By Railfan & Railroad Staff

FLEMINGTON, N.J. — Steam has returned to New Jersey’s Black River & Western. This weekend, the tourist railroad fired up its former Great Western 2-8-0 60 for regular excursion service for the first time in two years. 

Besides the pandemic, which curtailed some of the railroad’s regular operations in 2020, the classic branch line steam locomotive was also down with mechanical issues. The locomotive ran on July 3 and 4 and on Tuesday, the railroad announced that it would power excursions every weekend through Labor Day.

The locomotive was built for the Great Western Railroad in Colorado by the American Locomotive Company in 1937. It was purchased by the Black River & Western in 1963 and has been running there for more than a half-century. The Black River & Western operates on former Pennsylvania Railroad and Central Railroad of New Jersey trackage. 

For more information, visit blackriverrailroad.com.