MINERSVILLE, Pa. — Central Railroad of New Jersey No. 113 made its 2023 debut on April 8th with the Easter Bunny Trains. These round-trip excursions operated out of Minersville, the locomotive’s home base, in partnership with the Reading & Northern Railroad.
Passengers onboard celebrating the holiday weekend were treated to the sights and sounds of the heavy 0-6-0 switcher operating what was Schuylkill County’s only Easter Bunny Trains. Robert E. Kimmel Jr., President of Railway Restoration Project 113, says the locomotive ran well during the three scheduled trips throughout the day. “It’s always impressive to be back at the end of the day without any issues,” Kimmel says in an interview with Trains.com.
Railway Restoration Project 113 is a nonprofit organization that owns No. 113 which was restored to operation in 2013. The group is now looking to expand the 2023 season as this year marks the 100th birthday of the locomotive. No. 113 was built in June 1923 by the American Locomotive Company in Schenectady, N.Y., initially for the Central Railroad of New Jersey.
According to Kimmel, minor adjustments will be performed on the locomotive in preparation for a static fire-up this upcoming Saturday. The public is welcome to view No. 113 steamed up at the former Reading Company station in Minersville, where the organization stores both the locomotive along with their 1914-built passenger car No. 98. Future events and excursions for No. 113 in 2023 have yet to be announced.
More information on Central Railroad of New Jersey No. 113 can be found on the Railway Restoration Project 113’s website.
Lots of hard work by the volunteers make these runs possible.