Donations making Pottstown Carousel more accessible.
“This generous donation supports our efforts of becoming more accessible to a diverse group of passengers.” Nathaniel Guest, executive director of the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust.
POTTSTOWN >> Two revitalization projects that seem to be perennially joined at the hip are pursuing another common goal — equal access to their attractions.
Both the Carousel at Pottstown and the Colebrookdale Railroad recently announced donations designed to ensure that both attractions are accessible to the handicapped.
Last month, Pottstown Memorial Medical Center made a $10,000 donation to the Carousel at Pottstown to sponsor a specially constructed chariot so those who cannot stay astride a carousel animal can still enjoy the vintage attraction.
Pottstown Memorial Hospital CEO Richard Newell and COO Matt Shelak presented the check to Carousel President George Wausnock and Vide President Bev Reber, during a stop, coincidentally, on the Scotch and Cigar carousel fundraiser, which was held on the Colebrookdale Railroad on July 16.
The railroad, which was constructed just after the Civil War and runs about nine miles between Boyertown and Pottstown, is also taking steps to ensure accessibility.
Recently, the First Presbyterian Church of Pottstown presented a check for $5,000 and the Junior Woman’s Club presented a check for $500 to Nathaniel Guest, executive director of the Colebrookdale Railroad Historic Trust.
The First Presbyterian Church donation was made possible by the Mary N. Porter Designated Fund of the Community Foundation of Broward County, which awarded a grant to the church.
The two donations will help fund the conversion of the railroad’s Café Car to be accessible to persons with mobility concerns.
Coupled with a nearlycompleted ADA-compliant boarding platform, and the construction of a similar platform and station in Pottstown early next year, the improvements to the Café Car, when complete, will make the Colebrookdale Railroad the only ADA-accessible tourist railroad serving both Berks and Montgomery Counties.
“This generous donation supports our efforts of becoming more accessible to a diverse group of passengers,” said Nathaniel Guest, Executive Director of the non-profit Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust.
“This has been a priority for the Trust from the very beginning,” said Guest.
According to Guest the work has only just begun.
“We still have a way to go as the restoration costs for this project are expected to top $150,000,” he said.
“Addressing these barriers will help us to fulfill our vision of making the country’s best tourist railroad from the Golden Age of Railroading an experience to be enjoyed by all persons, regardless of mobility,” he said.
Last year, the Montgomery County Commissioners provided a $500,000 revitalization grant to be split evenly between the two attractions to help the carousel get open and the railroad to boost its restoration efforts.