Introduction: The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railway, or RBMN, began operating in September 1983 as the Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad. It operated a 13 mile short line between Harrisburg and Temple PA (RBMN Railroad). The line purchased 150 miles of branch line track that Conrail was looking to sell in 1990, which expanded the lines reach into the Anthracite coal regions. Then, the BM&R was renamed the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad and operations began on the newly acquired track on December 15, 1990 (RBMN Railroad). Over the years, the RBMN continued to buy more track from Conrail and Conrail looked for ways to rid themselves of track the did not fit in there core system (RBMN Railroad). Nowadays the line spans about 400 miles from Reading PA to Mehoopany PA, and serves major businesses in 9 Pennsylvania Counties (RBMN Railroad.) The Version of the line I want to replicate is the current version as of 2018. This route will contain diesel and steam locomotives alike as the RBMN runs passenger trains using there vintage steam locomotive #425, plus the RBMN's vintage Budd Motor Cars that they also use for passenger trips. The Route: The route will consist of the first 60 miles of the Mainline from Reading Outer Station to Jim Thorpe, and will include all of the branch lines in between Reading and Jim Thorpe. This will allow the Player to run the passenger excursions from Reading Outer Station, stop at Port Clinton for a layover, and then continue onto Jim Thorpe and then back to complete the round trip. in addition, the branch lines will allow the player to serve businesses throughout the area, such as anthracite coal mines or farm centers. These freight trains can then be taken to an interchange, or a yard for further transport. Locomotives: RBMN 4-6-2 #425: RBMN #425 was built Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia in 1928 as the first of two class G-1 pacifics built for the Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Railroad. Nowadays, she regularly pulls passenger excursions for the RBMN and is a star locomotive for photographers and railfans in her striking blue paint. Check out RBMN #425 in action with this link here!: EMD SD40: The EMD SD40 is a workhorse of a locomotive built by EMD from 1966 to 1972. The SD40 is capable of handling any kind of train and is one of the main workhorse's of the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad. This locomotive would haul general freights and occasional diesel powered excursions on the line. Budd Rail Diesel Car: The Budd Rail Diesel Car is a self propelled diesel railcar that was built by the Budd Company from 1959 to 1962. It was used to transport passengers in rural areas or short distance commuter service. These Rail Diesel Cars can be used for shorter passenger scenarios in the TS18 rendition of this route and will be a unique addition to the route. Rolling Stock: The rolling stock of this route will include the usual boxcars, coal hoppers, grain hoppers, flatcars, and gondolas, as well as cabooses. Conclusion: I think this would be a great addition to the game as the route is pretty unique in its own right, let alone its history and RDC's. Works Cited: http://www.rbmnrr.com/history/ Photo Credit: https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...8165f57cb4ad58cf/1520021350935/system+map.png https://www.cmrproducts.com/tag/reading-northern/ https://www.cmrproducts.com/tag/reading-northern/
This is a very well-formatted and researched proposal. I would love to see this route sometime in the future!
This is the type of route I would look forward to seeing in both TS2018 and TSW. Freight, passenger, excursion and branch line running. Not a straight point A to B like most routes being produced. Plenty of choices for the creative scenario builder.
