Northern Central Railway — Attraction in New Freedom

I was disappointed by the lack of organization. People just sat wherever they wanted to even though you reserve seats when you purchase a ticket. Then they ran out of lunches that were included in the price of the ticket so we didn’t get 2/3 of our lunches. The way the lunches were handed out was that someone comes to the front of the car and has you raise your hand if you got a certain meal. If they had validated everyone’s seat per their ticket and had a list of which seat gets which meal (or marked the meals with the seat #), this would ensure the meals are handed out correctly. They said they will email us vouchers for more train rides, but it’s an hour and a half drive one-way and if it’s going to be like that, I’m not sure we will return. Also, during the ride, the conductor said over the loud speaker that he’s not a fan of Abraham Lincoln because he (the conductor) is a southerner. I think personal comments like this should be kept off the announcements. We made these reservations months in advance and were so excited, just to find other people in our seats, other people moving into seats during the commute, limited bathroom use, ONE bottle of water handed out when they charge you for water at the station and say free water during the ride, a passenger seated next to us with open bleeding wounds who refused bandaids and was touching his blood and licking his fingers and then wouldn’t let me pass to exit the train and said he would fall if I didn’t help him up - where is the staff? Validate the seats, the meals, and make sure everyone gets on/off without issue. It shouldn’t be up to the passengers to deal with this chaos. To add, we never received our vouchers, only a survey email asking us how the trip was, as of...

Four of us did the brewery tour on the train & it was a great night!

While booking the tour, we couldn’t find much information about how it would work or what kind of food would be included, but with a quick call to the office, we had a better idea of how to prepare. They also explained the seating to us, so we were able to pick 2 seats on each side of the aisle across from each other which allowed us to talk easier than 4 in a row.

We checked in at the train station which was decorated for the holidays and contained cute, local merch for purchase. We received souvenir tickets that were punched by the conductor once in our seats.

The volunteers on the train were extremely kind and shared stories about the train’s history. They also left old Time magazines around for you to read from the 1900s which was a nice touch.

Not sure how to review the brewery tour directly as it seemed like a 3rd party, but the guys were super knowledgeable and friendly. We received take-home 4/5 oz glasses to try each beer. They curated 10 holiday craft beers that ranged from IPAs to sours to stouts. They encouraged everyone to at least try a sip of each, and after hearing the detailed backstory of each beer, you had to give it a chance! We liked some more than others but finished each glass anyways.

Half way through the beers, they handed out soft pretzels to everyone that were really tasty and necessary to soak up what we had tried 😂

Our only gripe was the aggressive lighting on the train. If there was softer lighting or even just the Christmas lights on, you may have been able to see more of the buildings and scenery outside at night.

Overall, I highly recommend boarding the train, especially if you’re...

Had an amazing, unexpected time here. My son and I went to walk the trail. We found the train museum open, stopped in to check it out, came across two volunteers working inside, and had the best conversation. During our conversation, this lovely couple told us all about the Santa train ride and directed us next door to find out more. As we walked from one building to the next, the rain was like a monsoon. My son and I were not able to walk the trail, so we decided to take a train ride. I was so unexpectedly surprised at how fun this was. We board the Overland Train (highly recommend), and it was like stepping back in time. Luxurious and spacious, this car was amazing. The conductor/ owner Bill was friendly and very inviting. Santa visited the train car and spent time with each child and family while engaging in conversation and posing for pics! What an experience for children of all ages. The train ride was about an hour and was very relaxing. Ask about the house where Abraham Lincoln stayed! It sits along the tracks. Fun fact: Lincolns funeral train rode along those rails. Anyway, once you arrive at the station, Mrs. Claus has hot chocolate and cookies waiting for you! There was a beautiful train garden that showed the town as it would have looked in the past. Very cool! The price was very, very fair for the experience and what was included. O, did I mention Santa gave the kids a little gift! This is o e you definitely don't want to miss. Be sure to check out the web page for other themed adventures. I hear there is an adult wine and cheese tasting that is coming up in...