WK&S Memorabilia
The WK&S has been cranking out brochures, flyers, guides, newsletters, gift shop souvenirs and other memorabilia for more than half a century. Cataloging and dating it all is probably impossible and well beyond my own ambition. What you see here is just a small random sampling. If you have something you'd like to share, send me a picture and I'll include it here.
Most of the images on this page are thumbnails. Click the image for a larger picture.
Brochures
Below are some select examples of WK&S brochures. I've only included those brochures that represent a significant layout change from the previous year. I am missing brochures from 1968 and 1970. The 1968 brochure probably looks a lot like the 1967 shown below. There may not be a 1970 brochure. If you think you have one of these, please contact me.
Here's the first brochure from 1963. Note the picture of the first train. That's about all the equipment the railroad owned in early 1963.
Big four-panel brochure for 1964.
Small single-panel brochure for 1966.
Two-panel brochure introduced for 1967.
Money was tight. This small one-color single-panel brochure from 1971 is indicative of the railroad's recent financial reorganization. The WK&S did not operate through 1969 and the first half of 1970. There may not have been a brochure in 1970.
Back to a two-panel brochure for 1973.
And up to three for 1974. The three-panel layout lasted many years. The color of the paper and ink usually changed from one year to the next.
The 1987 brochure introduced a different graphical design, but was still a one-color three-panel layout.
Down to a two-panel for 1991.
2000 marked the first full-color brochure.
An updated graphics design for 2004.
2012 saw the first four-panel brochure since 1965.
Beginning in 2014 the large color brochures were replaced with simple one-color two-sided cards. The switch was for financial reasons as well as a shift toward advertising on social media outlets such as Facebook.
Flyers
Here again there have been hundreds of different flyers produced over the years. A small random sampling is shown below.
Flyer for a 1966 Moonlight Run and Square Dance.
Double-headed steam over the newly opened North Albany track. "First run in 30 years over abandoned Reading line" was quite an exaggeration.
A 1987 flyer for the Santa Claus Special. This annual event began in 1983.
A WK&S car show flyer from 1988.
1989 flyer for the first annual Harvest Moon Special.
A small two-sided special events flyer from 1993 and a 30th Anniversary flyer.
A Dinner Train flyer from 1994.
A Harvest Moon flyer from 1995. This was the first year the train was run on both a Friday and Saturday.
1997 Santa Claus Special.
Santa Claus Special from 2000.
A two-sided group and charter rate flyer from 2003.
2007 Train Heist.
2008 Santa Claus Special.
2010 Harvest Moon.
2016 Farm Tour.
Select pages from the 2016 Farm Tour guide booklet.
2016 Orchard Stop.
2016 Bow Wow Express.
Passenger Guides
Map from around 1964.
Passenger guide from around 1989.
Passenger guide from around 1998.
WK&S "All Aboard" Newsletter
April 1965 saw the first issue of a WK&S public newsletter called "All Aboard!". The newsletter appears to have been distributed for free at the railroad or could be received by mail for a small fee. The one-page newsletter included topics on WK&S facts and current and upcoming events as well as general offbeat railroad stories. The backside often included a generic history of the WK&S and the surrounding area. The newsletter was published on a monthly basis during the operating season (about seven issues per year). But by 1968 it was only a quarterly publication. And by 1971 it may have only been an annual publication. The last issue I have is from 1973. My collection of All Aboard! is far from complete. But since I don't know how many issues were printed I can't say which ones I'm missing. So I've listed the ones I do have. Please contact me if you happen to have a newsletter not on the list.
1963 Early Bird Newsletter (pre All Aboard)
1965 April
1965 May
1966 June
1967 May
1967 June
1967 August
1967 September
1967 November
1968 Spring
1968 Summer
1970 June**
1970 September-October
1971**
1972**
1973**
**Undated. Date assumed based on content. See below.
Here's an August 1963 newsletter that predates the "All Aboard!" moniker. The backside history is typical of what was subsequently printed on the back of most all newsletters.
First issue of All Aboard! from April 1965.
1966 newsletter.
1967 newsletter announcing the new Museum Train.
1968 newsletter noting many special events.
1970 newsletter. The WK&S was back in business!
1971 newsletter. Looks to have been an annual undated publication from here on out.
1972 newsletter.
1973 newsletter. This may have been the last issue of All Aboard!
Souvenirs
The WK&S gift shop has been in operation for more than half a century. Below is just a small sample of what has been sold. Again, it's probably impossible to catalog every souvenir that ever passed through the doors. But if you have a WK&S souvenir you'd like to share, send me a picture and I'll include it here.
A giant matchbook, ruler and pennant.
Refrigerator magnets, drink coasters and a puzzle.
A coaster, cup and change holders.
Stickers, magnets, buttons, a pin and a keychain.
This novelty record was once available in the gift shop. It first appeared around 1965. Click to read the record jacket.
Postcard images.
Postcard images.
Postcard images.
Postcard images.
Postcard images.
Some O-scale Weaver freight cars custom decorated for the WK&S.
More Stuff
Ticket from the 1960s. Tickets were elaborate with lots of tongue in cheek humor. The backside included a generic history that appeared on several other WK&S publications of the time.
Ticket coupons. The yellow one is from 1975. The blue one may be from the early 1980s. Also shown is an order form for a commemorative bicentennial ticket. I don't have an example of the ticket itself.
Child and adult tickets from the 1980s.
Assortment of special event tickets.
The WK&S ran a photo contest in 1966. Here's an entry form and subsequent magazine clipping.
A Berks County 250th anniversary event from 2002. The WK&S provided shuttle trains between the Kempton Community Center and Trexler.
Car show dash plaques.
10" x 14" poster from perhaps 1971. The poster depicts #250 even though the locomotive had not run since 1968 and would not run again at the WK&S.
First WK&S website 2000-2001.
Third WK&S website 2009-2012.
Fourth WK&S website 2013-2015.
--EXTERNAL LINK-- Fifth and current WK&S website 2016-????.