A caboose for Christmas in Peters Township
Folks who walk, jog or bike on the Montour Trail may have difficulty envisioning its previous life as a railroad right of way.
Harry Funk / The Almanac
Those who attended a Dec. 8 event near a Peters Township portion of the trail were able to get a clearer picture.
The first Santa’s Train Off the Trail event, sponsored by T.A. Robinson Asphalt Paving Inc. and Bowers School House Preschool & Learning Center, featured Mr. and Mrs. Claus greeting youngsters and their families in the type of conveyance that once rolled along the since-removed tracks.
Tom Robinson’s restored Norfolk Southern Railway caboose, which was in service from 1944 through 1969, served as a distinctive location for the annual tradition of kids telling Santa what they want for Christmas.
To help keep everyone warm while they waited, a 1985 trolley car straight from Kennywood Park, also restored by Robinson, was open with the heater going to counter the temperatures in the 20s outside.
The event took place at his outdoor storage facility off Valley Brook Road, where passersby can take a look at the vintage signs and other memorabilia he has collected and refurbished.
Bowers School House Preschool & Learning Center represents one of his larger-scale restoration projects.
The old Bower Hill School, built in the early 20th century, had fallen into disrepair and effectively ready for demolition until Robinson purchased it from Peters Township in 2016. A renovation and addition allowed for the opening of the learning center – owned and operated by Mary Robinson, his daughter-in-law – in September.
He also undertook restoration of the former Thompsonville School on Camp Lane, now Arlecchino Ristorante.
Harry Funk / The Almanac