By Capt. Bill McKelvey
Saturday, May 28th, 2022, Memorial Day Weekend, was the first day for the big event which was initiated with the first equipment arriving on the site in December, 2021 – just six months prior. The first-ever Port Jervis Transportation Festival was held on the three days – Sat., Sun., and Mon. of the holiday weekend. It should be noted that Port Jervis is located just one mile from New Jersey and is directly across the Delaware River from Pennsylvania.
The Port Jervis Transportation History Center (PJTHC) is the nucleus of a collaborative effort between four local non-profit organizations: Operation Toy Train of New York; the Outdoor Club of Port Jervis; the Friends of Port Jervis Art & History; and the Tri-States Railway Preservation Society (not to be confused with the Tri-State Railway Historical Society, a NRHS Chapter in NJ). In addition, the Dining Car Society has moved their fleet of cars from Scranton, PA to Port Jervis, NY with the funding assistance of Liberty Historic Railway.
The PJTHC City-owned site is ten acres, which includes the historic, operational, Erie Railroad turntable, with several original yard tracks accessible to it, the locomotive sand towers, and the over one-mile long Delaware & Hudson Canal right-of-way parallel to it on the north side. This initiative is a wonderful interpretive transportation history exhibit and an asset to the surrounding community. Originally served by the Erie and New York, Ontario & Western Railroads, current operators are Metro-North Railroad with commuter service from Hoboken, NJ and freight service operated by the New York, Susquehanna & Western, the Middletown & New Jersey and Norfolk Southern. Port Jervis was the destination of a series of over two dozen excursions powered by the famous former C & O No. 614 steam locomotive, promoted by Iron Horse Enterprises. Surely the transportation history of the free-flowing Delaware River and Delaware & Hudson Canal will be included in the center when fully developed.
Although the PJTHC looks quite distant on the map, I traveled there on good roads in 80 minutes from Berkeley Heights. The PJTHC is also accessible by trains of Metro-North and their station is adjacent to the Erie turntable. The visitor was greeted by the very first NJ Transit Comet l commuter coach ever built, displayed on the turntable along with one of their small diesel locomotives. Nearby were the exhibit cars of the Tri-States Railway Preservation Society and the exhibit, theater, and sales car of Operation Toy Train.
The growing collection of rolling stock of the PJTHC includes three Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey - circus cars – two of which were circus worker dormitory cars and the third transported horses. Another car contains the Detroit Diesel generator set which powers the Lackawanna dining car No. 469 and the other coaches. They currently have a total of eight coaches; seven boxcars (three of which are Fruit Growers Express); two cabooses; and three locomotives: Middletown & New Jersey No. 2, a GE 44 tonner (which Liberty Historic Railway funded the purchase and trucking to the site); U.S. Army No. 7299, an 18-ton Plymouth; and a very rare Baldwin Lima Hamilton 25-ton switch engine. Local volunteers have gotten the 18-tonner, 25-tonner, and half of the 44-tonner operating. The National Museum of Industrial History’s rubber tired “TUG” was on display just for the weekend. It was an airport tug, acquired by Bethlehem Steel, who installed a RR coupler on one end and used it to move rolling stock at their Bethlehem, PA facility before it was donated to NMIH.
The highlight of my visit was dinner in the Lackawanna dining car No. 469 for the inaugural railroad culinary event at its new home in Port Jervis. This car was built in 1949 for the Lackawanna Railroad and was assigned for use on their famous Hoboken-to-Buffalo train “Phoebe Snow”. In 1960 this car became Erie Lackawanna No. 769 and in 1966 the car was reassigned to run on the Hoboken-to-Chicago “Lake Cities” which ran through Port Jervis. After retirement in 1970 this dining car was stored in the railyard at Port Jervis for two years before being sold to a series of owners. Finally, the non-profit Dining Car Society purchased the car in 2010 and has fully restored it. The car is now based at PJTHC and is available for stationary and moving culinary events both for the general public and for private charters or rental.
Fran Phillips was the Executive Chef for our dinners at the Port Jervis Transportation Festival in Diner No. 469. The dinner menu included an appetizer of hummus and tapenade on crostini with mixed olives; green salad: chiffonade of iceberg lettuce, radish slices, carrot ribbons, and tomato with choice of PRR or CP dressing; a choice of entrees: chicken creole (Atlantic Coast Line Railroad): with rice and green beans: OR pork tenderloin with Riesling sauce (New York Central Railroad) with potatoes and green beans; OR: creamed spinach Florentine (Missouri Pacific Railroad) with potato gnocchi and parmesan. Desert was vanilla ice cream (from Port Jervis’ own Riverside Creamery) with choice of Pennsylvania Railroad caramel sauce or Baltimore & Ohio Railroad chocolate sauce.
Beverages included unlimited coffee, tea, and soft drinks plus two complimentary beers or wines. The beer was from Fox “N” Hare Brewing Co., Port Jervis: Hillside Harvest – Hefeweizen OR Session IPA – India Pale Ale; and the wine, from City Winery, Montgomery, NY, included 2019 “Montgomery Mills” Riesling (excellent!) OR 2019 “NYC Cab” Cabernet Sauvignon. A perfect ending to the Grand Opening of a brand-new Transportation History Center with a truly outstanding opportunity for their future success. Congratulations from a confirmed supporter!
The most successful transportation heritage centers offer various ride experiences on vintage transport equipment. The PJTHC should consider implementing such improvements to make their center competitively attractive. Future opportunities and possibilities for the PJTHC include;
Rides in a coach or in the Dining car during a meal, while rotating on the turntable.
Installation of a 2’ gauge railway ride on the historic Delaware & Hudson Canal towpath.
Restoration of the Delaware & Hudson Canal to hold water and provide canal boat rides.
A ride experience in a horsecar, stagecoach, or trolley parallel to the Delaware & Hudson Canal.
Additional attractions available in the Port Jervis area include;
The Erie Hotel & Restaurant, 9 Jersey Avenue, built in 1890, is filled with character and many historic elements including an 18th century German hand-carved back bar, railroad momentos and photos of early Port Jervis.
The former Erie Railroad Port Jervis station at the corner of Jersey Avenue and Fowler Street was built in 1892 in the Queen Anne style. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, was subsequently renovated, and now houses several small shops.
Fort Decker, 125 – 133 East Main Street, built in 1793, is the oldest building in Port Jervis and houses the Minisink Valley Historical Society.
The Delaware River separates Port Jervis from Matamoras, PA and is part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. It is also one of the few remaining large free-flowing rivers in the US. At one time coal and timber were shipped down the Delaware to tidewater consumers as well as to the Delaware & Raritan Canal.
High Point State Park and New Jersey Veteran’s Memorial is 1,803 feet above sea level and is the highest elevation in New Jersey. It is located about 8 miles south of Port Jervis and has unrivaled views of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.