Boyertown— On Saturday, September 14, 2019, the communities connected by the Colebrookdale Railroad will be celebrate its 150th Anniversary with a Community Festival with food, kids’ games, train ride, steam calliope, Boyertown Alumni Ceremonial Band and a Golden Spike Driving Ceremony. The community is invited to attend and participate in the festivities. Activities are free, food and beverages available for purchase. The festivities will conclude with a 1920’s Evening Soiree held under the tent in the railyard. Evening will include food, beverages, live music, dancing and more. Tickets to the Soiree are $100 each. Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling 610-367-0200, ext 107
Schedule of Community Events:
11AM:Ride our special commemorative train ride to Pottstown and arrive back to Boyertown in time to enjoy our community celebration. Please park at our lot off Second Street and ride our 1930’s Trolley to the train station.
11-2PM: Community Festival - All members of the public are invited to attend a festival in the railroad yard, Washington and Third Streets, Boyertown. Festivities will include; a steam calliope, the Boyertown Alumni Ceremonial Band, food vendors, crafts, and activities for kids. Free and open to the public.
2-2:30 PM: Golden Spike Ceremony - Festivities will include a flag ceremony by ROTC and the National Anthem will proceed the driving of the Golden Spike marking the railroad’s 150th year. Free and open to the public.
7-10 PM: Evening Soiree - A 1920’s themed Soiree that will include; cocktails, heavy hors d’oevres, dancing and music, informational displays and presentation. Tickets available by calling 610-367-0200, ext 107.
This community event was made possible by our sponsors: GANDY DANCER SPONSOR-Premier Applied Coatings, Inc & Screen Images, - IRONMATER SPONSOR-Valley Forge Convention & Visitors Bureau, Bally Ribbon Co., EnerSys SILVER SPONSOR-Campbell Fittings and our BRONZE SPONSORS-Berks International, Drumheller Construction, Gateway Ticketing Systems, Global Advanced Metals, Herb Real Estate, Holt & Bugbee, M&T Bank, Norco Metal Finishing, Reinhart & Company, Tompkins VIST Bank.
Noted as an education-oriented organization and an aggressive economic development partner, the Colebrookedale Railroad has brought residents and tourists from every state in the union, along with multiple foreign nations, to experience the splendor of our region- specifically- the Secret Valley. The railroad cuts a course back in time, connecting visitors to the oldest ironmaking site in the new world. Largely forgotten and nearly abandoned, the line was saved by a concerned and dedicated group of citizens.
Their efforts were lauded by the White House in 2015 with the highest federal recognition for a preservation project--joining Independence Hall and Fallingwater as the only other grassroots preservation projects in Pennsylvania to have ever received this honor.
In less than four years, the Colebrookdale Railroad’s volunteers have pulled off a remarkable feat in reviving the Colebrookdale’s Secret Valley Line. Investing over 100,000 hours, they have restored nine miles of track with eleven bridges; they have renovated century-old passenger cars, taking them from a derelict condition to become some of the most beautiful trains in the world; they have restored a locomotive and built passenger boarding infrastructure in Pottstown and Boyertown; they have trained crew to meet a host of onerous federal and state standards required of railroads. They have given new hope to Boyertown and Pottstown.
Their investment of time and talent equates to over $6,000,000 of economic impact to Boyertown so far, with much more to come. The railroad brings 30,000 visitors a year from every state in the Union and many foreign countries to Pennsylvania. Fifteen new businesses in Boyertown have opened since the railroad was revived.