Nostalgia & History > A Sunday "chase" of Reading RW-5

A long time friend and I occasionally spent Sunday mornings along the Reading's Wilmington & Northern Branch following the southbound Reading to Wilmington, Del. through freight    RW-5.  The train did not run on Saturdays but was very reliable on Sundays, leaving Reading around daybreak.  We usually managed to intercept it somewhere north of Coatesville, Pa., get a couple of shots in that section, and continue the "chase" after the train did its setoff and pickup work at Coatesville, site of a large Lukens Steel mill.  The train was usually shorter leaving Coatesville, carrying southbound Lukens traffic destined to interchange with the B&O at Wilmington and other miscellaneous freight for Wilmington including carfloat traffic for chemical plants across the Delaware River in New Jersey.  Sunday, December 28, 1975 was a sunny but cold day with not a trace of snow on the ground.  We got our first shots of RW-5 crossing the Brandywine Creek near Brandamore, Pa., about 7 miles north of Coatesville, then again just north of Coatesville.  The train was powered by a GP30/GP35/GP39-2 set.  It had 59 cars into Coatesville and left with only 27.  The third shot we got that day was passing the old station at Pocopson, Pa. 

Much of the "W&N" is now gone, especially north of Coatesville, but as far as I know the line south of Coatesville is still in service, operated by a short line.

Bob

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The line is intact from a connection to the Amtrak Harrisburg Line and south to the CSX Wilsmere Yard. Also the former PRR line from Chadd's Ford west to Nottingham where it terminates at the Herr's Potato Chip Factory. It is operated by the East Penn RR with sharp looking locomotives!
See - https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,6102119,6102119#msg-6102119
Gonut

Great coverage and shots Bob with only 4 months remaining until the Reading was history.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/25 16:38 by stevelv.

Three well-chosen scenes - First-class photos.
Bob

Great action views of the Reading RW-5.  Thanks for digging those out.

Excellent photos.  I was around there just a few weeks earlier and caught the Grace Mine Run, but never got this job.  Thanks for sharing.