The Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Port Clinton, Pennsylvania is the primary rail hub on the Reading & Northern. Home to the diesel and steam locomotive shops & facilities, the R&N headquarters, and more. Port Clinton is also one of the starting points for many of the R&Ns excursion trains with famed 4-6-2 #425 and/or the railroads RDC Diesel Railcars. (Photo by EpaVision Productions) HISTORY OF THE RAILROAD The Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad, commonly shortened to the Reading & Northern, is a Class II Regional Railroad based out of Port Clinton, PA. The railroad started life in 1983 after Conrail began the abandonment process of about 13 miles of Ex-Pennsylvania Railroad trackage from Hamburg, PA to Temple, PA. A few years later after the line was purchased, the Reading and Northern began tourist operations with ex-Gulf Mobile & Northern 4-6-2 #580 (Now Reading & Northern 425), and Ex-Reading Railroad 4-8-4 #2102 over the system. In 1990, the railroad expanded dramatically when it acquired 130 more miles of trackage from the Ex-Reading Railroad from Conrail. The Reading and Northern continued to grow by purchasing more trackage. Today, the railroad now owns about 300 miles of track with interchanges with Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific, Delaware-Lackawanna, and many other railroads. The railroad still runs tourist operations in conjunction with the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway out of the cities of Jim Thorpe, PA and Port Clinton, PA with Reading & Northern 425 as well as some Budd RDC cars. The Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway runs out of Jim Thorpe through a 16 mile stretch of the RBM&Ns mainline to Old Haven Penn Siding. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reading And Northern SD40-2 #3051 hauls a 78 car freight heading to the Reading Yard in Reading, PA. (Photo by Robert Curll) Train Sim World Rendition As the title of this article suggests, I will be proposing the mainline from Reading, PA to Solomons Gap, PA. While I can't find the exact amount of track milage this is, I am going to estimate that it is somewhere around 80 to 100 miles in length. Reading is the home to one of the many transloading facilities the railroad operates. It is also where the railroad interchanges with Norfolk Southern and their massive Reading Yard. About 20 miles north of Reading is Port Clinton, PA. Port Clinton is an important location on the RBM&N. It is the home to the diesel locomotive servicing facility. Where the companies extensive diesel fleet is sent for repairs and servicing (if neeeded). Port Clinton also houses the steam shops. Here, the railroad restores and maintains two historic steam locomotives for their famous tourist operations. Today, 4-6-2 #425 is the only steam locomotive operating on the line today. However, Ex-Reading 4-8-4 #2102 is currently being rebuilt and should hopefully by ready to run in the next couple of years. One of the major Obstacles on the line is Hometown Hill right outside of Hometown, PA. (I am not exactly sure of the grade percentage. There isn't much info on Hometown) From Port Clinton, you travel about 30 miles, the line will end up in Jim Thorpe, PA. The starting point for many of the railroads excursion trains with the Lehigh Valley Scenic Railroad, 425, and others. After Jim Thorpe, the train passes through Old Penn Haven Siding. The end of the line on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway excursions. Then the train would pass through the majestic Lehigh Gorge until the end of the line (on the proposed route) at Solomons Gap, PA. Solomons gap has a small yard with, what looks like, a small transloading facility. (Based off of Google Maps aeriel photos). A pair of the Reading & Northerns RDC cars is seen smoking up the Nesquehoning Tunnel. This tunnel is one of the many highlights on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic's longer excursion trains. (Photo by Eric Freas) PROPOSED LOCOMOTIVES & ROLLING STOCK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (LOCOMOTIVES) The RBM&N has an extensive locomotive roster, but only so much can be made for a DLC. So here are the locomotives I propose: Reading & Northern 4-6-2 Pacific #425 The Reading And Northern's beautiful, blue pacific type locomotive was constructed in 1928 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, PA. the 425 began life on the Gulf Mobile & Northern railroad until the GM&N was absorbed into the Gulf Mobile & Ohio in 1940. The locomotive was moved to the GM&Os roster as locomotive #580 and continued to pull trains until 1950, when she was retired from the GM&O. After changing hands several times, the locomotive eventually wound up at the then newly formed Reading & Northern railroad in 1983. Since then, the locomotive has been one of the star attractions of the Reading & Northerns excursion trains often running beside Reading Company #2102. Since 1983, the locomotive has recieved numerous cosmetic changes and undergone several rebuilds. It's most recent repaint was in 2015 when the locomotive was painted in a darker shade of blue. Reading & Northern RDC Cars 9166, 9168 The Reading & Northerns RDC cars are another popular attraction during the excursion seasons. Car 9166 was built by the Budd Company for the Boston and Maine in 1958 and serves as a snack bar when in operation. Car 9168 was also built Built by Budd Company in 1951 for the New York Central and serves as a normal coach car in the set of two. Reading & Northern EMD SD40-2 Locomotive The SD40-2 is one of the most successful diesel locomotives that EMD has ever built. Introduced in 1972, the SD40-2 produces 3,000 horsepower and is still frequently seen on many railroads and museums all across america. The Reading and Northern is no exception. The RBM&N owns 9 SD40-2 locomotives (Engines 3050-3058) plus an ex-Union Pacific SD40-2 awaiting refurbishment. A repaint of the current CSX SD40-2 from CSX Heavy Haul could be quite simple. Reading & Northern EMD GP39RN The GP39RN locomotive is, from what I understand, actually a GP30 locomotive, just with a different name (I could be completely incorrect on this (If you know any info on the GP39RN, please comment below)). The Reading And Northern owns 5 of these locomotives (engines 2530-2535) and they are used on both freight service and occasionally on excursion service. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROLLING STOCK (PASSENGER) The railroad has a massive collection of passenger cars for the frequent excursion runs they operate. One of the more common cars on the line are Ex-DL&W commuter coaches asa well as a baggage usually taking up the front of the train. However, the railroad also runs special Business cars and dome cars on certrain runs. For the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway, they'll usually operate open air passenger cars and Ex-CNJ Coaches. The Lehigh Gorge route also restored two open air gondola cars for special excursions such as the bike train. (To see the full passenger car roster, click here) (To see the full business car roster, click here) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROLLING STOCK (FREIGHT) The Reading & Northern's main cargo is Anthracite (another name for hard coal). So the RBMN has an extensive roster of coal hoppers to carry the Anthracite to different industries. However, the railroad also operate normal freight trains to other local industries, so the R&N also made other types of freight cars for other trains. However, besides their own freight car roster, other different types of freight cars are brought across the line daily. (To see the full rolling stock roster, click here) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lehigh Gorge Scenic's SD50 #426 is seen at Jim Thorpe, PA at the point of an excursion train. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FINAL CONCLUSION In 2015, the Railway Age Magazine proudly called the Reading and Northern the "Regional railroad of the year", And for good reason too. The railroad runs a remarkable business while keeping it's heritage living and breathing. Whether watching the world through an open air car, navigating a sold out excursion with one of the loudest, most beautiful steam locomotives in the world through the beautiful Lehigh Gorge, or pulling a heavy coal drag up hometown hill, this railroad has a lot to offer operationally speaking. Not to mention the spectacular scenery across the system. And all of this would look amazing through the power of TSWs UE4. Which is why The Reading and Northern railroad would be an amazing fit for Train Sim World. To learn more about the Reading and Northern, visit: http://www.rbmnrr.com
