22-11-20 PHOTOS: Reading and Northern Searchlights

As the Reading the Northern continues to expand its use of CTC on former Reading and CNJ territory in the eastern PA anthracite coal region I am provided with the increasingly rare opportunity to get photos of new signals that have been recently installed as opposed to those that are on track for removal. Just before Thanksgiving 2022 I undertook a little road trip to document two of the four searchlight signal locations that were installed around 2018 in addition to an interlocking and controlled point I had spotted from the 2102 fantrip earlier in the year. While out on the road I ran into the usual mix of Reading and Northern motive power. You can find the full set of photos here ( mirror ).

On my way up to the Coal Region I stopped off at CP-CANNON on the former PRR Main Line just in time to catch the westbound Amtrak Pennsylvanian Train 43 with P42DC #125 leading and PRR Office Car #7503 on the rear.

I was able to spend the night with my rail buddy Phil who has a collection of vintage electric locomotive documentation.

The first stop the next morning was the Milepost 712 southbound distant signal for the CTC island on the former D&H Main Line to Sunbury near Nescopeck, PA. NS recently purchased the line and re-signaled both interlockings at either end of the passing siding, but the two automatic distants remain D&H era solid state Unilens searchlights.

Next stop was the Reading and Northern Milepost 108 (from Reading Terminal) traditional searchlight distant to HAUCKS interlocking. Located just about a mile north of the famous Hometown Viaduct, this signal marks the current northern extent of the R&N's CTC project between North Reading and Mach Chunk. The 20 mile gap of non-signaled DCS territory will likely be filled in the coming years as it is increasingly used by the railroad's popular excursion services. The road bridge just north of the signal location is popular with railfans photographing the R&N's steam trains.

The milepost 102 intermediate signals are located a few miles south of MAHANOY JCT interlocking that I was able to document on a previous trip . Here, the southbound searchlight mast is displaying a Clear indication for an approaching local freight.

The local consisted of two engines, SD40-2 #3068 and SD38 #2004, hauling 4 cars back to Tamaqua Yard. Never a popular model, #2004 is one of just a handful of non-dash 2 SD38's still in existence.

Driving down to Tamaqua I caught up with #3068 and #2004 in the north yard along with SD's50 #5014 and #5017 along with some cabeese.

Main track Clear signal on the TAMAQUA interlocking bracket mast. Given the time of day that's probably for the North Reading Fast Freight.

Another clear signal at EQUILATERAL interlocking in South Tamaqua. Not sure what the plan was, but despite the equilateral switch, the southbound main track is governed by a dwarf signal only capable of displaying Medium or Limited Clear.

Unfortunately I just missed the NRFF while trying to get to a different photo location. As the sun was setting I stopped by CP-MOHRSVILLE where the southbound mast was displaying Advance Approach for a stop signal at RICK interlocking north of the North Reading Yard.

There is a trip of storage tracks south of CP-MOHRSVILLE and this day there were two strings of coal hoppers along with a ballast regulator. 

Well that's it for the sunlight and for this trip. Next time I'll be back with Thanksgiving Wednesday photos from the Croydon SEPTA station.