Westmoreland railcar enthusiasts to help Toys for Tots

Railcar owners will soon embark on a 40-mile trip through several Westmoreland County communities to benefit Toys for Tots.

The journey along the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad will depart the Savage Intermodal Terminal in East Huntingdon at 8 a.m. Nov. 18 and arrive in Youngwood at approximately 11:45 a.m. before heading back.

Last year's inaugural trip was a success, said organizer John Gonder, who hopes for a bigger community response this year. Last November, 19 self-propelled railroad inspection vehicles participated in the excursion organized by the North American Railcars Owners Association.

Participants make stops along the route, where people in the communities wait along the tracks to hand over new, unwrapped toys and donations for Toys for Tots, which will benefit children in Westmoreland County. Last year, the group collected enough toys to fill two pickup trucks and raised nearly $2,000, Gonder said.

After leaving East Huntingdon, the caravan will pass by Greendance Winery on the way into Mt. Pleasant. The rail line runs along Jacobs Creek and the Westmoreland-Fayette border and will take the caravan into Everson and Scottdale around 10 a.m. The group will head north into Tarrs around 11 a.m. and then through 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, which organizers plan to reach around 11:45 p.m. for a 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 1:30 p.m. before heading back south.

Railcars are small cabs that were once used by railroad companies to inspect and maintain lines.

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