. It looked like such a fun day with beautiful weather and scenery! And of course, no birthday is complete without delicious treats. That cake looked so good!
The Open Road Ahead 
Sounds like a perfect day and a great birthday celebration.
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It was an awesome day! Thanks for reading!!
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Wow! Your wife really did such an amazing job with planning this day! I always love a good theme. It looked like such a fun day with beautiful weather and scenery! And of course, no birthday is complete without delicious treats. That cake looked so good!
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We couldn’t have asked for nicer weather, and the views were spectacular. And yes… that cake was as tasty as it looked. Thanks for reading!
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What a fantastic birthday surprise…perfectly themed and all!
Happy Birthday!
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Thank you very much!!
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