FACes
& PlaceS
Around Town Feb 2005
 The
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad*
by Amy Aaronson
In
the mid-nineteenth century, canals and steamboats
were the primary means of transportation until the
invention of the railroad. Railroads were first developed
for the purpose of transporting goods and supporting
heavy industry. In New Hope, a charming town along
the Delaware River, numerous attempts were made at
the construction of a railroad beginning in the 1850s.
Unfortunately, the first railroad was not constructed
until 1891 after previous charters had failed.
First,
Belvidere and Delaware (Bel-Del) made plans to
extend the railroad that was constructed in New Jersey
into
New Hope. In March, 1836, Bel-Del chartered
a railroad that was funded in 1847 by the Hewitt and Cooper Iron Mills in
Trenton. Hewitt and Cooper was one of only five companies
that mined iron ore in the
United States. The owners hoped that the Bel-Del project would benefit their
business. After the Bel-Del project was successfully completed between Trenton
and Lambertville, Bel-Del wanted to extend the railroad to New Hope. This
plan failed since the people of New Hope believed
Bel-Del was a New Jersey railroad.
The
failure of the Bel-Del railroad was followed by numerous
other
disappointing attempts. In 1854, The Philadelphia & New
Hope and the Delaware River Railroad designed plans,
yet the charters did not result in a railroad line.
In 1856,
the North Pennsylvania Railroad almost extended its line to New Hope, but
this also failed. In 1868, one of the older plans
was again suggested by Edge Hill
and Neshaminy Railroad, but the project was not supported. Finally in 1870,
the North Eastern Pennsylvania Railroad was chartered and a line was planned
to go from Abington to New Hope. Financial difficulties delayed the construction
of the railroad, so the New Hope branch was not opened until March 29,
1891.
The
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad provided much quicker
service to Philadelphia than Bel-Del
since it covered 15 less miles. The first conductor
of the freight
train to New Hope was Isaac Van Pelt. The first passenger train was conducted
by Cyrus Yerkes who lived on Bridge Street in New Hope. The Reading Despot
in New Hope was a quaint little station that greatly resembled a child’s
train set.
Although
this line is still in operation as a freight line,
the last passenger train made its journey on June 16, 1952. It was
not until 1962
when Steam
Trains, Inc. (Philadelphia area businessmen) began a private venture
to begin their
own tourist railroad in New Hope. In 1966, Stream Trains, Inc. acquired
the northern 16.7 miles of the Reading Company’s New Hope Branch
in Bucks County for $200,000. The New Hope & Ivyland Railroad was
formed by using a Canadian National steam locomotive and seven steel
suburban passenger coaches.
On August 6, 1966 steam passenger service began between New Hope and
Buckingham Valley.
After
five years, the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad
incurred debt. The railroad sold land to Philadelphia Electric and
filed for bankruptcy in 1971. By 1972,
the railroad was operating with the assistance of only volunteers.
Fortunately, the Bucks County Industrial Development Corporation
bought the railroad in
1974 and hired McHugh Brothers Heavy Hauling, Inc. as the railroad’s
first freight operator.
In
July, 1980, volunteers of the New Hope Steam Railway
continued weekend service and ran trains under the
lease agreement with Bucks
Country
Industrial Development
until 1990. After that, the Bucks County Railroad Preservation
and
Restoration Corporation spent $2 million in order to restore the
New Hope and Ivyland
Railroad. The Victorian New Hope station, freight house, and boarding
platform were renovated
and passenger service began again in 1991 with five vintage passenger
coaches.
Throughout
the history of the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad,
various locomotives and passenger trains have been used. Steam
locomotive No. 40 was built by the
Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia in 1925. After being
used for the Lancaster and Chester Railway, Steam
Trains, Inc. from
Pennsylvania purchased
the locomotive and sent it north for storage. In 1966, the locomotive
was finally transferred to New Hope. When the Bucks County Railroad
Preservation and Restoration
Corporation purchased the railroad in 1990, they rebuilt this
locomotive and it continues to serve the New Hope & Ivyland
Railroad today.
The
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad
continues to offer rides on vintage steam locomotives
from New Hope to Lahaska. The nine-mile round-trip
tour is about
an hour and the trains operate on a partial schedule throughout
the year. Groups, families, and individuals can enjoy
a journey into the past through the charming
town of New Hope.
________________
* This essay was written as part of the joint New
Hope Solebury High School/New Hope Historical Society
Essay project - 2004.
________________
Credits: Bell,
Kurt. “Historic Railroad Equipment of
the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad.” United States
of America: Freight House Gift Shop, 1993.
Kline, George, James Mastrich, and Yvonne Warren.
Images of America: Lambertville and New Hope. Great
Britain: Arcadia Publishing, 1996.
New
Hope, PA. “New Hope and Ivyland Railroad,” http://www.newhopepa.com/pictures/072103/072103_index.htm
(2004).
Richardson, John. Solebury Township. Philadelphia:
Offset Service Company, 1958.
Transportation,
History. “New Hope & Ivyland
Railroad,”http://www/fieldtrip.com/pa/58622332.htm
(2004).
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