For Bucks County families looking for a holiday outing beyond the usual local holiday attractions, the East Broad Top Railroad offers Christmas in Coal Country, an experience that combines a scenic historic train ride, a visit with Santa and a taste of traditional holiday celebrations in Pennsylvania’s Coal Country.
The event begins Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving, and runs through Dec. 20 in Rockhill Furnace in Central Pennsylvania.
The experience gives families an opportunity to step away from the hustle and bustle of the modern holiday season and experience Christmas aboard a historic railroad.
“We are located in the mountains of Central PA,” said Rick Hamilton, director of marketing for the East Broad Top Railroad. “We’re in the middle of nowhere, but in the center of everywhere because, being so close to the turnpike, we draw people from all over, from the east and west.”
For families traveling from Bucks County, the railroad is about a 3-hour drive and just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Hamilton said visitors come from throughout Pennsylvania and beyond.
“We draw from as far west as Pittsburgh,” he said. “We get people from Reading, State College, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, so we get people from all over.”
Christmas in Coal Country begins with a ride aboard the railroad’s decorated, heated train cars. The one-hour journey gives families a chance to settle in and enjoy the holiday atmosphere as the train travels through the Central Pennsylvania countryside.
The cars are heated by authentic coal stoves, adding to the experience and connecting the holiday ride to the railroad’s history.
Along the way, Santa boards the train to visit with families and children. Each child receives a special gift from Santa, while every passenger receives a cookie and a cup of hot chocolate.
“People are motivated to come here looking for a different experience,” Hamilton said. “I believe it’s something that kids will remember for a very long time.”
Hamilton said the railroad provides children with an opportunity to experience history in a way that goes beyond simply looking at an old building or reading about the past.
“They get to see history in action, and adults love it as well,” he said.
The holiday experience continues at the historic station. Families can write letters to Santa, and a model train display provides another activity for visitors.
The railroad’s Christmas event is rooted in the history of the region, where coal mining once shaped everyday life for families.
Life in Coal Country was difficult, but Christmas provided a special opportunity for miners and their families to come together. With the mines closed for the holiday, families could spend time together and celebrate with the simple traditions they had created.
The railroad's holiday event aims to capture some of that feeling.
Christmas in Coal Country recalls a time when homemade gifts, family gatherings and small treats could make the holiday special. Even oranges in children's stockings could be considered an exotic Christmas surprise.
That history is particularly fitting at the East Broad Top Railroad, which has played an important role in the region's story.
The railroad is a National Historic Landmark, and its historic shops and facilities remain part of the property. Hamilton said visitors can find reminders of the railroad's working past throughout the site.
“There are stories like that everywhere you look when you take a tour of that shop area,” he said. “It’s really amazing.”
One example can be found in a historic stone building, where a desk still contains slips documenting freight hauled during the railroad’s final year of operation in 1956.
Today, that history becomes part of the holiday experience.
The railroad offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy the surrounding winter landscape. Hamilton said the scenery attracts people throughout the year, including visitors who come simply to ride the train and enjoy the countryside.
“We get couples and retirees, people looking for something different to do,” he said.
That broader appeal makes Christmas in Coal Country an outing for more than young children. Parents, grandparents and other adults can enjoy the historic train, scenery and holiday atmosphere while children visit with Santa.
The event also gives families a chance to slow down during a season that can quickly become crowded with shopping, parties and other activities.
Hamilton said the railroad's allure ultimately comes down to the experience it provides.
“It’s a nice place to make family memories,” he said.
For more information about the East Broad Top Railroad and its upcoming events, visit eastbroadtop.com.
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