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New Hope Railroad

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Not to be confused with New Hope Valley Railway.
New Hope Railroad
No. 40 at New Hope Station in May 2019
Overview
HeadquartersNew Hope, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Reporting markNHRR
LocaleBucks County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Dates of operation1966 (1966)–present
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length18 miles (29 km)
Other
Websitewww.newhoperailroad.com
Route map

Legend
New Hope
PA-179.svg
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 station
Driveway
Abandoned quarry spur
Upper Mountain Road
PA-413.svg
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.svg
PA 132
Street Road
Warminster
Warminster Line
PN to Glenside
This diagram:

The New Hope Railroad (reporting mark NHRR),[1] formerly and colloquially known as the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad and the New Hope Steam Railway and Museum, is a shortline and heritage railroad located in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Today, the railroad operates both steam and diesel powered locomotives and is an associate member of Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee.

Services

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Heritage

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The heritage operations use both steam and diesel powered locomotives for excursion trips out of New Hope. Regular NHRR excursions typically operate between New Hope and Lahaska, with some occasionally going to Buckingham Valley. The railroad mostly uses former Reading Company passenger cars, which date between 1914 and 1932, for excursions.

Freight

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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

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The line currently operated by the New Hope Railroad was originally known as the New Hope Branch of the Reading Company (RDG), which leased it to the North Pennsylvania Railroad, of which it was a part. The railroad ran as far as Hartsville Station (near Bristol Road, which eventually became Ivyland) until March 29, 1891, when the line was extended to the long-desired terminal of New Hope, Pennsylvania.[2]

In 1932, steam powered trains above Hatboro were replaced with a Doodlebug after electric service was introduced between Hatboro and Philadelphia. In June 1952, Hatboro-New Hope passenger service terminated. In the early 1960s, the 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.[3] 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.[2]

Steam Trains, Inc. started their operations on August 6, 1966, often in an extravagant fashion, with the purchase of four steam locomotives and seven passenger cars. 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. Due to extremely low ticket prices to generate sales that led to no additional income of riders, Steam Trains, Inc. declared bankruptcy on June 5, 1970.[2] 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."[4] The county selected McHugh Brothers Heavy Hauling, Inc. to operate freight service over the line via a lease agreement.[2] McHugh Brothers continued hauling freight with Edward L. McHugh as president until his departure in 1989.[4]

By the summer of 1976, the railroad received state funding to rehabilitate crumbling infrastructure that sorely needed fixing.[4] 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.[2] 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.[4]

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.[4] The McHugh Bros. operated NHIR until 1989 when their lease ended and the Morristown & Erie was contracted to operate the railroad.[3] 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.[3] In 1993, the reporting mark was changed to NHRR. BCRP&RC is the official corporate structure, doing business as the New Hope Railroad.

Equipment

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Locomotives

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Locomotive details[5][6][7]
Number Image Type Model Built Builder Former owner Status
40 Steam 2-8-0 1925 Baldwin Locomotive Works Lancaster and Chester Railroad Undergoing 1,472-day inspection and overhaul
1533 Steam 4-6-0 1911 Montreal Locomotive Works Canadian National Railway Stored, awaiting possible restoration
8218 Diesel GP9u 1957 Electro-Motive Diesel Canadian Pacific Railway Operational
2198 Diesel GP30 1963 Electro-Motive Diesel Pennsylvania Railroad Operational
5577 Diesel SD40-2 1972 Electro-Motive Diesel Canadian Pacific Railway Operational
7010 Diesel GP9u 1959 Electro-Motive Diesel Canadian National Railway Operational
901 Diesel GP39 1967 Electro-Motive Diesel Utah Transit Authority Operational

Former units

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Locomotive details[8][9][10][11][12]
Number Image Type Model Built Builder Former owner Current owner
9 Steam 0-6-0 1942 American Locomotive Company United States Army, Virginia Blue Ridge Railway SMS Rail Lines
3028 Steam 4-8-4 1946 American Locomotive Company Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México ALCO Technical & Historical Society
7087 Diesel C30-7 1981 General Electric Seaboard Coast Line, CSX None (scrapped)

Rolling stock

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Rolling stock details[13][14][15][16][17][18]
Number Image Type Built Builder
72 Baggage car 1923 American Car and Foundry Company
870 Coach 1932 Bethlehem Steel Company
983 Coach 1923 Central Railroad of New Jersey
1096 Tool car 1960 Pullman-Standard Corporation
1127 Coach 1924 Harlan and Hollingsworth
1220 Coach 1922 Harlan and Hollingsworth
1424 Coach 1914 Harlan and Hollingsworth
1430 Dining car 1914 Harlan and Hollingsworth
1505 Coach 1916 Harlan and Hollingsworth
1525 Open air/observation car 1927 Harlan and Hollingsworth
1536 Coach 1927 Harlan and Hollingsworth
2817 Event car 1955 Long Island Rail Road
4907 Dining car 1919 Canadian Car and Foundry
9123 Coach 1932 Bethlehem Steel Company
800301 Dining car 1949 American Car and Foundry Company
303 Hopper car 1955 Pullman-Standard
1606 Tank car 1948 Fleischmann Transportation Company
1753 Tank car 1927 Pennsylvania Tank Car Company
3752 Tank car 1936 Union Tank Car Company
6622 Tank car 1940 American Car and Foundry Company
8435 Boxcar 1931 Magor Car Corp.
1113 Coach 1924 Harlan and Hollingsworth
1366 Open-air car 1918 Harlan and Hollingsworth
8570 Boxcar 1934 Magor Car Corp.
9005 Boxcar 1942 Despatch Shops Inc.
9811 Boxcar 1952 Pullman-Standard
12153 Hopper 1944 Bethlehem Steel
38009 Flatcar 1951 Magor Car Corp.
53033 Dump car 1957 Eastern Car Ltd.
480047 Flatcar 1959 Pennsylvania Railroad Samuel Rea Shops
C127 Caboose 1921 Laconia Car Company
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  • The first train to New Hope in 1891
    The first train to New Hope in 1891
  • New Hope & Ivyland Railroad EMD-GP30 number 2198 with a southbound train at New Hope station
    New Hope & Ivyland Railroad EMD-GP30 number 2198 with a southbound train at New Hope station
  • New Hope Railroad 2-8-0 40, GP30 2198, and SD40-2 5577
    New Hope Railroad 2-8-0 40, GP30 2198, and SD40-2 5577
  • No. 40 hauling an excursion train in December 2023
    No. 40 hauling an excursion train in December 2023

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Reporting Mark Search". Railinc. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e Pawson, John R. (1979). Delaware Valley Rails: The Railroads and Rail Transit Lines of the Philadelphia Area. Willow Grove, Pennsylvania: John R. Pawson. pp. 115–117. ISBN 0-9602080-0-3.
  3. ^ a b c Balkin, Marc (2007). Ride the New Hope Line!. Mark I Videos.
  4. ^ a b c d e New Hope Railroad. "History." Accessed 2011-01-22. archive
  5. ^ "Steam Locomotive No. 40". New Hope & Ivyland Railroad.
  6. ^ "Diesel Locomotive No. 8218". New Hope & Ivyland Railroad.
  7. ^ "Diesel Locomotive No. 2198". New Hope & Ivyland Railroad.
  8. ^ Bryer, Alan (November 25, 2023). "SMS Rail Lines 0-6-0 returns to steam, certified for operation". Trains.com. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  9. ^ Lassen, David (April 27, 2022). "SMS 0-6-0 returns to steam". Trains.com. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  10. ^ M.T.Burkhart and Justin Franz (August 10, 2021). "Switchers Steam Again in New Jersey and California". Railfan.com. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  11. ^ "NEW HOPE RR GETS ENGINE LOCOMOTIVE WILL OPERATE AFTER FIXUP". The Morning Call. January 30, 1995. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  12. ^ "Trains.com". The Woodstown Central Railroad. November 26, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  13. ^ "The First Class Fleet". New Hope & Ivyland Railroad.
  14. ^ "The Open-Air Car". New Hope & Ivyland Railroad.
  15. ^ "The Coach Fleet". New Hope & Ivyland Railroad.
  16. ^ "Baggage Car No. 1096". New Hope & Ivyland Railroad.
  17. ^ "The Vintage Freight Car Fleet". New Hope & Ivyland Railroad.
  18. ^ "The Caboose Fleet". New Hope & Ivyland Railroad.
[edit]
  • Media related to New Hope and Ivyland Railroad at Wikimedia Commons
  • Official website
  • New Hope Railroad Photos
  • New Hope Railroad at rrpicturearchives.net
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