Easter Bunny Train Excursions Report
The Lehigh Valley Railroad Historical Society, in cooperation with the Finger Lakes Scenic Railway, sponsored Easter Bunny train excursions over the former New York Central "Auburn Road" railroad line between Shortsville and Clifton Springs on Saturday, March 26, 2005. Five passenger train excursions were operated from Shortsville to east of Clifton Springs and return over the Finger Lakes Railway using two diesel locomotives and two passenger coaches. Each train ride lasted one hour and was a 10 mile round trip.

A total of 649 paid passengers rode the trains. Three out of the five round trips were sold out. The average paid passenger count per train was 130. Thank you to all the passengers who rode our Easter Bunny train excursions. We appreciate your patronage!Paid ads were placed in the Daily Messenger, the Democrat and Chronicle, the Finger Lakes Times, and the Genesee Valley Pennysaver. Press releases were published in the Courier-Gazette, the Daily Messenger, the Democrat and Chronicle, the Finger Lakes Times, and on various Internet web sites. R News in Rochester aired a news story by the "Getaway Guy" all day on Saturday, March 26.Thanks to Deb Halderman for handling all of the telephone inquiries along with retail and mail order sales. A total of 440 tickets were sold in advance. Tickets were sold by Country Corner in Phelps, Depot 25 Restaurant in Shortsville, Electric Train Co. in Victor, Five Seasons Gifts in Canandaigua, and Petal Pusher Florist in Manchester. Special thanks to these merchants for their help with ticket sales.The Society freight station museum was open to passengers during the excursions. Sales at the gift shop staffed by Deb and Emma Halderman were good. The food concession operated by the Shortsville Fire Dept. did a brisk business before and after each of the five trips. Thanks to George Whittaker for cleaning the station.As always, we received outstanding service and cooperation from the Finger Lakes Scenic Railway train crew comprised of Kevin Buckland, Trainmaster; Dan Smith, Engineer; Bruce Habberfield, Conductor; Bonnie Buckland, Snack Bar; Judy Habberfield, Gift Shop; and Adam Buckland; Easter Bunny. Also, thanks to Sean Miller and Kristin Ward for making the balloon animals for the kids on the train again.

Thank you to all of the Society members who assisted with the excursions in one way or another. Thanks to Joe Dickson, Bev Halderman, and Jack Tuttle for volunteering as parking lot attendants. Thanks to Dave and Roger Halderman for volunteering as boarding assistants. Thanks to Bill Young and Dave Fleenor for volunteering as car hosts. I appreciate the Society’s support of this fund-raising project and look forward to the Finger Lakes Railway Tenth Anniversary trains in July 2005.

Ken May, Excursion Coordinator