This review is for the Fall Foliage round-trip tour taken 11/3/19 from the Greater Reading station,…read morestopping at Port Clinton, then arriving at Jim Thorpe.
The trip is open seating (no assigned seats), and not knowing any different, we arrived at 7:15 for a 8am boarding and 9am departure, which was more than early enough, as people were boarding right up until the 9am departure and everyone got seats, with maybe a few to spare on each car. We had a group of 8 and had no issues sitting together. We sat in the middle of one of the middle passenger cars, but if we had to do it over again, we'd sit closer to one end or the other for quicker departure at Jim Thorpe and again once arriving back at Reading at the end of the trip.
Seating is bench seats on the standard coach, and the seat backs can be moved so instead of seating with your back towards other members of your group, you can seat facing them. This feature is nice, but makes for tight legroom, especially when trying to seat 2 people on each bench, see pic. There is a bathroom on each coach, plus windows can be opened for fresh air, better pictures, or to let things cool off (the coach gets pretty toasty warm as you get going, so wear layers). The seating can be pretty cramped, especially on the trip home. It was tough to get comfortable, even the kids had to stretch out to find some additional legroom.
No food/drink available on the train, but you can bring your own soft coolers for drinks and snacks. Everyone was pretty hungry for lunch by the time we arrived in Jim Thorpe around noon. You'll ride the same coach and have the same seats on the way back, so you can leave items (coolers, extra clothes, etc) on the train while you visit Jim Thorpe.
Trip was very scenic, especially with the Fall leaves changing colors. The ~3hr trip to Jim Thorpe winds you through rivers, streams, farms, small communities, over bridges and through tunnels. Expect to see plenty of wildlife, including deer and turkey. we saw at least 12 deer on the way up and double that plus a heard of turkeys on the way back.
Throughout the trip, the conductor and coach attendant told stories and pointed out anything interesting along the way. we were also showed some old pictures of how things looked in Jim Thorpe 100+ years ago.
Upon arriving at JT, everyone had lunch on their minds and with several hundred people all going for lunch in a little town, eateries can get overwhelmed pretty quick. Molly MacGuires is right by the train station, so most people try to go there. Good luck if you're in the middle of the coach like we were and some of the last to board, the place was packed with a line by the time we got there. There are other places to eat within a short 5-10min walk, with just about something for everyone.
Train departs at 3:30, so you dont have much time to do anything else after lunch but some quick window-shopping. If we were to do it again, we might pack lunches or get something quicker for lunch, like pizza or sandwiches. Aside from the restaurants, there are historic buildings, great view from on top of the town, and lots of small shops selling various items from oils, handmade goods, ice cream, witchcraft, leather goods, and antiques. Despite only having approx 1.5 hrs to look around after lunch, the only things we didnt get to do were the tours of the couple historical houses. After a quick stop at Wood Ice Cream right by the train station, we boarded and headed back.
Everyone tried to take some naps on the way back, with some success, arriving back at Reading Station round 6pm. So plan for a long, full day.
This would be a good trip to do once a year, or with people coming from out of town. Average age of passengers was around 60+, with a few families with younger kids. Parking at Great Reading Station is 100+ cars, so enough for all passengers plus a few extra.
