So where do you want to visit on your next vacation? Very few people will mention the state of Delaware as a place to see. It is a small state, but it has so much to see. If you love to ride trains, you will enjoy one of the greatest things about the state of Delaware, at least the greatest according to rail fans.
Welcome to the Wilmington and Western Railroad, Delaware’s only excursion train.
Now some of you are saying, “How cool. There is an actual train in Delaware. It is just too bad that you do not get to see much scenery.”
Ladies and gentlemen, do not underestimate the Wilmington and Western Railroad. Much of this train route runs along Red Clay Creek which the train crosses many times. The journey begins at the old Greenbank Depot where you can buy your tickets and grab a bite to eat or tour the gift shop. If that is not enough, you can go next door and visit the museum housed in the old Yorklyn depot and see a display of Brandywine Park, an amusement park served by the railroad.
Now the train has arrived, and you get on board. The train departs the station. You roll past the old Greenbank Mill, a once working mill that was fed by the waters of Red Clay Creek. You get your first of many glimpses of Red Clay Creek as you roll down the line. You pass by a forest, but it is not a forest but an amusement park, the same amusement park you saw in the museum. You continue along passing by Mt. Cuba with the picnic grove next to the creek. From there, you will cross the creek numerous more times, but then you come upon some ruins of an old mill. You arrive in Hockesin, and you realize that you are in an urban place. From there, you return to the Greenbank Depot the same way you came.
As you can see, the Wilmington and Western Railroad is a special railroad. It takes you away without really taking you away.
The Wilmington and Western Railroad is located at 2201 Newport Gap Pike (Delaware Route 41) in Wilmington, Delaware. It is just north of Delaware Route 2, a ten minute drive from Interstate 95 and a twenty minute drive from the Delaware Memorial Bridge. It is one hour south of Philadelphia, ninety minutes north of Baltimore and two and a half hours north of Washington D.C. Go to www.wwrr.com for more information on their many great excursions. You can also read more on the history of this great railroad.
Come and ride the Wilmington and Western Railroad. It will take you far away, and you do not have to travel far away to get there.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 