94 Minutes
Today's
regional railroad, the Reading and Northern, contains much of the
former Reading Railroad, including the line from Reading to Jim Thorpe.
Newly restored 4-8-4 #2102 operates 3 roundtrips, with 18 coach trains
most of the time. This is one of the loudest engines you will ever
hear, so its practically a non-stop run with loud exhaust sounds. The
first trip in this summer season was on July 2, 2022. The line has a
stiff grade in several locations including north of Tamaqua, and we
cover this great region extensively during the 3 different trips. The
August 13th was special as R&N 4-6-2 #425 doubleheads with 2102. It
was to celebrate owner Andy Muller's birthday. The final trip was on
September 3, 2022 and besides trackside views we get a bit of pacing
which is really nice. The line has a lot of features, including
stations, junctions, tunnels, bridges and much more. Northbound the
grades are from Tamaqua to Haucks, and from High Bridge to Hometown. On
the return trip trip its mostly upgrade from Jim Thorpe to Hometown.
2102 is a great looking engine and it puts on a great show on all these
trips. Also included is some history on these 4-8-4's including some
vintage film clips.
