Historic Train Chugs Through NYC, Central NJ, Newark, Hoboken This Fall

NEW JERSEY — When's the last time you boarded a train and saw changing leaves outside your window, while learning a bit of transit history? You can do all of that on one upcoming fall weekend as NJ Transit partners with United Railroad Historical Society of NJ to run a historic train excursion and celebration.

A special excursion, on a train with historic rail cars, will start in New York City. It will head to Central Jersey, allowing riders to witness a recreation of the “South Amboy engine change.” The ride will head north back with a stop in Newark and end at the historic train terminal in Hoboken.

The ride will run on Saturday, Sept. 30, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of New Jersey's transit agency. There will also be a celebration of transit history the next day, Sunday, Oct. 1.

Ride One Day, Celebrate The Next

Tickets will go on sale this Friday, Aug. 25. Tickets are $399 for "first class," with deluxe tickets $299, both including a meal. Coach tickets are $83. Patch has reached out to see if there's separate pricing for seniors and kids.

The celebration the next day is free.

Get the full details below from the NJ Transit press release:

Rail Weekend Planned With Special Excursion

Calling all rail history lovers! NJ TRANSIT is planning a fun-filled historic rail weekend September 30 – October 1. To kick off the events, NJ TRANSIT and The United Railroad Historical Society of NJ are partnering to operate a special excursion train titled the “40th Anniversary Express” in honor of NJ TRANSIT Rail Operations’ 40th year of public service. Riders can purchase a ticket to travel down memory lane on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Lines in a special train with historic and conventional equipment, recreate the “South Amboy engine change” and ride the Bay Head loop track in a unique railroad experience.

Then, on October 1, all members of the public are invited to historic Hoboken Terminal for a special display of NJ TRANSIT’s heritage decorated locomotives.

“This special weekend is an amazing and fun way to honor NJ TRANSIT’s rich history and gives the public an exclusive look at our railroad’s heritage,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “Here’s to another great 40 years ahead.”

“This historic rail weekend invites passengers, families, and enthusiasts to join NJ TRANSIT in a unique experience that transcends time,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “From the reenactment of the ‘South Amboy engine change’ to the nostalgic display of our heritage locomotives, this event will bring history lovers together to celebrate 40 years of rail service that has connected people and places across New Jersey.”

“We are incredibly proud to be partnered with NJ TRANSIT for this event,” said URHS Executive Director Kevin Phalon. “As historians, we want to tell important stories. This trip will help us reach a large audience in a whole new way and will help bring attention to the incredible 40-year story of NJ TRANSIT’s commuter railroad.”

The special excursion train on Saturday, September 30 will travel between New York, Bay Head, and Hoboken, over sections of all three of NJ TRANSIT’s major legacy commuter systems: the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Central Railroad of New Jersey, and the Erie Lackawanna Railroad. It will be hauled first by NJ TRANSIT’s Pennsylvania Railroad heritage locomotive, wrapped in a historic livery to represent the many GG1 locomotives that hauled commuters in New Jersey from the 1930s to the 1980s.

Participants will get to witness a recreation of the famous “South Amboy engine change,” which is a ritual that occurred at South Amboy station for decades until 1988. The second portion of the trip will be hauled by F40 diesels, the F40 being the first model locomotive purchased by NJ TRANSIT as part of its major renewal in the agency’s early years.

Participants will also have a unique opportunity to travel around the Bay Head loop track and take a break for a catered lunch at the station. The trip will then resume the journey back through Newark Penn Station for a great photo opportunity and then depart for historic Hoboken Terminal to end the day.

The following day, Sunday October 1st, NJ TRANSIT will display all of its heritage decorated locomotives celebrating 40 years of NJT Rail Operations and its predecessor railroads. This event is open to the general public and is free of charge. Take a stroll down memory lane with the beautiful locomotives decked out in historical liveries. A recruiting table will also be available to those interested in joining NJ TRANSIT’s ranks.

“40th Anniversary Express” Excursion Details: Saturday September 30. The train will depart New York Penn Station in the morning and will conclude at Hoboken Terminal in late afternoon. Tickets will go on sale to the public on August 25 at 10 a.m. at URHS.org. Only special excursion tickets will be accepted on this train; standard NJ TRANSIT tickets and passes will NOT be valid.

Included in the train consist, alongside several NJ TRANSIT coaches, will be four historic railroad cars: the URHS’s Hickory Creek and Tavern-Lounge No 43, and Juniata Terminal Company’s Warrior Ridge and Pennsylvania No. 120. Tickets in these historic cars will include additional on-board services and are available at a premium fare. The No. 120 will be reserved for VIPs.

Proceeds from this excursion will support the non-profit United Railroad Historical Society of NJ.