A shrill whistle sounded as the Harvest Moon Special chugged through the Kempton countryside on Saturday, Oct. 4. Riders filled a row of coach cars, with others braving the chilly fall air in an open car to better enjoy the 45-minute, moonlit ride. Live Dixieland music, along with hot drinks and cookies, rounded out the night event.
The Harvest Moon Special is an annual event held at the Wanamaker, Kempton and Southern Railroad, known also as the WK&S or the Hawk Mountain Line, which pulls out of a vintage depot at 42 Community Center Drive, Kempton. The charming rural station takes visitors back to the days when trains were the central transport used across the nation. A quaint row of structures, housing a ticket booth and gift shop, were decked out in fall finery as crowds gathered for the evening ride.
One volunteer lit candles in the mason-jar decor lining the walkways of the station as the sun set. Soon, the red diesel engine came down the track to connect to the string of railway coaches waiting for riders. Some guests stood by to watch as the engine coupled to the front car, then passengers began loading up.
Keeping the crowd occupied were the sounds of the Dixieland Five. Banjo-player Ken Clauser noted the group is always a part of this fall event. “This is our 38th year playing on the Harvest Moon Special,” he confirmed. They play songs including “Shine On, Harvest Moon” and “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” all with a Dixieland twist. Other members of the group are Roger Tice (banjo), Bob Peruzzi (trombone), Burt Swayze (clarinet) and Charles Drum (sousaphone).
Some passengers opted to sit in the vintage coaches, complete with light-blue, plush seats. Children were amazed when shown the option of switching the seatback location, making it possible to reverse which direction a rider raced. Overhead racks held the occasional old-school suitcase; the floors were a cheery checked pattern.
Other passengers sat on back-to-back benches lined down the center of an open car. Here, they felt the sudden dip in temperatures but enjoyed plenty of fresh air and a wide-open view of the surrounding fall landscape. As all settled into their seats, a conductor made his way up and down the cars, solemnly punching tickets.
Dusk was setting, the music was swinging and the coaches were packed to capacity when the train pulled out. Cool breezes prevailed but the moon was shining brightly and the skies were clear overhead as the train wound through several miles of countryside. As the train passed homes, locals stood in their yards around bonfires and waved to the passengers. In woody sections, fall leaves fluttered into the open car.
People chatted with family and new-found friends as the ride progressed to the end of the WK&S tracks. Then, the engine backed everyone up a short distance before unhooking from one end of the cars, passing on a parallel track, then recoupling and pulling the train back to the station.
On returning to the candle-lit station, passengers disembarked to more Dixieland sounds and enjoyed hot coffee, cocoa and cider along with cookies and salty snacks. The crowd lingered, enjoying the treat and thanking the volunteers for making the fun event possible. The WK&S is fully managed and operated by these volunteers.
The Harvest Moon Special has ended for 2014, but the WK&S has a full schedule through the year. Join them for Fall Foliage Excursions (Oct. 12 & 19 and Nov. 2), a Halloween Spooktacular (Oct. 17 & 18), the Pumpkin Patch Train (Oct. 25 & 26), Story Time with Mrs. Claus (Dec. 5) or the Santa Claus Special (Dec. 6 & 7). For details on all these rides, to join the volunteer corps of the Hawk Mountain Line or to learn about its history dating back to 1870, call 610-756-6469 or click: kemptontrain.com.
