Railfest Returns to Steamtown National Historic Site for Labor Day Weekend, 8/31-9/1/2024

Date: For Immediate Release

Contact: Megan Stevens, megan_stevens@nps.gov, (272) 770-1315

Celebrate Railroading: Railfest Returns to Steamtown National Historic Site for Labor Day Weekend, 8/31-9/1/2024

Scranton, PA – For the first time since 2019, Steamtown National Historic Site’s Railfest returns to Labor Day Weekend: Saturday, 8/31, and Sunday, 9/1. The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. General admission to the park and event is free. Train rides are $6 for ages 6 and up, $1 for ages 0-5, payment by credit card only. Railfest celebrates railroading’s past, present, and future with train rides, special demonstrations, exhibits, visiting rail equipment, musical entertainment, ranger programs, and a host of activities and displays offered by community partners.

Railfest weekend will provide visitors with several opportunities to enjoy a live railroading experience from Caboose Hops to Yard Shuttles, and special guided tours of the former Lackawanna Railroad Station (today’s Radisson hotel). Tickets are limited for the Radisson Tour option and must be reserved in advance at https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/10088803. All other tickets available on a walk-up, first-come, first-served basis at the Tickets and Information Booth within the park.

Train Rides: Saturday, 8/31

• Yard Shuttles
  • Anticipated power: Baldwin Locomotive Works No. 26 (steam)
  • Run time: 30 minutes
  • 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 3:45 p.m.
• Caboose Hops
  • Anticipated power: Lackawanna No. 664 (diesel)
  • Run time: 10-15 minutes
  • “Load and go” throughout the day. Radisson Tour (Saturday Only) – offers riders a short train ride and guided tour of the historic Lackawanna Railroad Station. Limited tickets; must be reserved in advance.
    • Anticipated power: Baldwin Locomotive Works No. 26 (steam)
    • Run time: 60 minutes
    • 1:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
• Photo Run By (Saturday Only) – offers riders a short train ride with the option to disembark for a photo opportunity of the steam engine as it does a couple of run-bys.
  • Anticipated power: Baldwin Locomotive Works No. 26 (steam)
  • Run time: 60 minutes
  • 1:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Train Rides: Sunday, 9/1

• Yard Shuttles
  • Anticipated power: Baldwin Locomotive Works No. 26 (steam)
  • Run time: 30 minutes
  • 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m., 2 p.m., 2:45 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.
• Caboose Hops
  • Anticipated power: Lackawanna No. 664 (diesel)
  • Run time: 10-15 minutes
  • “Load and go” throughout the day

Programs and Demonstrations: Throughout both days, visitors will be able to ride on maintenance of way equipment, including a velocipede, a pump handcar, and New Jersey Trackcar railroad speeders. The locomotive shops will be open for visiting, with demonstrations of the drop table, the “ring of fire”, and other railcar preservation and maintenance machinery. Cab tours of the Big Boy locomotive, displays of model train layouts, and demonstrations of the Amtrak K-9 unit will also take place throughout the event.

Visiting Equipment: The park will host several pieces of visiting equipment from the Delaware and Lackawanna Railroad, including the famed Nickel Plate PA-190 locomotive, the historic City of Lima sleeper car, and the Lehigh Valley No. 414 diesel locomotive coupled with the park’s Lehigh Valley No. 353 Black Diamond private business car. Norfolk Southern will also be visiting with their No. 1074 Lackawanna Heritage Unit.   

Nickel Plate Power & Prestige Night Photo Shoot: Steamtown NHS and the Iron Horse Society are partnering to offer two special Railfest night photo shoot opportunities on Friday, 8/30 and Saturday, 8/31. Join the Iron Horse Society for an evening (or two) of photography featuring the strength and elegance of the Nickel Plate Road’s iconic steam, diesel, and passenger equipment. Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance:https://theironhorsesociety.com/tickets.

Community Partners: Many community partners will be on hand, with displays, demonstrations, and activities that highlight the cultural, historical, civic, and natural stories of the railroads, Scranton, and the Lackawanna Valley.

Electric City Trolley Museum: On the other end of the park, the Electric City Trolley Museum will also be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with trolley rides, historic exhibits, live music, and a railroad-themed caricature artist. Special admission rates for the museum and trolley rides are available throughout the weekend. For more information call (570) 963-6590.

Snacks and Shuttles to La Festa: Packaged snacks and drinks will be available for purchase on site, and a huge array of great food is just a few blocks away at the annual La Festa Italiana, a celebration of Italian-American culture and cuisine at Scranton’s Courthouse Square. A free COLTS shuttle bus will run between Railfest at Steamtown and La Festa approximately every half hour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

The park entrance is located at the intersection of Cliff Street and Lackawanna Avenue in downtown Scranton. The physical address is: 350 Cliff Street, Scranton, PA 18503 (GPS: N 41.41, W 75.67). For a complete schedule of activities, programs, rides, entertainment, visit www.nps.gov/Steamtown. Train rides and activities may be subject to cancellation due to inclement weather, crew availability, or mechanical issues. Connect with the park @SteamtownNHS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For general park information, call (570) 445-1898.

About The Park – Steamtown National Historic Site was established in 1986 to preserve, interpret, and protect the history of steam railroading in America including the historic railroad yard, collections, technical knowledge, and skills that further the public understanding of the impact of steam railroading on industry, commerce, and society. Today, Steamtown NHS consists of 62 acres in downtown Scranton, PA on the site of the original Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western rail yard.

www.nps.gov/steamtown

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 430 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.