The River

The Delaware River, which originates in New York state, runs along the Pennsylvania-New York, New Jersey-Pennsylvania, and New Jersey-Delaware borders on its way to the Atlantic ocean. It's one of the major rivers in the eastern United States, and also one of the cleanest, environmentally. Beautiful little towns, scenic wild areas, and major cities like Philadelphia dot its banks. There are many ways to enjoy and explore the Delaware River, including many annual events that span the full calendar year and a range of interests and activities.

The Bridge

Traffic across the Delaware River at Riegelsville, Pennsylvania, was handled by Wendel and Anthony Shenk's oar powered ferries until December 15, 1837, when a three-span woodenwas opened to horse, wagon, and pedestrian use. The Pennsylvania and New Jersey legislatures had approved the formation of the private Riegelsville Delaware Bridge Corporation in 1835 and the company engaged Soon Chapin and James Madison Porter of Easton, Pennsylvania as the contractors. A major flood struck the Delaware Valley on January 8, 1841, just three years after the bridge opened, and the span nearest the Jersey shore was destroyed. The bridge was repaired and survived another flood in June 1862.

The "Pumpkin Flood" occurred on October 10, 1903, and the Delaware waters rose to 33.8 feet (10.3 m) above normal. The two spans nearest to New Jersey were quickly swept down the river. The third section collapsed soon after.Thewire rope and engineering firm of John A. Roebling's Sons Co., based in Trenton, New Jersey, were soon commissioned and replaced the covered bridge with a cable suspension bridge. This new bridge incorporated the original piers which were repaired and raised several feet, allowing it to survive major damage from the flood of 1936 and to come through a 1955 deluge relatively unscathed. Together, the three spans are 585 feet (178 m) in length and the final cost of construction was $30,000. It opened on April 18, 1904.

The Train

Our train cars originally came from the Long Island Railroad dating from the 1950's and have been lovingly restored by our volunteers.

Steam locomotive #142

No. 142 was built in the Peoples Republic of China in 1989 by the TangShan Locomotive Works. Until 2000, TangShan was the last place in the world that made production steam engines. The locomotive resembles trains from an era long ago. The engine, with tender, weighs approximately 154 tons, including 13 tons of coal and 6,600 gallons of water. The engine is hand-fired, which means someone has to shovel coal into the firebox to keep the fire hot enough to make steam. No. 142 is 14'6" high, 10'8" wide, and with tender, 75'3" long