Bellefonte Historical Railroad

2008 June 14 update: We were hosting Jeff Pontius' (Vice President North Shore Railroad Systems) open-window, circa 1940's, passenger train for 5 passenger trips from the Bellefonte Train Station to Pleasant Gap. We want to thank all passengers we had on board today on the five trains. It was a pleasure having you all on board! We especially want to thank Jeff Pontius and his crew from the North Shore Railroad Systems and the Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad for bringing his train set in and providing enjoyable train rides for everybody. Our plans are to have this train back in Bellefonte in Fall. Below is a photo of the passenger train (courtesy of Jeff Pontius):

Jeff Pontius' train pulled by North Shore's GP 38-2 2004 and NBER's GP 8 1601

There are videos provided by the Centre Daily Times available for the Santa Train as well as for the trains we had on June 16th, 2007. Please click on the images below (Photos courtesy by the Centre Daily Times):

Santa Train December 2007

Train in June 2007

2008 April 18 update: We have several updates to report: First of all, we now own RDC 9167 as the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania gave us the title. Second, we received a waiver from the Federal Railroad Administration giving us permission to run both RDCs with the current side windows; however we are required to install 4 emergency windows in each car. Third, 4 emergency windows have recently been installed in 9167. In addition, we have ordered more side windows. We are concentrating on getting 9167 in good shape as 9153 needs a tremendous amount of work to get it back into operating condition. The objective is to get at least one RDC running and 9167 is in better shape. Our plan is to be running by sometime in the fall; however, there are insurance and other obstacles to overcome. For the time being, we will host Jeff Pontius' wonderful passenger train again (see above):

2008 March 05 update: Membership letters and have been sent out today. Please click on the images below to view the letter and the dues/membership form as PDF files:

These are pdf files: you will need Adobe® Reader® to read it.

Watch this website and the Centre Daily Times for announcements and schedules.

We need your support to help restore the Bellefonte Historical Railroad.

Our Project:
The Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society is in immediate need of funds in order to upgrade our cars to present safety standards. At the minimum, 4 emergency windows are needed for each car. This rather new federal regulation is a result of an accident on a passenger train where passengers were trapped in a car that caught fire and could not escape. Until we can add these safety features to our own cars, we will not be able to run the trains. However, four emergency windows have been ordered for RDC 9167. The expected delivery date is now mid-December. Our target date for safety compliance is Spring 2008.

Who we are:
The Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit corporation dedicated to promoting, preserving, and fostering a public appreciation of the railroading heritage of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania and beyond. Our Society provides the funding and volunteer crews for the Bellefonte Historical Railroads excursion and ride-to-dine trains. There are no paid employees or administrators.

The railcars:
The two cars, 9167 and 9153, that we operate were built in 1953 and 1962 for the New Haven and Reading railroads, respectively. Both cars are Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs) built by the Edwin G. Budd Company of Philadelphia, and are both of stainless steel construction. With the exception of window replacement the cars are in excellent mechanical condition.

Why we need your help:
Before the cars can return to excursion service all 40 windows need to be replaced to meet Federal regulations. The BHRS is vital to the tourism industry of Bellefonte and has brought several thousand people annually to the community of Bellefonte and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The historic rail excursions are in jeopardy if the funds for restoration cannot be raised.

All contributions are welcome.

All checks can be made payable to Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society and sent to: The Train Station, Bellefonte, PA 16823.

Thank you, we are counting on your support to restore the Bellefonte Historical Railroad. Watch this site for further updates and the return of regularly scheduled excursion trains.

For more information please contact the the webmaster
or phone the BHRS at train station at (814) 355-1053 and leave a message or call the train station at (814) 355-2917.
Or join us!
BHRS (Not-for-Profit Volunteer Group) is interested in recruiting new members: for more information please call 814 355-1053 and leave a message.