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TRAIN TIME: That passenger train that passed through this region
a couple weeks ago attracted big crowds, even though it didn’t have
a bit of advance publicity.

After reporting on the experience, we heard from Mike Schultz of
Pittsburgh who tells us about a piece of video that would appeal to
all train buffs and also about those E8 engines that are restored
by a Mr. Levin.

In August 2002, he tells us, Mr. Levin’s Northern Express pulled
10 vintage passenger cars with his newly restored E8 engines from
Philadelphia via Harrisburg to Sunbury and onward to Emporium,
Erie, Pittsburgh, and back to Driftwood, Pa., where his caravan
hooked up again on the Pennsylvania Railroad back to Philly.

“It was the first passenger train on this route since the late
’60s and was the last one, too,” he writes.

“The tracks from Emporium to St. Marys have since been
demolished. My brother, Tom, and I chased the train along with six
other folks from Sunbury to Erie. The next day, Tom and I picked
it up again as it crossed the Allegheny and followed it to Dusquene
before it pushed off to Driftwood.” he writes.

“From this came a 60-minute video shown on WPSU-TV, ‘Return to
the Past.’ It is an all-inclusive video showing the refurbishing of
the E8s in Philly and then the Northern Express’ great run through
the state,” Mike tells us.

“In the process, we included brief histories of many towns it
passed through, as well as how and why the Pennsylvania RR was
built from Emporium to Erie.

“There is enough history in the video to please any RR fan or
other people who are just interested in history regardless to topic
or level.

“We did this with Mr. Levin’s cooperation; thus a valuable piece
of regional history was documented.

“The last 60 minutes of the tape just features the train as it
rumbled through the state. It is non-narrated, containing just the
sights and sounds of the mighty replica of the past.

“All in all it makes for a mighty nostalgic two hours of viewing
of what was once an important part of our lives.”