Was there ever a turntable on the East side near Race Tower? or only the one at Green St. for turning steam way back when?
Bring back the Slumbercoaches!!
Railroad Forums
Reading Terminal and Approaches track diagrams?
- Discussion Related to the Reading Company 1833-1976 and it's predecessors Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway.
Moderator: Franklin Gowen
Hello, Regarding track 13 at the Reading Terminal: It was used for the City Branch to connect to the B & O and was not electrified. During operation, there was often a gondola with trash in it positioned there at track 13. Until the B & O closed its station at 24th and Market in 1958, Shuttles operated between the Reading Terminal and the 24th Street Station. Also, track 13 was used in 1972 during Hurricane Agnes, when tracks on the Norristown Branch were flooded west of Manayunk and trains to Reading and Pottsville had to travel via the City Branch at about 5 mph and onto the Main Line, running through Fairmount Park, past Gladwyne and Bridgeport and making its first stop at Valley Forge. I was fortunate enough to ride from track 13 on this train. At the time, my Father worked in the Reading Terminal building and the trains ran from track 13 until repairs were complete on the Norristown line. After the Reading Terminal closed in 1985, the City Branch was used to haul trash out of the Terminal while the new Convention Center was being built. I worked near there and saw many of those trash trains riding below Calowhill Street. I don't know the date of the last train from track 13, but I imagine it was around 1987.
John Johnstone wrote:I don't know the date of the last train from track 13, but I imagine it was around 1987.The last train out of Reading Terminal was November, 1984
Clearfield wrote:November 6, 1984 to be exact. I still have my "I Rode The Last Rush" button proudly hanging by my desk.John Johnstone wrote:I don't know the date of the last train from track 13, but I imagine it was around 1987.The last train out of Reading Terminal was November, 1984
The last scheduled train out of Reading Terminal was a West Trenton local.
The last train ever was a NRHS Special made up of Blueliners which ran to Lansdale.
Glenn
glennk419 wrote:I still have my "I Rode The Last Rush" button proudly hanging by my desk.I rode the last car of the train. Didn't realize how much noise every car's horn blown simultaneously made!