Great Pumpkin Train and Other Fall Rides on the Bel-Del Railroad

Autumn is the perfect time for a ride on the ol’ Bel-Del Railroad, as Delaware River Railroad Excursions offers a variety of trips with something for everyone in the family.

With the arrival of October, The Great Pumpkin Train pulls into the station, running every Saturday and Sunday through the month. Ride in vintage rail cars pulled by a real steam locomotive through the beautiful fall landscape of western New Jersey as the train hugs the Delaware River.

Take the Great Pumpkin Train for a scenic ride along the river! The train runs to the pumpkin patch located in a little glade in front of the historic Carpentersville Lime Kilns that date to the 1700s. Everyone is welcome to get off the train there, and every child can pick their own pumpkin for free.

For more family fun, add the Corn Maze – come play the game where getting lost is half the fun! – and a visit to the Ol’ Susquehanna Mine to pan for gemstones.

Also available for your family’s enjoyment is a one-of-a-kind bouncy cow!

For a more grown-up good time, ride the Warren County Winery Train. After a trip down the Bel-Del, you’ll exit the train and board of bus for a short trip through rolling farmlands to Villa Milagro Vineyards in Finesville, NJ.
There, you will learn how grapes are grown and made into wine as you tour the 104-acre grounds, with panoramic views of four counties in two states. Then you will have about one hour to sample their delicious wines and have an opportunity to purchase them at the source. Once that is done, they will let you know when the bus has come back to pick you up and bring you back to the train, so no worries about being left behind!

On the ride back, you are welcome to detrain at the Ol’ Susquehanna Mine free of charge and spend as much time as you like relaxing in the picnic grove, then catch a later train home (trains come every hour and half). If you would like to enjoy your wine with a picnic, bring a lunch and relax at picnic tables in tree groves at the Ol’ Susquehanna Mine/Corn Maze grove or at the station in Phillipsburg where you originally parked.

A special event this month is the Winery Train and House Tour on Saturday, October 15. The train will take you to just north of “Pinchers Point” along the Delaware where you will board a bus on a docent guided tour of three historic properties.  You will receive an informative brochure with plenty of information about the homes. After the tour, the bus heads for Villa Milagro Vineyards for Hors D'oeuvres and wine tasting, then it’s back to the train for your homeward bound trip to Phillipsburg. A box lunch is included.

All Delaware River Railroad Excursions leave from the station just off South Main Street in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. The ticket office is located at 99 Elizabeth Street, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865.

The Delaware River Railroad Excursions are operated by the New York Susquehanna & Western Technical & Historical Society Inc., a non-profit educational organization formed to preserve the history of the Susquehanna, its ancestor corporations and the rich railroading history of New Jersey.