If you're a North Jerseyan, you probably heard of the Essex House restaurant in West Orange. One of its features was a Pullman-built railcar, The Cyprus that dates to the early 1900s. The restaurant closed during COVID-19 and the building is set of to be demolished, but The Cyprus? Well, they are going to restore it and run it on the mainline!
"They" are the Colebrookdale Railroad, a nonprofit tourist and freight operation based in Boyertown, PA and the main line it will be running on is the former Reading Colebrookdale Branch, extending from Boyertown in Berks County to Pottstown in Montgomery County. The Colebrookdale is the latest operator of the route--owned by the Berks County Redevelopment Authority, with regular power being a GP9 and a GP38-2. The Cyprus joins an eclectic fleet of heavyweight passenger cars, many of which can be viewed at their Boyertown Station or enjoyed during excursion runs. In 2024, your author rode the train and enjoyed a hot dog and hamburger prepared by the Executive Director's parents...on the grill during the run!
Check out this article for more history on The Cyprus and Essex House (Essex Local): End of the Line: Essex House Train Dining Car to Make Way for 95 Unit Development - Montclair Local
Photo Credit: Essex Local