Let's Meet at Pottstown Junction

Photo by Leonard F. Shaner Jr.

A special excursion of The Colebrookdale Railroad's Secret Valley line met an Amtrak passenger train in Pottstown Saturday for the first time in 81 years.

For the first time in 81 years, two passenger trains met at the Colebrookdale Junction on the former Reading Company's tracks Saturday. 

The Amtrak special is on the former Reading's Main Line now Norfolk Sothern's Harrisburg Line and the Colebrookdale Railroad is on the former Reading's Colebrookdale Division.

The Amtrak special traveled between Philadelphia and Harrisburg and returned the same day.

The train left left 30th Street Station around 9:45 a.m. and returned around 7 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

The Colebrookdale Railroad trains left the Boyertown Yard 10:30 a.m. headed to Pottstown. 

Colebrookdale riders were taken an extra quarter-mile, across King Street, past Pottsgrove Manor and over the High Street bridge, built in 1902 by the Phoenix Steel Company, to the end of the track.

The trained stopped at the location of the former Colebrookdale Junction tower. 

Crews aboard the Amtrak train coordinated the meet, and made up time in order to be at the junction at the same time as Colebrookdale's 10:30 train.