Steam & Excursion > R&N 425 Excursion Report

Saturday 10/12 I rode the Reading and Northern 425 excursion from Reading, PA to Jim Thorpe PA. 120 mile round trip.  This is a throwback to the excursions of a generation ago.  Almost perfect.  Steam, open windows, (sorry no dutch doors),and all matched consist , dome and open platform observation to bring up the rear.,  The only negative was an SD50 diesel behind the 425.  That was needed since the train was 13 cars and there are some grades. Peraps a certain Reading T1 engine will not require diesel help.    A small downside is no concession car, but that keeps people from moving about the train.

I boarded at Reading Outer Station or North Reading on the R&N.  R&N is just now developing this station.  We traveled to Port Clinton where 2 coaches of passengers boarded.  Conductor said the train was sold out about, 650 people to spend money in Jim Thorpe. That was just our train. 

R&N had 4 distinct passenger trains in Jim Thorpe that day.  Our excursion, the RDC train from Pottsville, the Lehigh Scenic Gorge train, and the Hometown Bridge train.  They were all sold out. They even added an extra Gorge train later in the day. The Gorge and Bridge trains travel different routes and are 45 minutes out and back from Jim Thorpe.  They use former Reading Company coaches.  Our train used former DL&W MU trailers.  They are extremely well maintained with chemical toilets on board.

I was extremely impressed how the dispatcher handled so many train movements in and out of the station.  There were extrra movements required for our train to turn the observation car and reposition the baggage car. (power car).  The train itself does not turn, but seats flip over on the old MUs.   The train ran on time.  We had 3 hours in Jim Thorpe, time enought to ride a Gorge train if you could get a ticket.   Plenty of food trucks in the station area which was mobbed.  There was some narration during the trip. Enough to inform but not so much as to be annoying. 

I spent my 3 hours watching all the train moves in Jim Thorpe.  The servicing and turntable is roughly a mile from the station, town area. 



Photos
1 R&N 425 in Jim Thorpe
2. My view from the 4th car in the train.  I wanted coach 1 or 2 but they were reserved for Port Clinton passengers

Video...My experience on the excursion.    The way it used to be (mostly)


To be continued








 

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More Photos,

3.  RDC Train came from Pottsville
4.  Observation car
5. Dome car
 

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6.  SD50 helper
7.  GP39RN   Power for Lehigh Gorge Train
8.  The way we like to ride our excursions

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"Thanks for filming"

9. 425 at the end of the run
10. Reading Outer Station
11. R&N built this new

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NICE! I was there too and was actually in the same coach as you. We also must have been standing right next to each other for the video you took of the RDC's passing the 425 in Jim Thorpe. I have the exact same video from the same location. It was a really great excursion and I agree that it reminded me of excursions I took 30 years ago. If you haven't ridden this trip I highly recommend you do so! Also, it wasn't just the coaches that were well maintained. From what I could see the RBM&N takes very good care of everything about their railroad. You can tell they really take pride in their operation. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/19 14:54 by BKLJ611.

Ah yes, the farewell to Jim Thorpe trip! Very nice, that Pacific is a thing of beauty!

Out
 

callum_out Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ah yes, the farewell to Jim Thorpe trip! Very
> nice, that Pacific is a thing of beauty!
>
> Out
>  

Why do you say this the "farewell to Jim Thorpe trip?"  The 425 will be running to Jim Thorpe Oct 19 & 20.  Excursions with diesel locomotives and RDCs will continue through November.

Excellent Report!  Good descriptive story,  nice photos and a very enjoyable video.  Thanks for posting.

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> callum_out Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Ah yes, the farewell to Jim Thorpe trip! Very
> > nice, that Pacific is a thing of beauty!
> >
> > Out
> >  
>
> Why do you say this the "farewell to Jim Thorpe
> trip?"  The 425 will be running to Jim Thorpe Oct
> 19 & 20.  Excursions with diesel locomotives and
> RDCs will continue through November.
 
I'm pretty sure he said that because the wacko greedy Politico's running Jim Thorpe have decided to level a "amusement tax" on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway and the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern to the point where the Railroad entities involved just decided that the cost and BS is too much and announced they will no longer run trains out of Jim Thorpe in the future.  Search TO and you'll find a few recent threads about this.

Thanks for posting, good to see something besides another 4014 report: "I seen it, I seen it, I really did see it! And it was sooooo big!

In picture #4 of the observation car porch, the gentleman on the left is Andy Muller, owner if the RBMN. So he was a passenger that day; he has been known to operate the locomotives on some excursions.

stevelv Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RuleG Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > callum_out Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Ah yes, the farewell to Jim Thorpe trip! Very
> > > nice, that Pacific is a thing of beauty!
> > >
> > > Out
> > >  
> >
> > Why do you say this the "farewell to Jim Thorpe
> > trip?"  The 425 will be running to Jim Thorpe
> Oct
> > 19 & 20.  Excursions with diesel locomotives
> and
> > RDCs will continue through November.
>  
> I'm pretty sure he said that because the wacko
> greedy Politico's running Jim Thorpe have decided
> to level a "amusement tax" on the Lehigh Gorge
> Scenic Railway and the Reading Blue Mountain and
> Northern to the point where the Railroad entities
> involved just decided that the cost and BS is too
> much and announced they will no longer run trains
> out of Jim Thorpe in the future.  Search TO and
> you'll find a few recent threads about this.

From what I got from the anouncement is that there'll still be train running TO Jim Thorpe. LGSR is just going to stop issuing tickets from Jim Thorpe.

That's in the last paragraph of the letter though all Thorpe will be is a runaround point, that could be anywhere.

Out

Tominde Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Saturday 10/12 I rode the Reading and Northern 425
> excursion from Reading, PA to Jim Thorpe PA. 120
> mile round trip.  This is a throwback to the
> excursions of a generation ago.  Almost
> perfect.  Steam, open windows, (sorry no dutch
> doors),and all matched consist , dome and open
> platform observation to bring up the rear.,  The
> only negative was an SD50 diesel behind the 425. 
> That was needed since the train was 13 cars and
> there are some grades. Peraps a certain Reading T1
> engine will not require diesel help.    A small
> downside is no concession car, but that keeps
> people from moving about the train.
>
The modest fares are also a throwback - $69 coach fares on a 120-mile round trip. 

Nice photos and video.  Thanks for sharing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/19 19:23 by RuleG.

Real nice job documenting your trip.  I really enjoyed the video.  My wife and I are usually in Jim Thorpe and the Lehigh Gorge this first or second weekend in October to celebrate our anniversary.  The train rides are always a popular thing and the dispatcher and crews do a great job moving the different trains in and out of town!  Two photos from October 2017.

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Great video!

Great engine !  Great whistle !

We were told that the whistle was a home made 3 chime.  I don't know if it was patterned off of a specific whistle.

That is a lot of traffic on those trains. and a lot of trains thier. A lot of tourist money that will not be back either. Leave it to politicians to tr to make a penny and loose two bucks.