Seven years after they first rolled into town, members of a national speeder railcar group seem to agree that the local run is tops.

“This is the one everyone wants to do,” said Eric Thompson of Indiana on Saturday. Thompson stood next to his speeder car parked on rails in front of the Tamaqua depot and said the experience of operating a railcar through the local area is unmatched.

“For one, the rails here are long and continuous. It’s a smooth ride,” he said, referring to what is the original 1831 Little Schuylkill Coal and Navigation Railroad line.

Thompson was one of 100 men and women who piloted their vintage speeders, miniature train cars once responsible for maintaining the railroad right of way and making repairs.

The group left Pittston about 9 a.m. and passed through many local towns. But they chose to stop in White Haven and Tamaqua en route to their Reading destination.

Thompson said the local tour through Tamaqua is a favorite. Many took photos of the town’s restored 1874 train station.

“This is my first time here but this is the best, or one of the most premier. It’s the scenery, the towns and villages, the tunnels and trestles.”

His group, the North American Railcar Operators Association, NORCOA, plans many different routes in other states, but the one in Schuylkill, Luzerne, Carbon and Berks counties is a hit.

“They limit it to 50 cars and it sells fast. This one sold out in 15 minutes. I was just glad to get in and I just made it. I think I was number 45.”

Thompson spoke of his road trip from Indiana to eastern Pennsylvania.

“I drove 700 miles to ride on the rails for 100 miles.”

He said the trip was costly. His vehicle pulled a trailer that carried his speeder, and with the cost of gas running high these days, the road trip was expensive.

The group spent about an hour in the downtown on Saturday.

Dale Freudenberger, president of the Tamaqua Historical Society, was on hand and chatted informally with some of the visitors, providing information about the town, the depot and Tamaqua rail history.

The group returned again on Sunday, taking a Tamaqua break as they traveled from Reading back to Pittston.

Onlookers were curious about the railcars.

“We heard they were coming so we had to see it. But what is this all about,” asked Stacey Murphy, McAdoo.

The NORCOA speeder cars first visited Tamaqua in April 2015, and have returned regularly.

The cars are gas or diesel-powered and were produced from the 1940s to about 1985.

“They replaced the old hand-pumped cars and were more efficient because they were faster,” said Thompson.

Today, they’re privately owned and prized. Owners take pride in their speeders, similar to how vintage automobile owners feel about their antique and classic vehicles.

The drivers and riders delight in seeing the countryside while seated in open air cars.

“We travel about 35 miles an hour,” said Thompson, adding that it’s a nice, relaxed speed to take in the sights and rich history along the way.