Nostalgia & History > Never to be Repeated

Reading Company EMD GP35 #3628 crosses PA Route 29 as it heads south on the raiulroad's Perkiomen Branch in 1971. The railroad and this crossing are long gone.

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Great look back Dale and an example why many railroads like the Reading struggled financially back then.  A locomotive, 1 revenue freight car, a caboose and most likely a 5 man crew!

But frozen in time.

Cool scene.

Dale,

Is this the crossing just south of Green Lane?

Jon

Awesome local!

No, Collegeville is about 12 miles south of Green Lane, it is only about 5 miles north of Perkiomen Jct.

Posted from iPhone

The Perk local often had many cars back in the day.

RWJ

rantoul Wrote:
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> SPDRGWfan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > But frozen in time.
> >
> > Cool scene.
>
> Here, here.
>
> In defense of Reading, perhaps a last load of
> several loads left at different customers...I have
> no idea, just guessing.

No defense for the Reading on this one as the Branch had been cut as a through route for traffic to/ from Allentown in 1974. This was the only customer at that time on the truncated south end.

Posted from iPhone

Great presence of mind to get this shot! I wonder how many shots like this DIDN'T get taken when the opportunity was still there, all over the country... :^(

Lance/199

Dale:  curious - do you recall if the engine was pushing or pulling? 

With an NP boxcar nonetheless lol.

Very Nice ! Shots on that end of the Perk are rare.Thank You !

Pushing. Can't you hear that little caboose whistle?

This drama is so lost in today's railroading. I love photos like this. Just sets the flavor of the times.

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

RDG630 Wrote:
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> No defense for the Reading on this one as the
> Branch had been cut as a through route for traffic
> to/ from Allentown in 1974. This was the only
> customer at that time on the truncated south end.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Pic is from 1971.

Google street view and satellite show a depressingly different world today.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/19 09:35 by jtbrandt.

Yes, but its a bike trail now! I liked it better as a railroad! That last customer on the south end was Collegeville Flag Company in Collegeville. 
Dale remember when they built that crossing? There was one of those narrow one lane wood bridges over the track. It was so modern to have the overhead flashers and the road widened and smoothed out. It looked like a bright future, but not for long!
Gonut