Since 1990 the Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern has been an outstanding success story revitalizing both passenger and freight rail transportation in the former anthracite region of eastern Pennsylvania. In recent years it's success has only accelerated with a new passenger terminal north of Reading, a CTC signaling system and a new bridge over the Lehigh River creating a unified main line between Reading and Scranton. While I am no stranger to Reading area railfanning, my priority had been with various Norfolk Southern locations as the big Class 1 was always looking to replace its Reading and Conrail vintage equipment with sterile modern stuff. The R&N on the other hand was actively expanding its use of vintage equipment so giving them time to improve further was in my best interest.
In May of 2020 it was finally time to cash in some of my R&N To Do list so I hooked up with the esteemed Kevin Painter for a driving tour of the R&N main line between North Reading and East Mahanoy Junction with a special stop at the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg, PA. This set will be delivered in two parts, the first covering things south Port Clinton and the second north of Port Clinton. If you can't wait you can browse the full set of photos here ( mirror ).
Just prior to my visit, R&N owner Andy Muller had just completed the purchase of two of NS's company train F units that has been part of the their 2020 equipment fire sale. Still being prepped for service, Andy parked them on the display track at the North Reading passenger terminal, just ahead of 4-6-0 steam locomotive #225, so as to be visible from the road.
The North Reading station is located at the south end of the North Reading yard where traffic is interchanged with NS. Locomotives are typically on hand to facilitate these moves and today there was a pair of end cab switchers,MP15DC #1543 and SW1500 #1548. These locomotives represent the ultimate evolution of the EMD end cab switcher with the difference between the two being mostly different trucks.
The new station features an expanded passenger boarding area along with a reproduction 19th century Reading interlocking tower that houses the station's restroom facilities.
The on duty road power at North Reading consisted of SD40-2's #3058 and #3057.
At the northern end of the North Reading freight yard, a line of road power stood ready to pull assembled trains throughout the R&N's coal region freight network. Leading the pack was R&N GP38-2 #2011 in a fresh reproduction 1970's Reading paint scheme.
Behind #2011 was a trio of SD40-2's comprised of #3054, #3050 and #3055.
The yard crew was assembling that day's freight trains with MP15DC's #1542 and #1543.
Because the R&N is a family affair, crews are still able to practice traditional loose car railroading with kicks and gravity drops to send cars rolling down the yard tracks in the appropriate order.
It's hard today to understand the economic value of the anthracite region from the 19th century up until about 1950. Probably one of the best analogies is that of an oil field without the benefit of a pipeline. Anthracite coal was an exceedingly rare type that would burn with minimal smoke and ash. This made it especially useful in home heating and home heating was useful in industrial communities that could not realistically import enough wood to last the winter. Located about 4 miles north of North Reading over Washington Road, this hand constructed stone arch bridge dating from the 1840's or 50's is one of several still standing along the line between Philadelphia and the coal fields. It was able to not only last 150 years, but also hold up all the weight the late steam Reading and modern heavy carload AAR standard can throw at it. This was literally the SpaceX of its day with rail vehicles that were heavier and faster than anything in human history.
On a long stretch of tangent track two miles north of CP-RICK, the North Reading Yard switching job's headlight is still visible as a young red fox darts across the tracks.
The former Reading main line between North Reading and Hamburg was part of the R&N's second phase of CTC installation to better enable weekend tourist trains. Although these signals are of the modular tri-light variety, they are making use of 1980's vintage Safetran lamp modules and are arranged in the pre-1984 right hand configuration on split masts.
Crossing the river, the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum is, somewhat ironically, located on the former Pennsylvania Railroad Schuylkill Valley branch that used to meander its way up to Hazelton, PA. The first bit of track owned by what is now the Reading and Northern, is now mainly used to store freight cars.
The museum itself contains what is likely the largest collection of Reading owned diesel locomotives anywhere and they are always on the lookout for more. Here we see Reading painted Alco C630 #5308 and FP-7 #900, that used to work for SEPTA on the Reading passenger runs and then in excursion service until the early 2000's.
Reading NW-2 #103 and GP7 #621 are from the 1950's era of drab ivy green paint schemes.
Reading electric MU #9111 was one of 38 1930's vintage that were refurbished in 1965 with modern lighting, air conditioning and a blue and white paint scheme that left them known as "Blueliners". They served until 1990 when most were transferred to tourist operations like the RBMN.
Here is the museum's collection of Reading cabeese.
CSX GP39-2 #4317 is one of the last batch of locomotives delivered to the Reading in the mid-1970's before the Reading was absorbed into Conrail. Assumed to be beyond economic repair due to an administrative oversight, #4317 was set out on a CSX dead track and then transferred to the museum for the nominal fee of $1 in the fall of 2019, despite being in fully working order. Work to protect the car from water ingress is currently under way.
Blueliner #9113 was getting its SEPTA paint job replaced with a Reading green one.
The museum's literal party piece is former Reading business car #15. Purchased by an enthusiast decades before, the car spent its second live on the west coast operating as an Amtrak qualified PV. It's interior preserved in its Reading state, the car was eventually donated to Reading Railroad Heritage Museum by the owner's widow.
The southernmost segment of CTC extends to the brand new CP-MULLER across the river from Hamburg. Current plans are to extend this through the main shop and yard complex in Port Clinton as part of the next CTC expansion phase. An original Reading US&S H style bracket mast was obtained for the southbound signal.
The Reading and Northern is so railfan friendly they made sure to indicate that the yard and shoppe area were open despite COVID restrictions.
The Port Clinton shop facility is co-located with the R&N corporate offices, dispatching center and steam locomotion base. Located at the junction of the former Reading line to Pottsville and the main line to Tamaqua and beyond, it's non-interlocked, power operated switch installed around the year 2000, was a portent of infrastructure improvements to come.
Hanging out at the yard were two rebuilt GP30's, #2534 and #2531.
They were joined by MP15DC #1541 and CSX SD50 #5020 hanging out in the back.
This is getting a bit long so in Part 2 we'll cover passenger equipment in Port Clinton then work our way up to Tamaqua and East Mahanoy Junction.
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