Two rare-mileage excursions on New York’s Finger Lakes Railway will help raise money for planned upgrades to a historic New York Central observation car now cared for by the United Railroad Historical Society of NJ. The “Auburn Road Special” will run on April 18 and 19, between Solvay and Seneca Falls, N.Y., a section of the railroad that rarely sees passenger trains. 

The weekend excursions will also kick off the second season for URHS’s successful Finger Lakes Rail Experience, which debuted last year to great fanfare. URHS and Finger Lakes are partnering with FMW Solutions to run the excursions across New York’s Ontario, Seneca, and Cayuga counties. 

The April excursions will be limited to 78 people and will feature three historic NYC passenger cars: Hickory Creek, Tavern-Lounge No. 43, and the Swift Stream. Proceeds from the excursion will go toward making improvements on Hickory Creek later this year. When the car was restored, certain key historical details were missing, most notably the correct carpet pattern and the identity of the painting that originally hung on the lounge wall. However, in recent years, those important details have finally been rediscovered. URHS plans to add these elements this year, at last, to bring the car even closer to its historically original character and prestige.

Tickets for the excursion go on sale on February 27. Visit URHS.org/aburnroadspecial for more. —Justin Franz