All Aboard! Experience the Woodstown Central Railroad and See the Sights of Gloucester and Salem County

Residing in select locations in Woodstown, Salem County, you will find the Woodstown Central Railroad. Its parent company, SMS Rail Service of Logan Township, annually works in giving scenic train rides across Salem and Gloucester County.

Paul Harland, the director of passenger operations for the railroad and its parent company, is proud of how successful the attraction has blown up in a span of a little over three years. Woodstown Central Railroad consists of several types of events to choose from such as sightseeing and food tours, as well as seasonal events at select portions of the year.

Visitors and trip planners can expect to see interesting locations depending on their visit between two stations. The Woodstown Station, on 67 East Avenue, is surrounded by many historical homes. Some date back to the town’s founding in the mid-18th century.

South Woodstown Station, on 650 Alloway-Woodstown Road, is surrounded by open fields and stretches of wooded areas.

History

Woodstown Central Railroad is built on top of history that dates back generations. Many of the railways used today date as far back as over a century.

Some of the oldest portions of tracks date back to the 1850’s. The state of New Jersey originally proposed to build a line from Camden to Cape May through Salem County with the West Jersey Railroad. Much of this railroad leading into the 20th century became divided among multiple names, such as Salem Railroad, Swedesboro Railroad, and the Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad.

At present, some of these original tracks are now used between Conrail and Southern Railroad of New Jersey. Harland said that the set of tracks Woodstown Central Railroad uses ranges from Woodbury all the way to the Port of Salem in Salem City. However, the attraction uses a short expanse of the rails, going as far north as Swedesboro, and as far south as Mannington.

Even the trains Woodstown Central Railroad uses are also historically significant. A steam locomotive used at select times of the year for events, dates to 1942. According to Harland, its original purpose was in service to the United States Army.

Meanwhile, one of the diesel engines used is a 1953 Baldwin S-12, one of 451 made between 1951 and 1956.

Many of the cars used at Woodstown Central Railroad also have historical significance. Most of the passenger cars date back to the early 20th century, all refurbished, with some being renovated into table cars.

The railroad also has a completely restored caboose that dates back to 1937, with an original interior design. Inside the caboose has the original functioning coal stove that it came with.

There is also an open-air gondola that visitors can sit in to enjoy a wide-open outdoor view. Harland believes that this car was originally built in 1934 to haul slate in north-east Pennsylvania. Harland said this car is extremely popular with customers during fair weather days in the summer and fall months.

One of the oldest cars that Woodstown Central Railroad uses is The Mineral Spring. Originally built in 1927 by the Pullman Company, it was a special deluxe car for first class travel.

As an attraction, this car isn’t owned by the railroad. Harland explains the car being “privately owned,” and that Woodstown Central Railroad is “given permission to use it for private charters.”

Events

Woodstown Central Railroad has a little bit of everything to offer when it comes to events. The attractions held at the railroad range from seasonal to year-round. All events, public and privately rented out, can be enjoyed by all ages, kids and grownups alike.

Most trips are around 75 minutes, with a few exceptions exceeding 90 minutes.

Sightseeing tours consist of the Mannington Limited and the Swedesboro Local. Each tour will take you along the historic Woodstown and Swedesboro line of 1883, or the old railroad for commercial travel in Salem County from 1863. Visitors can expect to travel through farmlands, woodlands, and the waterways of Oldmans Creek.

Other notable sights to see are historic Woodstown, select locations of Swedesboro, and sometimes traveling as far south as Mannington.

There are also cuisine tours that travel the same exact routes. Dining in Motion: A Journey With a Meal, takes visitors through Woodstown and Swedesboro, providing a choice meal of sandwiches, salads, and dips.

The Continental and Charcuterie BYOB take visitors through a railway into Mannington, providing a selection of breakfast options or a vast assortment of meats, cheeses, and baked goods.

A popular experience for adults is the Brew to Brew train experience. Traveling between Swedesboro and Woodstown, beer lovers can experience the tastes of the Swedesboro Brewing Company and Farmers and Bankers Brewing. Each stop lasts 90 minutes.

Seasonal tours are also held at Woodstown Central Railroad. A majority of these events, according to Harland, are held between September and December. However, there are select events that do happen during the Spring and Summer months.

During the month of May, the railroad hosts two events back-to-back. On National Train Day, Woodstown Central Railroad hosts its Scenic Rambler event. Unlike the singular scenic tours previously mentioned, this event consists of the entire rail line, 32 miles in total, lasting around two hours.

On Mother’s Day, the Mother’s Day Brunch service is held. The brunch is similar to the eatery events listed previously.

Summertime opens up a wonderful tour for sweet tooths in the form of the Ice Cream Train. The trip takes visitors around Memorial Lake in Woodstown, providing ice cream or custard to patrons. All treats are provided by Cream Valley Custard who has served the Woodstown community for over 30 years.

According to Harland, the railroad will be hosting a new event this July. Because of America’s 250 anniversary, Woodstown Central Railroad will be having the Bil-Dol Farm Red, White, and Bloom Special.

The tour will consist of a short train ride and a wagon tour of the Bil-Dol Farm (Est. 1931). While at Bil-Dol Farm, visitors will also be allowed to pick flowers, consisting of the colors red, white, and blue.

More details regarding the Bil-Dol Farm Red, White, and Bloom Special may be provided in the coming weeks for this train event. In the future, there may be plans to collaborate with Bil-Dol Farm in the future. However, this is to be decided at a later date.

The fall months become really bustling with events for people to come and experience. Pumpkin Train takes visitors on a short ride out into a small picnic area in Mannington, where visitors of all ages disembark from the train to collect pumpkins, play corn hole, and enjoy fall refreshments.

Ghost Trains depart from the station in late fall, providing nightly tours of spooky countrysides and tales of urban legends courtesy of volunteers from the Salem County Historical Society.

Onlookers can even experience the outdoors with Fall Foliage trains. The entire railroad is completely openfor those wanting to experience the autumn landscapes outdoors. Harland said this tour is best experienced on the open-air gondola.

Come December, Santa Claus also makes his rounds on the railroad. Holiday cheer can be experienced by everyone at this event, with photo ops with jolly Saint Nicholas.

The vintage Reading Caboose is extremely popular to be chartered out this time of the year and is one of Harland’s personal favorite events.

Aside from public events, Woodstown Railroad also allows people to arrange private charters for train rides. Individuals can either rent out an entire car, or the entire train if they wish for private events.

There have been birthdays, corporate events, anniversaries, and even surprise parties. In the future Harland believes that The Mineral Springs car will be outfitted for private parties.

Giving Back

Throughout the entire year, Woodstown Central Railroad is constantly committed to giving back to communities through charitable means. Money is either raised in support for local communities, or sometimes for greater causes that are felt nationwide.

During Veterans Day, the railroad hosts train rides in support of the Rescue 22 Foundation. This organization’s goal is assisting the mental and physical health of veterans with “service-connected disabilities” by providing trained service dogs to their care.

All ticket sales Woodstown Central Railroad collect during Veterans Day are donated to this organization.

 Veterans are invited to participate in train rides and are given a discount to board.

Last September, a first-time event was held to support first responders. Everyone of all ages were welcome to visit South Woodstown Station for everything related to first responders.

All sorts of vehicles were on display, including a special helicopter landing for visitors to watch. Vendors will also be open for visitors to enjoy. Both the steam and diesel trains were going at this event, north and south due to it being extremely busy, and all first responders are eligible to ride the trains for free.

According to Harland, Woodstown Central Railroad expects to host this event again this year because of it being “really successful last year.”

Leading up into December, Operation Toy Train goes into effect to help spread holiday cheer. Operation Toy Train is an organization in collaboration with Toys for Tots in the northeast of the country, where passenger railroads are open up for massive toy collections.

Every Saturday and Sunday leading up to Christmas, trains stop in local communities to pick up toy donations and have short meet and greets with Santa.

Woodstown Central Railroad brings out the 1942 steam engine and a few box cars to make brisk runs between Salem City, Woodstown, and Swedesboro on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

When asked what makes Woodstown Central Railroad a special place for people to visit, Harland explained that it comes down to being close to nature. “It is good to relax and spend good quality time with family and friends, get away from personal electronics, [and to] enjoy the natural beauty of Gloucester and Salem County, at any time of the year.”

By Gerald Philipp