Me and the WK&S
Please Note: This is not the official WK&S web site. For information on tickets, schedules, directions and charters, go to the official WK&S web site at... www.kemptontrain.com
The Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern is a small tourist steam railroad located in the northern tip of Berks County Pennsylvania. I've been riding the WK&S ever since I can remember. My family had been riding before I was born. As a child, I would ride the line as many times as I could talk my parents or grandparents into taking me. As an adult, I began volunteering at the WK&S back in 1990 and have been at it ever since. I've worked my way through all the crew positions including Brakeman, Conductor, Fireman and Engineer. Although small, the WK&S is largely unmatched in terms of authenticity and scenic diversity.
A typical WK&S consist includes locomotive #65, two coaches, the open car and a caboose. The above photo shows the train preparing to depart Wanamaker for the southbound return trip to Kempton.
Consider that the WK&S is fully a volunteer operation. There are no paid employees. There are no grants or other public funding. This operation is made possible through ticket, gift shop and food sales as well as the hard work of one of the most talented and dedicated group of people you'll find.
The information on this web site is gathered from my personal experiences at the WK&S as well as experiences from others who have worked at or rode the WK&S. Story and photo contributions are welcome. If you know something about the WK&S that you don't see here, I'd love to hear from you. I've done my best to ensure the accuracy of information on these pages, but I am far from a historian and haven't done any hardcore research to confirm all my facts.
Me running WK&S #7258 (that's a company radio, not a cell phone 
).
Me during my young brakeman days standing with my grandparents.
My tolerant wife agreed to marry me aboard a caboose! This was the Friday before the 1997 Santa trains. It was cold!