The New Hope & Ivyland Railroad, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

The New Hope & Ivyland Railroad offers train rides to tourists. The main station is located in New Hope. The best known train operated by the railroad is a Baldwin Steam locomotive built in 1925. Detailed information about this locomotive can be found on the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad website. This type of train was originally a freight locomotive and was built more for power than for speed. This train, number 40, was originally used by the Lancaster & Chester Railroad in South Carolina. In 1947 it was sold to the Cliffside Railroad in North Carolina where it continued to pull freight. As diesel trains began to replace steam trains, the Baldwin Steam locomotive was retired from service. In 1962 the train was purchased by Stream Trains, Inc. which had hoped to use it to obtain measurements to build a model train. Four years later, this company purchased about 17 miles of track along the Reading Railroad between New Hope and Ivyland, and the company was renamed the "New Hope & Ivyland Railroad." In 1974 the train was refurbished and began to take passengers on regular excursions into the Bucks County countryside. The ride now provides less of the bucolic scenery and more views of the housing sprawl taking over the area.

The Baldwin locomotive at the New Hope Train station which was built in 1891.

The train sitting at the station.

Another view of the train.

Leaving the New Hope train station.

The train must cross busy Bridge Street in New Hope when leaving from or returning to the station.

Another view of the locomotive crossing Bridge Street.

This view shows the station and the locomotive in the distance (to the left). It has detached itself from the passenger cars and moved to where it can have its water cisterns refilled. As a steam locomotive, it must have water to create the steam to drive the pistons.

A close-up of the mechanical components of the train.

Another view of the train's machinery.

The front of the train.