By Martha Steger
special correspondent

I came of age at a time when the horn of a diesel locomotive was replacing the whistle of a steam engine.  The horn could never replace that whistle – the symbol for my wanderlust – in my own mind. Whenever I heard it from across the large fields of my parents’ or grandparents’ farms, I wanted to go wherever that train would take me.  The burst of steam rising from the steam locomotive and folding back over the length of the train made it all the more romantic as it disappeared down the track.

The sight of steam and the sound of the whistle are more magical now than a half-century ago because of their rarity.  Delaware’s Wilmington and Western Railroad, owned by the nonprofit Historic Red Clay Valley Inc., makes weekend passenger excursions and special, themed trains on 10 miles of track between its station at Greenbank and the end of the line at Hockessin.  The WWRR makes some of its passenger-runs extra special with its No. 98 steam locomotive that turned 100 years old this year.  It’s the only locomotive of its type in regular operation east of the Mississippi River. 

My husband and I recently left Richmond on a comfortable, four-hour trip to Wilmington via Amtrak, stayed overnight at historic Hotel du Pont (where the elegance is very much in keeping with the heyday of steam) and headed on Sunday for the Wilmington and Western Railroad’s Greenbank station. 

We strolled through the coaches, reading the history of each one on inscribed plaques, before leaving the station.  The hand-woven, caned seats for passengers show that no detail was spared during renovation and refurbishment. Lots of families with young children were on our steam-powered Father’s Day trip, and onlookers waved from the rail-yard as we left, with No. 98 getting us up to 9-10 mph. 

Ticket agents in foreground Alyce vickers, left, and Irene Lipka, and the general public wave good by as the train pulls away. - Photo by Mike Closek

As we passed through the Delaware National Golf Club with fairways on either side, the conductor told passengers to “open all windows to allow wayward golf balls to pass through.”  The terrain became rougher as we approached a large rock-cut (tunnel without a roof) blasted in 1871-72, when workers with picks and axes also helped make way for train tracks.

A red, covered bridge came up next on our right.  We passed a wheat field – hay material yet to be harvested and symbolic of the area’s entire, fertile countryside where the railroad of the 1860s facilitated agricultural as well as industrial development. The heritage here includes the 1782 gristmill upgraded by Oliver Evans, whose patent for an automated mill process was signed by President George Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. 
As we approached the site of the Mt. Cuba estate with its Mt. Cuba Center, we decided we would visit it the next day—650 acres dedicated to the study, conservation and preservation of plants native to the Piedmont Appalachian Region.  Our train was probably too packed with its noisy crowd to see the wildlife that the railroad’s volunteers told us they’d seen – foxes, deer, groundhogs and birds ranging from red-tailed hawks to the occasional kingfisher and crane.

With the exception of four paid employees, the train runs entirely on the efforts of approximately 350 volunteers, who give thousands of hours each year to the WWRR. A core of about 85 people is trained and comprehensively tested in vital skills to keep the trains running.  I learned that engineer Ronald Bailey, a federally certified engineer who volunteers his time, lives in Lancaster, Pa.  He and his fireman from Baltimore left home at 5 that morning to begin shoveling coal at 6 a.m. – Virginia coal from Pocahontas, he explained, because it’s cleaner, more environmentally friendly, even though it’s almost twice as expensive as the coal the railroad was using until it made the switch last year.

Train leaves the station for its next destination. - Photo by Mike Closek

“The biggest challenge with the No. 98 is age.  It takes a while to get it going,” Bailey says.  He’s been involved with the WWRR since 1991.  Having become fascinated with steam trains as a child, he rose through the volunteer ranks as a train attendant, then a brakeman learning how to switch cars.

Our Sunday afternoon ride concluded with a bit of excitement as two cars derailed at a crossing within a half-mile of the Greenbank station.  At a speed of less than10 mph, no one was hurt, though all safety measures were taken in evacuating the 150 passengers. Traffic backed up on both sides of the crossing; state police showed up, and media covered the event, which was the first derailment of the railroad in 15 years

“It’s ironic,” said Bailey, “that the diesel engine (at the rear of the train to pull us back to Greenbank) is the one that derailed.”

Hail to steam!

The Old 98 runs on specific dates (July 4, 26 and Aug. 16, plus 12 trips in October), with all details for purchasing tickets on the Web site: http://www.wwrr.com

To See the Area When You Go…

The new (July 1) Brandywine Treasures promotion provides one-time general admission to nine area sites for a flat rate of $35 for individuals or $75 for a family (2 adults and up to 3 children). The offer represents a savings of $48 for individuals and up to $197 for a family of five off single admission rates for each institution.  The promotion includes an admission passport, a special Brandywine Treasure Trail map for children, and prize incentives for those who visit all nine sites during the summer.  Passports are valid July 6 – Aug. 31. For more details on the Brandywine Museums & Gardens Alliance and full details on the Brandywine Treasure Trail promotion, visit http://www.brandywinetreasures.org .

Visitors can also enjoy special hotel discounts at the Hotel du Pont and the Hilton Wilmington/Christiana, which will both offer a Brandywine Treasures package including overnight accommodations, breakfast and the passport ticket.  For details on rates and availability, visit http://www.hoteldupont.com or http://www.hiltonestate.com.