Rail car hobbyists organize toy-collecting caravan in Westmoreland County

Rail cars outfitted in holiday decor will take a 40-mile railroad trip from East Huntingdon to Hempfield on Saturday seeking donations to make the holidays bright for children in need.

The weather-dependent caravan of 22 rail cars will pass through several communities — including Mt. Pleasant, Scottdale, Tarrs and Youngwood — along the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad line before ending up along North Greengate Road in Hempfield.

All the while, they'll be collecting monetary donations and new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots from residents along the route and passers-by, said John Gonder, a Ruffsdale resident and member of the North American Railcar Operators Association.

“They (donors) can stop us at any railroad crossing,” he said.

It's the first time the association is taking up the collection in Westmoreland County, but past similar trips in other communities have been successful, said Gonder, who is organizing the local event. Members of the hobby group have used the rail line in the past for joyrides in their rail cars, which are small cabs that were once used by railroad companies to inspect and maintain lines.

Rail cars belonging to association members from several neighboring states will converge at the former Sony plant in East Huntingdon on Saturday and wind through the southern portion of Westmoreland County.

The association's Toys for Tots collection trip elsewhere in the state last year inspired Gonder to try a jaunt locally.

“It went over so good and collected so much that I decided to pick up the ball and run with it,” he said.

The toys and cash collected Saturday will benefit children in Westmoreland County.

The trip will depend on the weather, which could include rain and snow showers, according to AccuWeather. All times are approximate.

The caravan will depart the Savage Intermodal Terminal in East Huntingdon at 8 a.m. and pass by Greendance Winery on the way into Mt. Pleasant at 8:20 a.m. The rail line runs along Jacobs Creek and the Westmoreland-Fayette border and will take the caravan into Everson and Scottdale at 10:15 a.m., where the group will head north into Tarrs at 11:15 a.m., Ruffsdale, Hunker and New Stanton.

The rail line runs parallel for a time to Interstate 70 and then alongside Route 119 and the Five Star Trail into Youngwood at 12:45 p.m., where it will stop at the Historical & Railroad Museum on Depot Street. The line crosses over Route 119 near South Greensburg and heads toward Greengate Center where the caravan will make another extended stop at 2 p.m. before heading back south.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-837-5374 or rsignorini@tribweb.com.