October 16th, 2022
Colebrookdale Railroad * Garden Café Car * Boyertown, PA
https://www.colebrookdalerailroad.com/
I arrived at the pretty town of Boyerdale at about 10:30am on a cool and cloudy Sunday morning. Following the instructions on my printed out Google Map to the letter, I easily found the Boyertown Depot and the large, spacious parking lot across from it.
The Boyertown Depot is a little gem of a building, looking like something you’d see in a Lord of The Rings or Harry Potter movie. A small plaque indicated that the depot opened for business on September 6, 1869. Judging by its size, even back in 1869 most passengers waited outside – in their wagons and carriages.
The distinctive little depot in Boyertown, PA
Charming architecture and diminutive size notwithstanding, this is a working depot as evidenced by the fact that I had to go inside to collect my ticket and meal pass. Afterward I joined the masses assembled on the attractive wooden platform outside the station and awaited the call to board. As we waited I had a nice chat with a couple who’d driven in from Morristown, New Jersey for this ride. I suspect very few locals made up our numbers today.
A big attraction of this ride on the Colebrookdale Railroad for me and I should imagine my fellow riders is its well regarded Sunday Brunch, served in one of two Victorian era dining cars that today were festooned with a variety of colorful Halloween themed revelry. When I booked my reservation, I was particularly taken with the interior appearance of the Garden Café car, so that’s the car I booked for this trip. I’m pleased to report that at first glance the Garden Café car not only met but exceeded my expectations.
The Garden Café Car
Table for four in the Garden Café car
Ready for brunch in the Garden Café car
Cloudy day or not outside, it felt sunny and festive inside. I eagerly joined my fellow diners as we made our way through the Parlor Car behind us and into the Garden Café. What a beautiful car! And what a nice job the staff did of decorating it and setting such attractive dining tables. At each table was a name card and a bowl of freshly cut fruit. My table was a single that I’d preselected at the time of booking, located down at the far end of the car.
Service commenced quickly upon departure from Boyertown. Water and coffee were delivered as we enjoyed our fruit bowls. Shortly thereafter, a French Toast appetizer was delivered. Upon being served hers, the lady across from me expressed dismay to her traveling companion. “Is this it? This is all there is?”
Second Course: French toast appetizer
Hang in there, Lady. The best is yet to come. The French Toast was pretty good as appetizers go but, like the lady across from me, my eyes opened a bit wider upon being presented the main course – a Cream Cheese & Vegetable Omelet accompanied by delicious O’Brien potatoes, chicken sausage and bacon.
Main Course: Cream Cheese & Vegetable Omelet
As always, one of the best things about eating while traveling aboard a train or plane – and eating well, I might add - is the unique environment in which you dine. That environment includes the beauty of the environment outside your window – be it the earth and sky as seen from 38000’ or the forests, streams and other landscapes as your train rolls by them. Allow me to reference a paragraph from a
trip report I submitted eight years ago:
Swiss-British writer and philosopher Alain de Botton puts it best in his book "A Week at The Airport - A Heathrow Diary": "
Naturally airline food is dismal when we compare it to what we'd get on the ground but this is to miss the point. The thrill of airline food lies in the interaction between the meal and the odd place in which one is eating it. Food that, if eaten in a kitchen, would have been banal or offensive, acquires a new taste in the presence of the clouds. With the in-flight tray, we make ourselves at home in an unhomely place: we appropriate the extraterrestrial skyscape with the help of a chilled bread roll and a plastic tray of potato salad."
And to think de Botton would appear to be writing about Economy Class meals! Over the years, railroads have garnered a much deeper well of appreciation for the quality of their meals, many of which are freshly prepared and cooked in onboard kitchens. Although almost everybody has a story about that hockey puck masquerading as a steak they were served on one of their past flights, any of our well-seasoned International First Class air travelers will also tell you that airline food can occasionally be very good as well. One need only review some of the thousands of well photographed and described trip reports in this very forum to lend credence to this fact. And of course, when the food you’re enjoying is actually well prepared and delicious, combined with the unique ambience of a moving plane or train, the overall experience can be truly special indeed. Such was the case today. Check out the view as we rolled through the forests of southern Pennsylvania…
Colorful Pennsylvania forests
Colorful Pennsylvania forests
There was plenty of time after the last of the plates had been cleared to linger over coffee while enjoying the view. Alternatively, we were free to get up and take a post-meal stroll through the train. One of the most popular attractions for some of us was venturing out onto the gaily decorated open-air viewing car. The temperature had warmed up quite a bit and given our relaxed pace of about 25 mph, spending some time enjoying the scenery from this car was quite pleasant.
Party time on the festive open air car
Beautiful old wooden water tower from the days of steam
In closing, the Colebrookdale Train was a great way spend a lazy Sunday morning, rolling through the colorful forests of southern Pennsylvania while enjoying a first rate brunch and the company of your fellow passengers along the way. Not only would I recommend this trip to any of you so inclined to see Pennsylvania in a similar fashion, but I look forward to returning and doing it all over again someday soon.
Next up: The Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway