JIM THORPE, Pa. — The Reading and Northern Railroad is back and once again accepting passengers for Lehigh Gorge train rides in Jim Thorpe.
This is the first time in nearly six months that folks are allowed back on the train with masks and other precautions. The train's been sitting idle since the coronavirus hit.
For this weekend only, to make the ride even more special, there is a surprise.
"Definitely having the steam engine power the train today is a big treat, not only to families and tourists but also to a lot of rail enthusiasts," said Matt Fisher, the Reading and Northern Railroad passenger general manager.
People are coming from near and far to visit and ride the train
"I grew up with trains and timetables and riding a train for me is as natural as breathing, and this was the last train I rode before everything shut down because of the virus but now I'm happy to ride it again," said Philip Smith from Nuremberg.
"We found out about this Jim Thorpe ride on the trains and we always like to ride on trains, so we came over here," said Neal Milano from New York City.
"It's a nice, wonderful area and we're glad it's up and running again because it really helps the economy around here," said Amanda Cossman from the Lehigh Valley.
For a tourist town like Jim Thorpe, being able to have a big attraction like the trains come back is a step in the right direction.
"This is a step closer to normalcy. This is probably the biggest attraction in this area," said Fisher.
Trains will be running every weekend from now until October.