RailNews

West Chester MLW RS18 1803 passes the station at Cheney, Pa., now used as a post office. The locomotive was built in 1960 for Canadian Pacific and acquired by West Chester in 1998. Photo by M.T. Burkhart.

PHOTOS: West Chester Rolls Out MLWs For Tourist Service

By M.T. Burkhart

WEST CHESTER, Pa. — The West Chester Railroad, which operates tourist trains on an unused SEPTA branch, is preparing for its autumn excursion season. On Sunday, Sept. 20, it wrapped up its summer season and has been giving its hard-working MLWs a break this week before fall trips begin.

The West Chester runs between its namesake town in the Philadelphia suburbs to Glen Mills. Like most tourist pikes, the all volunteer non-profit got off to a late start this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The railroad’s Fall Foliage trains start on Sept. 27 and will also run on Oct. 4 and 11 and Nov. 1 and 8 with departures from West Chester at noon and 2 p.m. Visit wcrailroad.com for information.

MLW RS18 1803 approaches West Chester near the end of its trip to Glen Mills, Pa.

West Chester C424 4230 rests in the West Chester yard as the excursion to Glen Mills passes. Sister C424 4213 was also in the yard in the process of being repainted.

WCRR6: West Chester C424 4230 was built for Canadian Pacific in 1965 and acquired in 2005. When it first came to West Chester it wore a “Pennsylvania Railroad” scheme.