BY MICHAEL J. RUDOLF

Wyoming County Press Examiner

For the third consecutive year, a steam engine rail excursion will run from Tunkhannock to Jim Thorpe.

This year's "Steaming the Rails" trip is scheduled for Saturday, May 15. As in the past, it is sponsored by the Wyoming County United Way.

"They've been hugely successful in the past," said United Way Executive Director Peggy Harbaugh.

During the first two years the trip was run, tickets sold out quickly, Harbaugh noted.

This year, the train is scheduled to have nine coaches, each capable of carrying 70 passengers. That means there are 630 seats available.

And while in the past when there was an excess of ticket requests, additional coaches were added to the trains, Harbaugh said there is no guarantee the extra cars will be available. For that reason, she advised people who are interested to get their tickets early.

Once again, the train will be pulled by Reading & Northern Railroad's No. 425 Baldwin Light Pacific steam locomotive, pulling coaches from the 1920s.

Tickets for the trip are $69, and can be purchased by contacting the United Way at P.O. Box 399, Tunkhannock PA 18657, or by calling 836-1661 or by e-mail at steamingtherails@yahoo.com.

 Even though the excursion has just been announced to the public, Harbaugh said it has been listed in specialized publications aimed at railfans and on the Reading & Northern's website. Through those announcements, a number of ticket requests have already come in, she said.

Some of those orders have come from as far away as California, from people who travel around the country taking train excursions, Harbaugh said.

There is also a group of train aficionados from upstate New York who have ordered enough tickets to nearly fill a coach on their own. This group has ridden the excursion both of its previous years, Harbaugh noted.

"They had such a good time that they are coming en masse," she said.

There have also been many orders from people who didn't see the trip advertised, but who rode in previous years and just called to see if it was going to happen again.

"We've had a lot of people who said they're going to ride it every year," Harbaugh said.

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