Bunny's News Blog for 2012

On Apr 4, 2012 10:26 AM, “K. C. Smith” wrote:

I want to thank Carolyn, Betsy, Justin, Matt, Andrea and their team for all of their hard work. I know from running trains for us the first 19 years that the job takes over your life for the better part of 6 weeks. Without them we would never have had the chance for the train to be a success, nice job everyone. A special thank you goes out to Carolyn, who went above and beyond to see that the trains were a success.

Thanks,
KC

The Volunteer Railroaders Association has announced the return of their very popular Easter Bunny Train Ride to be held this year on March 31st and April 1st. Ticket prices remain only $9.00 for children under 12 and $13.00 for everyone else. If you purchase your tickets on line at http://easterbunnytrain.com you’ll save 50 cents per ticket.

On the March 31st the trains will depart from the NJ Transit Rt. 23 Transit Center at 9:30 am, 12 noon and 2:30 pm. These trips will run out through scenic Morris County and back. Along the way the trains will pass by the Boonton Restoration yard, where much of the railroad equipment destined for the NJ Transportation Heritage Center is being worked on or stored.

On April 1st the trains are scheduled to depart the NJ Transit Glen Rock Boro Hall station at 9:30 am, 12 noon and 2:30 pm. These trips will run up through Bergen County and beyond. Spring will be in the air as we ride along enjoying the scenes outside the windows and the activities inside the cars.

During the one hour and 30 minute ride the Easter Bunny will hop through the train and visit each child and give them a special gift from his basket. In addition each child can have his or her picture taken with the bunny so they can always remember their ride, so bring your cameras. Also on board will be other cartoon characters to entertain the kids and make for a great day out for all on board. For more information or to order tickets visit http://easterbunnytrain.com/ or call the VRA at 973-238-0555, major credit cards are accepted.

This year’s trips are funding the restor¬ation efforts of the Hamptonburgh NY Caboose Museum and the Middletown and New Jersey Railroad’s GE 44 Ton locomotive #1. Plus the VRA’s continued effort to help preserve NJ’s rich railroad history.

So why not gather up the kids and Grandparents and join the VRA and the Easter Bunny on these fun train rides. You will not only have a great time with your family you will also be helping to preserve history for generations to come to enjoy.

Tickets for these trains usually sell out quickly so don’t delay call or visit them on-line today. The ticket office is located at 80 Royal Avenue, Hawthorne in the train station. Ticket office  hours – see the website. All other times just leave a message and we will call you back.

The Volunteer Railroaders Association is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Volunteer Railroaders Association Inc.
80 Royal Avenue
Hawthorne, NJ 07506-1810
(973) 238-0555
http://www.vratrips.org/

More character pictures

Note: these are past ride pictures and should not be considered a contract between the VRA and future riders as to the actual characters that will be present. Some costumes are rented and therefore are subject to availability. As an individual character’s popularity rises or wanes we reserve the right to substitute characters without notice.

Below are answers to common questions from parents about these Easter Bunny Train Rides that we have encountered over many years. Please contact us directly if your question is not answered here.

Q. How early should I arrive?
A. Allow time to park, walk to the station and locate your assigned car. We strongly suggest you arrive at least 20 minutes early.

Q. What are the ride prices?
A. Tickets are $13 for adults and $9 for children Under 12. Online orders save 50 cents per ticket. Orders of 25 tickets or more received a $1 discount per ticket.

Q. Do you return to the same station where you left from?
A. The rides return to their departure location.

Q. How long is the ride?
A. Ride length is approximately 90 minutes.

Q. Are there restrooms on the train?
A. The train has bathrooms in a number of cars.

Q. Are the cars heated?
A. All cars are fully heated.

Q. Is there a charge for babies riding the train with their older siblings?
A. Infants under 1 not occupying a seat do not need a ticket.

Q. Are all of the rail cars historic?
A. All trains use NJ Transit modern (1990′s-present) equipment.

Q. Are trips cancelled due to weather?
A. Train rides will run rain, snow, sleet or shine. Trains will not run if the Governor of NJ/NY declares a weather state of emergency or the host railroad determines it cannot safely operate the trains.

Easter Bunny train at Radburn – Jack Norris photo

The Volunteer Railroaders Association has announced the return of their very popular Easter Bunny Train Ride to be held this year on April 16th and 17th. Ticket prices remain only $9.00 for children under 12 and $13.00 for everyone else. But if you purchase the tickets on line through http://www.easterbunnytrain.com you will save 50 cents per ticket.

On the April 16th the trains will depart from the NJ Transit Rt. 23 Transit Center at 9:30 am, 12 noon and 2:30 pm. These trips will run out through scenic Morris County and back. Along the way the trains will pass by the Boonton Restoration yard, where much of the railroad equipment destined for the NJ Transportation Heritage Center is being worked on or stored.

On April 17th the trains are scheduled to depart the NJ Transit Glen Rock Boro Hall station at 9:30AM, 12:00 and 2:30PM. These trips will run up through Bergen County and into scenic Rockland County, New York. Spring will be in the air as we ride along enjoying the scenes outside the windows and the activities inside the cars.

During the one hour and 30 minute ride the Easter Bunny will hop through the train and visit each child and give them a special gift from his basket. In addition each child can have his or her picture taken with the bunny so they can always remember their ride, so bring your cameras. Also on board will be other cartoon characters to entertain the kids and make for a great day out for all on board. For more information or to order tickets visit http://easterbunnytrain.com/ or call the VRA at 973-238-0555, major credit cards are accepted.

These trips are being run to help raise funds to help the VRA restore and preserve the historic NYS&W Hawthorne train station. The station has been undergoing a major restoration and rebuild over the last 7 months and is scheduled to be reopened to the public on April 29th. Please visit http://www.vratrips.org/ for more on this project.

So why not gather up the kids and Grandparents and join the VRA and the Easter Bunny on these fun train rides. You will not only have a great time with your family you will also be helping to preserve history for generations to come to enjoy. Tickets for these trains usually sell out quickly so don’t delay call or visit them on-line today. The ticket office is located at 80 Royal Ave., Hawthorne in the train station and is open Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6 to 8 pm and Saturday from 12 to 3 pm all other times just leave a message and they will call you back.

The Volunteer Railroaders Association is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

February 10, 2010
Press Release

The Volunteer Railroaders Association along with the Tri-State Chapter National Railway Historical Society has announced the return of their very popular Easter Bunny Train Ride to be held this year on March 27th and 28th. Ticket prices remain only $9.00 for children under 12 and $13.00 for everyone else. But if you purchase the tickets on line through www.easterbunnytrain.com you will save 50 cents per ticket.

On the March 27th the trains will depart from the Wayne NJ Transit Rt. 23 Transit Center at 9:30 am, 12 noon and 2:30 pm. These trips will run out through scenic Morris County and back. Along the way the trains will pass by the Boonton Restoration yard, where much of the railroad equipment destined for the NJ Transportation Heritage Center is being worked on or stored.

On March 28th the trains will depart the NJ Transit Glen Rock Boro Hall station at 9:30AM, 12:00 and 2:30PM. These trips will run up through Bergen County and into scenic Rockland County, New York. Spring will be in the air as we ride along enjoying the scenes outside the windows and the activities inside the cars.

During the one hour and 30 minute ride the Easter Bunny will hop through the train and visit each child and give them a special gift from his basket. In addition each child can have his or her picture taken with the bunny so they can always remember their ride, so bring your cameras. Also on board will be other cartoon characters to entertain the kids and make for a great day out for all on board. For more information or to order tickets visit them on line at www.easterbunnytrain.com or call the VRA at 973-238-0555, major credit cards are accepted.

These trips are being run to help raise funds for 2 purposes this year. First is to repair and repaint a very historic locomotive owned by the Tri-State Chapter. The engine is an EMD F-3 type locomotive and the goal is to paint it into Lackawanna Railroad colors and possibly use it on future train rides. The other cause is to help the VRA restore and preserve the historic NYS&W Hawthorne train station.

So why not gather up the kids and Grandparents and join the VRA, Tri-State Chapter and the Easter Bunny on these fun train rides. You will not only have a great time with your family you will also be helping to preserve history for generations to come to enjoy. Tickets for these trains usually sell out quickly so don’t delay call or visit them on-line today. The ticket office is located at 80 Royal Ave., Hawthorne in the train station and is open Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6 to 9 pm and Saturday from 12 to 4 pm all other times just leave a message and they will call you back.

The Volunteer Railroaders Association is a federal 501(c3) non-profit organization.