Riding the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway to Hometown High Bridge... yes you read that right! | 11-5-24

Railroads, like highways, need regular maintenance and repairs. But what do you do when some tracks need to be replaced on a popular tourist railroad during fall foliage season? That's easy, you pick an alternate route! On November 5 and 6, 2024, that's exactly what the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway had to do. A scheduled rail replacement at Hetchels Curve in Lehigh Gorge State Park meant that no trains could proceed through the area. The tourist trains still ran on schedule, but instead ventured west onto Reading & Northern's mainline out to the stunning Hometown High Bridge and back. As luck would have it, I was off that entire week for a staycation, so on November 5th, I went up to Jim Thorpe for the day to enjoy this very unique trip. This first video covers the 11:00 trip for which I rode in the open air car with colleagues Matt, Ginny, and Tim (Car Host). It was always a bucket list item to ride over Hometown High Bridge in an open air car, and I'm happy to say it was every bit as good as I hope for. 0:00 intro 3:12 departing Jim Thorpe 3:54 taking the left track at Nesquehoning Junction 5:00 going where no Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway has gone before 34:39 Hometown High Bridge westbound 38:08 Hometown High Bridge eastbound 38:48 the voyage home 52:02 end screen Chasing trains and building models is hard work! You can help me refuel and support my adventures at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jamiemakin