I planned a train ride for a family member's birthday in October; fall also happens to be her favorite season so a relaxing fall foliage train ride through scenic Boyertown was perfect! The service was exceptional! The staff was warm and welcoming and they truly seemed to care for the passengers and wanted to ensure we had a good experience. The train car we rode in was beautiful, and the seats were comfortable. And the best part was being able to walk to and around the open train car to get the best view of the open air and fall foliage. Overall, the check-in and boarding process went smoothly. In addition, I was delighted to see the nice and clean event porta potty rentals. Thank God! A complimentary snack or drink would have made this the perfect experience I know Colebrook Dale has year-round season-themed excursions and dinner excursions. With a culinary background, I'm looking forward to trying and reviewing one of their dinner experiences. read more

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This was find through ChapGPT when we asked for a fun day trip. What an experience. The train is beautifully decorated and so charming for a ride. We did not have the parkour car experience but the deluxe which only allowed for drinks and light snacks. But it was a nice ride with great customer service . The views were a bit scattered but definitely a good experience for a fun mo morning activity . read more

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This was the most unforgettable experience throughout our trip, I highly recommend. We had the first class parlor car booked on Sunday, but in case of inclement weather, we booked a cheaper ticket for the deluxe car that was about $50 per person the day before (chosen since that car is right next to the open air carriage). So we took advantage of the good weather and spent half of the ride outside admiring the foliage. That was the 60 minute cider and donut train experience. The 90 minute first class parlor car was absolutely exceptional. We paid $100 per person and were greeted with free champagne and a great charcuterie board. They even threw in a free slice of cheesecake. I didn't realize we had not only the table and chairs, but the lounging chaise area as well. A violinist serenaded us for the first half and it was absolutely magical. read more

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I visited this weekend for the "doughnut express" train ride at Colebrookdale Railroad. This was such a well done fall experience! Our train ride was scheduled for a 10:00am departure. It was recommended that we arrive 20 minutes prior to pick up our tickets. The process was very organized. While waiting, you had some photo opportunities. Lots of outdoor seating with a ice cream shop and bonfire (for later train rides). We booked the dining car room and it was decorated beautifully. We each got 2 apple cider doughnuts and a glass of apple cider. This was included with our $55 ticket. Additional non-complimentary menu options were available. During the ride, you get an audio tour. A violinist also graced us with several songs. Very talented. Overall, a must do experience. I can't wait to try other options such as the night ride murder mystery dinner and the Christmas train ride. read more

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(This one pertains to their Valentine's Day offering this year.) Set up: Overall the website was fairly easy to use in terms of picking seats. I booked about two weeks out and there were still a decent number of tables available, so no biggie on this one. While I could have made a reservation earlier, the railroad did not publish a menu for this excursion prior to this time and I'm not shelling out a couple Benjamins for unknown food choices. Day of: You just show up and give your name at the ticket building and pick up your tickets there. These are largely ceremonial and overall for this trip serve no real purpose. I mean sure a conductor comes around and punches them but the seating is all pre-chosen/assigned with your name at every table so there is no realistic purpose for it being done. One oddity is that once you get to the parking lot they had a member of the staff stopping every car and making a big deal about the parking situation and the need to back in to spaces, etc. I thought this was kind of overkill as the train is only so busy and it's not like they're selling tons of coach tickets or open car tickets to a dinner train in February. I parked where/how I wanted without issue and without another car within fifty feet of me. About ten minutes prior to departure they call the car you're seated in and everyone with tickets for a table in that car enters at that time. Sort of chaotic, sort of not but overall no problem. Menu (each course comes with a wine paring): Salad Niçoise w/Cabernet Sauvignon - The salad was already at everyone's table when you boarded. It's ok for salad but overall it was underdressed and dry. Appetizer: Brie and Ratatouille w/Chardonnay - It tasted fine but was very, very small and it was almost unnecessary to use utensils. More of a bite size pop it in your mouth type which is what some people around us were doing. Amuse-Bouche w/White Zinfandel - It was some kind of a warmed up mushroom tartlet that also was tiny and basically a single bite or again you could cut it in two teeny pieces so as to keep up appearances and not be uncouth. 6 oz Sirloin Steak w/bordelaise sauce topped w/Gouda sage butter garnished w/thyme & w/Merlot - The steak wasn't the greatest quality but it wasn't bad either. The issue was the same as the underdressed salad, the steak didn't have enough of the bordelaise sauce. The sauce was very good, there just wasn't enough of it. House-made Strawberry Sweetheart Crème Brulé. w/Champagne - The Crème Brulee was basically flavorless. It had a nice sweet/sugary flavor but neither the two of us or the table of four behind us could make out anything that tasted remotely strawberry-like. Was this the best dinner train we had ever been on? Not even close. What the Valley Railroad up in Essex, CT offers is far, far superior to Colebrookdale in terms of the food yet this place charges more than they do. I can't compare anything regarding the scenery as I've done many dinner trains/excursion trains in daylight and in February at night running in the dark you can't make out anything here except for when you pass over a major road (either 100 or 663, I don't know) right before the train gets to the turnaround point. I think the thing that primarily needs to be remembered when doing an excursion with a tourist railroad, is that if you attempt to apply logic and make too much sense of what you spent monetarily commensurate to what you're getting in return, versus just going with the flow and reminding yourself that it's all part of the experience, you're going to be annoyed or feel slightly let down. I'm glad we gave Colebrookdale a try but honestly I'm in no hurry to return and would gladly drive to other tourist lines in CT, MD or RI first before coming back here again. read more

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We recently booked a trip on their Easter train online and everything was perfect. The ticket purchase was easy on their website and I was able to have questions answered on trip details over the phone. We bought seats in the deluxe coach for a senior, two adults, one child and a toddler for $132. I thought that was a good value. On the day of the trip there was someone at the station to help answer questions about when to line up to board, etc. Everyone I dealt with was courteous and helpful. The property is going through improvements and I can't wait to see the results. The goal is to have the property restored to a Victorian train station/yard. So far, they are doing a great job! The train station itself is very small, but absolutely beautiful. The train engines are diesel, but the cars are nicely restored. The deluxe coach was the nicest train car I have ever been in. We were all impressed by the detail of the woodwork, the front and rear stoves, condition of the seats, gorgeous lighting and the shades over the wooden windows. We were able to open those windows to let in some fresh spring air! The ride itself is slow and goes by wooded areas, through some country fields, over a few bridges and it runs along a stream with a waterfall. The Easter bunny paid a visit and took pictures with every family as well as a Paw Patrol character. We later met them again in the open car to take more pictures. The open car was such a neat bonus. We were able to stretch and relax while taking in the beautiful scenery all around us. The trip was around 1.5 hours. Once we stopped there were Easter eggs filled with candy under a nearby pergola for the kids to grab and then a story was read by one of the staff. You can take longer trips that are 2 hours called the secret valley expedition. After we were done we walked down towards the downtown shops to take some pictures with a nicely restored trolley and caboose they had sitting on the tracks. I can't say enough about Boyertown and how this railroad makes it such a neat place to visit. There were so many wonderful activities that made this visit a full 9:30am to 5:30pm trip for us. We will definitely return for another ride! read more

What a treat! This was a surprise gift from a friend to ride the NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS TRAIN! FIRST CLASS TICKETS in the parlor car got us hot chocolate, cookies, a specialty drink (alcohol or not, your choice) Cheesecake, Perrier water and a glass of champagne for each person! A private cabin steward and private bathroom as well! The decorations were amazing and reminded me of a Victorian Era Christmas! SANTA even made an appearance for everyone! Everything was lovely! I had such a good time and hope to go back every year! So thankful I got to experience this during the holidays! Merry Christmas 2023 read more

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What an amazing experience for my grandkids. The staff was warm and accommodating. We couldn't have been happier with the visit from Santa. Thank you so much for the great time! read more

Colebrookdale Railroad - Historical Tours Near Me - Boyertown, Pennsylvania

The food was great, service wonderful, and this train is beautiful. Highly recommend dinner for a super romantic/special date night.

wow wow wow! This place is probably the coolest experience I have had. My partner and I moved to PA in March 2023 and started doing date days once a month. I had been seeing these really beautiful fall foliage rides happening in different towns in PA, but nothing could have prepared me for this awesome, unique and hissed Orick experience here at Colebrookdale railroad! I think we paid roughly $50 to do the deluxe Coach cabin, and nothing can describe the incredible attention to detail and care that has gone into the interior of these railroad cars that take you through the 90 minute autumn foliage ride that we did earlier in November. A bit of a hefty price tag if you're going with several family members but for a date idea absolutely loved this and definitely want to go again, sometime in the winter! read more

This train ride was the highlight of my Mother's Day gift from my daughters. It was so beautiful to travel back in the early time of our history. We ordered food which was delectable and the train attendants were so nice and helpful. We plan to do the next one at Christmas. read more

Colebrookdale Railroad - The ticket station. - Historical Tours Near Me - Boyertown, Pennsylvania

This Mother's Day Tea experience was really fantastic. We took our Mama and two Aunts and met some family friends there to share in the day. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Everything is handicap accessible. The 2 hour ride was nice and scenic. The train was very comfortable, and they served light refreshments and alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages for purchase. There was a coach with tables and food came with the price of the ticket, however, we sat in coach and it was very lovely. The last coach was open where you can walk and take in the view outside. They had crayons for small children. The area where you wait to board the train was beautiful. There was a creamery coach that offered wine tasting and served food and ice cream. There were games and when we left, they were setting up for live entertainment. There is pretty nice restrooms on the train and in the outdoor waiting area. This place is just wonderful and my family loved it. I totally recommend it for a nice day out with family or a date. Also, there is plenty of free parking right in front of the railroad. They have their own lot. read more

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Such a wonderful experience!! The food, the service...everything was great. I would highly recommend.

I haven't had the chance to come here yet, but it is on my to-do list. I love that fact that you can have your wedding on the train, because what's cooler than that? However, something could improve. The grade crossings could use better protection. The one on Manatawny Drive is only protected by a single crossbuck on one side with no advace warning signs. This is unacceptable. The crossing should have lights and bells to warn motorists of oncoming trains, and the one on Pottstown Pike should have gates considering how busy it is. But, on the flipside, the railroad has a beautiful dining car, and the headquarters are right near a fantastic hobby shop, Modelbahn Ott Hobbies which I highly recommend. I just wish that they would preserve some of SEPTA's iconic Silverliner IV electric multiple units because they plan on retiring them in the next 5 years. They have historical significance being the first electric multiple unit built as married pairs as well as the first to be equipped with dynamic brakes and PA systems. If they can't use them as electric multiple units, they can remove the pantographs and motors and use them as locomotive hauled coaches. But, when I called the railroad to pitch the idea, I left them a voicemail and they never called me back. In my opinion, that is unacceptable. read more

Great day trip idea. Fun attentive staff. Food offering were good and cocktail menu was a plus. read more

Colebrookdale Railroad - Historical Tours Near Me - Boyertown, Pennsylvania

An elegant and unique train ride! Pretty fall trip for our anniversary. Pleasant wait staff. Good cheesecake for dessert! read more

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Wonderful experience. The train cars have been transformed to the Edwardian era! We took the Autumn Splendor excursion for lunch in the Lounge Car. We liked the tables for two with a wider aisle. The décor is exquisite, so much detail to admire! The wait staff, (Amy and Joy?) were a delight as well. Lunch was a choice of a Turkey sandwich or Cesar salad, and both were good, though husband was wishing for mayo on his bread. (Not a big deal) We had the delicious cheesecake for dessert. Highly recommend this trip! You won't regret it. We will most likely return for a dinner excursion. read more

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One of the best train restoration i have seen! Got the engineer for a day as a gift staff were very nice, informative. I even got to drive an engine absolutely loved the experience. Station is adorable! read more

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Let me start by saying the location of station is pretty easy to get to. There is a main coordinator, let's call her Karen that starts off by saying that we should not leave our seats until dinner is served, there are killer bees on the open air train and not to go out or stay out there long, and if we wanted to book our weddings or engagement parties to talk to her. Dinner takes a while to get to you. The only cars running were the dinning car, open air car, and the lounge car. We were able to get up and see the additional cars like the parlor and we had to walk through the dinning and coach car to get to the open air car. So after this Karentells us we have to stay seated for the first hour mind you it's only a 2 hour ride I decided to check out the parlor with the piano in it. We sat in the lounge car, BIG mistake there is no AC in this car and it gets HOT. Dinning car has full blast AC. Now to the staff, oh boy, we had 2 servers. 1 server was a little over 18 years old and had just started. She was as probably about 5' tall 100lbs. She was in an outfit that could have fit a man 6' tall 200. She looked disheveled her hair was not brushed and she had piercings coming out of her face. The other lady was also in leggings and her jacket also did not fit her properly. Since the new girl could not serve us drinks we had to wait for the other lady to come by. Ok so we sat at tables 7 and 8. The sever station was closer to table 1-2. So it took this one lady about 30 mins to come to us. The tables are 2 seater tables. I swear this lady had early onset of dementia. She kept forgetting what we ordered. The salad was warm and felt like the plates have been sitting at the table for almost an hour before we boarded. The roll was hard butter was soft. Your best bet is to sit on the left side of the train there is a little stream but still can't see much through the windows. When we finally received our drinks which were disgusting, the Chardonnay tasted like it was sitting opened in a warm room and thrown in a fridge the last 2 hours for it to taste a little cool. It was horrible. We took the wines and started heading to the open air train that was through the dinning car. We didn't even open the door till Karen stopped us and said your dinner is coming soon. I informed her that we waited 30 mins for terrible wine and want to enjoy the outside before it gets dark. Oh the bees, we went on 9/21 we did not see a single bee. Not sure if there are bees in the summer time but there wasn't any now. The outdoor train is my favorite could use a bench so we can all enjoy it a little better. We stayed out there for almost 25 mins walked back in and dinner was still not served. The chicken was terrible. The pasta was way over cooked and no flavor. The beef was grey and the potato's were yellow. That's all I am going to say about that. Over the trains are clean and really pretty I would rate the trains a 4. The staff overall will get a 1 for me. The views also a 1. The food and drinks 1. I would rate it a 1.5. So I think it's fair to rate it a 2. It's a cute experience not worth $100 a person though plus taxes and fee which was an extra $20 for 3 people. So I know the management was responding only to negative comments in a rude manor and justifying what people go through instead of adjusting and addressing the issues that PAYING customers where commenting on. So to management, just take this OPINION AND MY PERSONAL experience for what it is and please don't respond with a rude or smart comment. Say nothing if you don't have anything intelligent to say. Happy weekend :) read more

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The operation is good. The staff is nice, the trains are cool and old-timey. The problem is the ride itself is not very scenic at all. When you think of a "fall foliage tour", you don't envision mostly looking at dilapidated backyards and shrubs. Wouldn't recommend. read more

The Entire Staff from ticketing to Conductors were warm and professional in executing their responsibilities. It was a great Fall Day for a train ride. Unfortunately Train Delay and Medical Emergency took the joy out of an unfinished route. We headed back as soon as the Medical Team arrived and took a passenger off the train. We just felt that we should have continued and added the 20+ minutes to have gotten the full tour and route. read more

The train ride was very nice. We were in the Beaver car, for the autumn foliage. This included lunch. Very slim pickings for choices. It was either chicken strips with potatoe wedge or chicken Cesar salad. We had the salad. There was other snacks/desserts & coffee/drinks, to purchase if wanted. The coffee was very good. We did order the pumpkin pie and apple pie. They gave us the coffee but never saw the pies. By the time we saw the last to ask about the pies, we finished our coffees and it was almost over. So as we were nearing the end we just cancelled. Imo, they need at least one more person to help with serving. We had one woman running by herself, with the occasional lady that brought out the food. Overall, it was a very nice experience, just lack of help. But our server was very nice. ***Tip, sit on the right side, otherwise you see mostly rock walls. When you come back, you're not turning around to see the other side. read more

We went on the Autumn Splendor Fall Foliage tour. It was NOT worth the expense or the time. While the trains themselves are cool and it was fun to ride in the dining car, they really have a poor view of any change of leaves. The train departed late and it was seemingly unnecessary to arrive 20 minutes prior to departure except for getting your paper tickets. Regarding the tapas plate and hot apple cider, the charcuterie board was not worth $15.00 and the cider was not served hot. The server forgot our drinks until we had to remind her when she brought the snacks. They didn't have our bill ready upon return to the station and had to wait with other unfortunate souls for them to figure it out long after most passengers departed the train. It was really wasted time, travel, and money!!! read more

Spending my Birthday with my husband and enjoying a relaxing breakfast along the Colebrookdale Railroad was a treat and a great experience. The team along the way were knowledgeable and courteous. The breakfasted was outstanding. I say; how do they do that so consistently. Our next trip is December on the Santa Express with our granddaughter and family. The memories we are making are priceless. Thank You to the Colebrookdale family. read more

We adventured on the Colebrookdale Railroad the day after Thanksgiving - this is a lovely little addition to the small town, and a great way to experience my boyfriend's hometown during a recent visit. The train is unique in that it is run mostly by volunteers (minus the food) - they did an excellent job decorating for the holidays, and I could tell there was a lot of work put into it. Each car had it's own theme (ours being Winter Wonderland), and each car provides a different experience. There's a "coach" car with tapas and drinks, a dining car with a sit-down dinner, and an open car that had hot chocolate and cookies during the Christmas season. There also is an open car at the end of the train that was nicely decorated and made for some nice pics after dinner. Santa was traversing the train throughout the night, and had a story time with the children, which was lovely. Although there were a few rowdy passengers during the story, it was nice touch for the youth on the train. Our dinner was also accompanied by a harpist, which provided a nice background noise as we ate. While the train ride was enjoyable and the train itself beautifully decorated, the food was less than stellar, which put a mild damper on the evening. From what we heard, the caterer recently changed to "Devour" based out of Reading. Since they were recruited from so far away, I was expecting exceptional food, and I was definitely disappointed. The staff was very friendly, as the chef was in our car often to check in with things, but the food was lackluster. Despite it being the day after Thanksgiving, we were served a turkey dinner (turkey was pretty dry) with stuffing (pretty vanilla in flavor) and corn (the highlight of the dish, had a little kick). The salad that started us off was good, but also hard to mess up salad. We finished the meal with a tiny piece of pineapple upside down cake, which was nothing to write home about - pretty standard fare, but also the pieces were tiny so I didn't actually get any pineapple. We paired our meal with merlot - the glasses were $15 each, which even for PA is steep! You do get the wine glass as a souvenir, but still, very excessive cost. They did serve hot chocolate and a cookie after dinner during Santa's storytime, which was tasty. Considering the steep cost to sit in the dining car, I would expect a bit of a better meal, and with larger portions. Overall, we are glad we experienced this train ride, and it was a fun way to get into the holiday spirit. Definitely would recommend optimizing the food for the passengers (more variety, bigger portions, better cooking), but loved the atmosphere and the feel for the holidays. We would consider revisiting during another time of the year to see a fresh set of decorations and maybe a different car experience (perhaps the coach car). read more

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We bought tickets for the 'Twas the Night Before Christmas excursion. We sat in the Deluxe Coach Cart. The seats can be reversed, so my family of 4 were able to face one another, which was nice. The carts were beautifully decorated, some more than others. They offered drinks and light fare, which was disappointing. We paid $42 for 8 thinly sliced pieces of cheese, 6 pieces of thinly sliced Pepperoni and salami, a handful of grapes, broken crackers (crumbs), and 3 hard pretzels. Santa came through and sat with each individual family, engaged in conversation, read over their letters,, gave the children gifts, and took pictures. Then, everyone was offered complimentary hot chocolate, and chocolate cookies. Last, but not least, Santa read the story, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. The entire experience was 2 hours, round trip. We paid $239 for tickets and $60 for snacks and drinks. I'm on the fence because it was truly magical, but expensive. If you do it, eat well before you go, we will! read more

Wow, we went to take a scenic leaf-peeping tour. Our email confirmation warned to arrive at least 20 minutes early and that the trains would leave *promptly* at the ticketed time. We arrived early, were told the train would board at 10 minutes to the hour. We looked around for a restroom before our trip and saw a line at two porta-potties in the parking lot. We approached, were told the one "was a mess" which left the other one for the group of people to use. It was nearly full as evidenced by the waste approaching the top. The other one was, indeed, "a mess" as evidenced by the nearly full waste receptacle and wet poop splatter all over the seat and waste receptacle -- nonetheless, several men used it; women complained about the serviceable one, and even though it wasn't horrid, it was pretty bad. So we're all waiting for the train to board -- 1:50 comes and goes; 2pm comes and goes. We finally start boarding about 2:10. We specifically wanted to sit in the open-air car to see the leaves and take pictures but there are no seats on the single open-air car. Moreover, there is a structure of sorts erected on it with garland and halloween decorations. The pipe structure and decorations mean that everyone who is out there has to stand between the upright structures which cuts down on the amount of people who can stand at the railing and take in the scenery. Moreover, good pictures can't be taken because the upright posts and garland / decorations are in every picture. The trip: it was basically up 8.5 miles and then it stops at a hotel across from the Pottsville Playground and BMX track ("world renowned") and reverses direction and comes back. We're not sure who this is supposed to appeal to: kids seem to have fun and didn't notice the lame scenery -- they kept running up and down the car with little to know parental supervision. This may have been in part because the adult-age people were drinking, some rather heavily. One adult-age female couldn't seem to keep her hands off her male companion. We were waiting for her to fall over when she bent down to pick up her phone after she dropped it. She also picked up a pumpkin off the platform of the car and placed it onto the railing so someone could take a picture of her with it. Where were the staff when all of this was occurring? Passing out complimentary champagne of course !! Which the female gladly took more of. Why is alcohol being served on a family-friendly train? Anyhow, we rode up to the Pottsville Playground while listening to a narrated tour of such fascinating historical sites as a former clay pipe factory ("look over the right side of the car and you can still see thousands of pieces of broken pipes ...") and the site of a former railroad tragedy where a train brake let go and an empty car went downhill at over 60mph before crashing in town. We also saw a lot of graffiti, broken bottles, discarded tires, and trash along the tracks. We've been on much shorter and much nicer train rides that were far more interesting and scenic than this one. Not sure what the attraction here is but at $49 per person, we were greatly disappointed in all aspects of this trip. Perhaps if they passed out bottles of complimentary champagne at the beginning, it would have been a better experience. read more

I have to go with 5 stars here. All the people running this are volunteers to help preserve the railroad history. We road the Mimosa train 1st class parlor car (Wow!!). Beautiful!! Most drinks were included. Hors d'oeuvres were a mix of nuts and cold finger foods which were all fresh and perfect for picking at along our ride. Refill on drinks were also included along with a dessert cupcake. We also got to keep our commemorative glasses. They also made sure to mention birthday passengers and included a candle to the cupcake for those birthday people. We had a pianist playing during our entire ride which just added to the entire experience! The trip is quite slow along a creek thru woods and rural countryside. Plenty of time to relax and enjoy the entire ambience. It is a bit pricey. But when you consider what your ticket price is going towards, helping to restore the old trains and station back to the era of their prime it's 100% worth every penny!! Just hoping for a longer voyage in future. read more

One of the great rituals of parenthood, especially when one's grandfather and father-in-law were both 'train men', would be the ride on the Santa Train. The NMT, when he was a wee one, took his first ride at age 3 on the New Hope - Ivyland Santa Train. At 5 he rode on the Strasburg Railroad train. Heck, he even did the "Day out with Thomas" (not a Santa train, more insane actually) down at the Cape May railroad in 100 degree heat. Sir Toppam Hat looked like he was going to pass out from heat stroke that day. But I digress... I can safely say we're experienced Santa Train riders, so we came to the Colebrookedale Railroad figuring it was going to be more of the same. Boy were we wrong. This, my friends, is the best Santa train EVER. Also, it is the coolest way to buy your Christmas tree. The Coleborokedale is a new experience, having been started just a few years ago by hearty train loving volunteers (as all of these historic railroad organizations are). They have painstakingly and lovingly restored these rail cars. The attention to detail is phenomenal. Not only that, but they decorated each car in one of the 'Twelve Days of Christmas" using paper snowflakes. Ours was "9 Ladies Dancing" with their skirts made of snowflakes, and yes, there were 9 hanging throughout the car. The cars were all toasty warm, with the exception of the unique "open air car" which all passengers can visit. That was great for when the NMT and his sidekick wanted to walk around a bit, and the scenery was great too. Even this car was festively decorated, by the way. Two very cool things: First, the train stops part way to pick up Santa, who asks for a ride to Pottstown as his Reindeer have flown away and he thinks they might be there. His sleigh is with him, sans reindeer. So Santa boards, and the kids go nuts. In a good way. Santa, by the way, was great, kind, gentle, attentive to each child, and very authentic. Even the NMT, on the cusp of adulthood, grinned and hugged Santa, and he is one tough cookie these days. Next, you are invited, if you like, to stop further along the way at Santa's Secret Forest, where you can buy a Christmas tree and other things. The train leaves you there for about 35 minutes while it goes on to Pottstown and picks you up on the return. Should you buy a tree, which is not mandatory, they load it up for you on the open air car and take it back to Boyertown for you, where they again help you load it onto your car. We did not get off as we all have our tree, however next year we are definitely going to do this, as it is a unique and memorable way to do this. We were in the open air car when we arrived in Pottstown. Just before the turn-around, the train crosses at grade level at Route 100, a busy 4 lane road. We were all encouraged to wave at the stopped cars. One driver, a Mr. Grinch, flipped my son 'the bird'. Yes, really. Flipping off kids on a Santa train. Anyhow, my son turns to his friend and others and yells "Wow, he must be on the Naughty List", which had all the younger kids giggling. Good save, NMT. Then the volunteer conductors had the kids in the open air car gather at the front of the car, where it attached to the locomotive, so they could watch the engine 'explode' when it detaches, which is basically an air-line release. The kids LOVED it. Then the engine rolled by, attaching on the other end for the return home. Lastly, the experience in the car. We rode in the "First Class" parlor car, where we were served drinking cocoa from a restored 19th century machine, which was magnificent. This was not Swiss Miss. It was more like Italian Drinking Chocolate, and I had two cups full. Then the kids were served cookies and crackers, while us adults got procicutto, salami and pepperoni wrapped cheeses, salted and sweetened nuts and water crackers. We also could have sparkling cider, which the kids loved too. On the way back we were offered chocolate chip cookies, which are also really good. All of the conductors were volunteers, and they were great to a person, and the narration was also great, with lots of history interspersed with fun comments. They have other excursions during the year - we are planning on riding the spring "Mudball Express", a train where riders are invited to throw mud balls made up of native plant seeds, fertilizers and mud, along the wooded parts of the route to promote native plant populations and have fun doing it. We can't hardly wait to ride again. read more

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Excellent experience....the staff is friendly and knowledgeable the kids love it. The ride is neither too long or too short its perfect.

To be specific (because I don't want to comment on service in other sections of the train), we rode in First Class Lounge, which gave you complimentary cocktail, tapas plates (kinda lame because it's just cheese, meats and nuts), and dessert (it's ok), and you get to keep all the glasses coming with your drinks. Judging from the quality of small plates, their food is probably mediocre so I'm glad we did not choose the dining option. Besides the food, I got some beautiful pictures of fall foliage from this ride on a sunny beautiful day, and lounge car is beautifully restored and decorated. Not much to complain. read more

What a nice day we had at the Colebrook Railroad. We boarded the train and had the dining section booked. The train is kept very well. On this particular ride, we were treated to soup, salad, dinner and dessert. Food was nicely prepared, served hot and in a timely manner. The wait staff were very professional and attentive. Kudos to them for serving all this food on a moving train. After our meal, we ventured out to the open car. This was great. It was a beautiful spring evening and gave us the opportunity to enjoy the scenery. If you are looking for something different to do, take this train ride. You won't be disappointed. read more

Andy provided my brother with an incredible experience for his 50th birthday Engineer for a Day. Learning all about the operation of the diesel engine, and getting to handle the controls-- Just an exceptional and unforgettable day. My family and I then rode in the coach car, and received truly wonderful service from the friendly staff. This railroad is a priceless gem. read more

This is the Fourth time we have gone on this Train for Christmas. The ride itself is awesome and the decorations inside the train are beautiful! The one complaint I have this year is the food was disappointing. The plate was not as filled as other years. For the price you pay for (dinning car ) the food is supposed to be good tasting and large portions. This year it was a different catering company and the food was very different. The turkey was two tiny pieces and the stuffing was horrible & filled with pepper. There was no ham and no mashed potatoes. All other years we had a large turkey portion & a slice of ham & cranberries with mashed potatoes & vegetables with dinner rolls. This year the dessert was simple, but not going with a holiday theme. Yes, I am complaining about the food because it's one reason we chose this train over the others in the area. The good points are a very nice ride and (with inclusion) using very nice Special Ed Elf helpers and a friendly Santa. It was a nice experience, but I have to take stars away this year due to poor food taste and poor quantity. If you go as a regular passenger I'm sure you will have a good time, just skip the meal this year. It is a beautiful decorated Train with a smooth ride. Kids will enjoy it! Happy Holidays! read more

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This is a really fun trip to take with friends or family. We took the Irish Dinner evening trip that was catered by local restaurant Molly Maguire's. We especially enjoyed the open air car decorated for fall. Train had passengers of all ages and was handicap accessible. Bathrooms on the train. Train staff is attentive and friendly. read more

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We stopped in to check out their open house. The trains are amazing! Beautifully restored with gorgeous woo and stained glass. Decorated with period furniture that felt like a leap back in time to the luxury train cars. They also have a beautiful patio area where live music was playing. We're very excited to book a ride in the fall! read more

This was my fourth ride. My son and I rode first class again. Food, drinks and service were excellent. My biggest complaint is the open car is in the back instead of the middle. All of the passengers walk through first class to get to open car. When the train leaves the station first class becomes an expensive hallway ! read more

We've been here three times. The volunteers continue to improve it each time and they're always wonderful hosts. read more

Colebrookdale Railroad - Historical Tours Near Me - Boyertown, Pennsylvania

I'd say this is more like 3.5 stars. We moved to town last year, and finally got to ride the train for a Mother's Day tea. We got 6 tickets for the dining car ($60 adults, $53 kids, $55 seniors). For those prices, a non-alcoholic beverage besides hot tea should be included. Even coffee was extra. We paid $3 extra for a can of soda, and $24 for 2 large hot chocolates for my kids, because smaller sizes weren't available. They got to keep the huge glass souvenir mugs, at least! Our waitress was a doll and kept apologizing about the price, which she agreed was a little ridiculous. The finger foods consisted of scones, tea sandwiches, fruit, and dessert. Everything was pretty good, but my kids didn't eat much of it (besides dessert, of course). As other reviewers suggested, some kid-friendly options would be nice. They supposedly had animal crackers as a additional-cost item, but none of the servers could find them. During the first half of the train ride, a harpist was playing inside our dining car. She had a speaker, which was unnecessary. The music was overly loud and detracted from the ambience a little. We couldn't really hear the story of the Railroad being told over the intercom. The worst part... the restroom situation. Passengers in the dining car had to walk to the coach car, where there was one single restroom. The train was sold out, so there was a queue of people lined up almost a third of the way through the car! My kids got tired of waiting in the long line, so they asked to go outside to the open car (really cool). We walked past the restroom on the way out, and it reeked, even with the door closed. My stepfather used it and said it was worse than a bad airplane bathroom. That was enough for me to ask my kids to hold it, since the ride was almost over... thankfully we made it home. :) A bathroom facility at the train station itself would be ideal! All of the volunteers on the train were very nice. I can't say that we'll be back again to see them, since the cost of riding is pretty prohibitive. This is unfortunate, since we live right in town! Of course we could also volunteer, as we were invited to do twice during the trip, but I don't think I'd want to deal with first-time passengers experiencing the sticker shock (or the restroom situation!) like we did. We made the best of it and had a nice time anyway. read more

The #1 Scenic Railroad excursion in the whole USA is local to the western philly suburbs! They've done such an amazing job bringing history back to life! Fun from all angles .. Weekend activity (with or without the children) tastefully done sophisticated bridal or baby showers, fun for a Date, and with an astouding array of special event trains. Already planning my next trip! read more