MINERSVILLE, Pa. — In what has become an annual tradition, Central Railroad of New Jersey No. 113 provided steam power for last week’s Santa Train out of Minersville. The 1-hour excursions are organized by Railway Restoration Project 113, the nonprofit organization that owns the 1923-built 0-6-0 of the American Locomotive Co.
Snow throughout the Keystone State was replaced with a mixture of sun, clouds, and rain Dec. 9-10 as No. 113 traversed the Reading & Northern Railroad for three round trips per day. The regional railroad’s GP38-2 diesel No. 2014 was at one end of the train to provide a push-pull operation with the heavy switcher. “[No. 113] performed very well with no issues,” said Robert E. Kimmel Jr., president of the organization.
The weekend trips concluded the 2023 operating schedule for No. 113, which commemorated its centennial year. Kimmel reports that the offseason will primarily see general maintenance in preparation for 2024. “We might have a little piping work and going over the systems, but nothing major.”
More information and future operating announcements can be found on the Railway Restoration Project 113’s website.
