Passenger Trains > Take a ride on the Reading

Last Sunday, June 3, I took myself down to the Reading (PA) Outer Station - a new facility of the Reading and Northern - for a day's outing on RDC's to Jim Thorpe, PA. It was a glorious journey! I had ridden RDC's for thousands of miles on the NYCRR/B&A, B&M, and WP, and miss the experience. They were (and are) wonderful pieces of railroad machinery. So, a chance to catch up with memories.

The Reading and Northern is a class act - this was operated in a thoroughly professional railroading manner but with a very positive consumer attitude. Two RDCs (an RDC-1 and and RDC-3 which had been retrofitted with a snack bar area.) were our train. The R&N has a well-maintained, smooth ride as it twists north out of Reading (Tuckerton in the old days) on Reading tracks -- now mainly CWR tracks -- to East Mahanoy Junction, then on Lehigh Valley tracks into Jim Thorpe (nee Mauch Chunk) ... hope I have those origin railroads right! Our top speed was in the mid-30s which allowed for good viewing of scenery and a pleasant ride.

The RDCs had their characteristic shudder when put into gear and then their rhythmic rumbling when cruising - always loved that about them.

The R&N is now a CTC dispatched line, with control center at Port Clinton. Work is well underway on a new bridge over the Lehigh River at Nesquehoning Junction to allow direct, through freight traffic from Reading to connections with NS and Canadian Pacific creating a direct route to the northeast.

(I also took the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway's 70 minute trip up into the gorge of the Lehigh from Jim Thorpe ... we were using the R&N's ex-LV mainline, with the adjacent Central Railroad of NJ's abandoned ROW now a parallel hiking/biking trail.)

Here are two pictures from the day: 1 of the RDC's waiting to load at Reading Outer Station, one of the quaint town of Jim Thorpe where we had a pleasant layover (and from which the Lehigh Gorge Scenic trips originate), and one video of crossing the 168 foot high Hometown high bridge/trestle.

As a personal side note, I had not been in Jim Thorpe since the mid-1950s (soon after it was renamed) when my family traveled from Rochester Junction to New York on the Black Diamond, the LVRR's premiere train. The last few miles were on the Pennsy into Pennsylvania station, with a GG-1 replacing the PA-1 diesel for that last stretch from Newark Junction (today, Hunter Tower). A memorable trip on a quality train in amazingly scenic country.

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Jim Thorpe looking downright quaint since my last visit 47 years ago.

TJY

Jim Thorpe (Mauch Chunk) among other names it's been called and even named for that matter, has also been known as "the little Switzerland of America." The summer scenery brings out the magnificent beauty of this town set in the middle of some big mountain scenery and classic brick and Guilded/Victorian era architecture. You really get the full affect from the porch of Asa Packer's Mansion (founder of the Lehigh Valley RR, Lehigh University and much more!), and next door at his son Harry's mansion! The town has been through its ups and downs, but has truly enjoyed a Renaissance since the 1990s. Great dining, history, hotels, scenery, and shops. 

What better place to take a train ride too! It was a destination for tourists in the late 19th century, and tries to re-live that same glory today. I would presume the train trip from Reading and Jim Thorpe is quite amazing and they have touted regular service for the summer and two classes of service to enjoy while onboard. These RDCs have been used for other excursion service, but this is a regular! It's too bad SEPTA can no longer bring you from center city Philly to Reading. What a unique connection that could be afforded. Similar to SEPTA running to meet up with the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad at Warminster.