HMCCC Spring Cruise May 3 2014

www.SteamIntoHistory.com New Freedom, PA. 

What a great day!  Many Many thanks to Rick Parrish and Sue Dudley for arranging a really nice time.  There was lots of time for socializing and catching up.

A fantastic train ride along with lots of good food!  Who could ask for more!

Butch & Sissy in Reddawg ‘57 led the pack consisting of John & Janet in their ’57 Ford, Frank & Bev in their ’57 BelAir, Ed & Marsha & Barb Z in Barb’s Chevelle convertible, Bob & I-Ming in their ’64 Impala, Frank & Alice in their ’49 Chevy pickup, Krysta and Mary Jo in Krysta’s Chevelle, Jim & Linda & grandson Marc in their ’63 Olds Cutlass Convertible and Rick & Sue and family in Rick’s ’57 4 door sedan, along with several folks from Fissel’s Church. 

Just before the trip, I found out that John & Rona Pappas had gone on the trip just weeks before we did.  Here’s John’s description, which fits it to a T: This was the closest you can come to seeing how it was to ride #17 Steam locomotive train when Lincoln was aboard writing the Gettysburg address and then a few years later, #17 carried Lincoln's casket to Washington DC.

It was a fascinating hour long trip from New Freedom Pa (just across the Maryland line) to Hanover junction 10 miles away (yes the train steams its way an incredible 10 mph!). Along the way to Hanover junction, the host (dressed in civil war garb) regales in stories of Lincoln, how the railway tracks were built, the people who built the tracks, and each town the trains goes through. 

The train stops for a half hour at Hanover junction where passengers can get off and tour the small civil war museum in a civil war building. On the way back to New Freedom, George Washington has the floor reminiscing about his past and the battles he fought plus a strolling musician sings civil war era songs while strumming a guitar and playing (two at once!) recorders.

It was a fun 2 and 1/2 hr ride round trip ride that was both entertaining and educational. I learned so many new things about the civil war, Lincoln and Washington that I thought I already knew from growing up in the Washington DC area.