When was your last ride on the RDG to/from Reading?

[motor]

I wasn't sure whether to put this topic on

- the SEPTA board (because this train was "operated by Conrail under contract with SEPTA")
- the Reading Company board (because of the rails' heritage)
or
- the Rail Travel & Trip Reports Board.

I'll guess and put this on the RDG Co. board. The mods can move this thread if and where they want.

Oh, and my recollections may not be 100% accurate, so please excuse and forgive me in advance.

Now that the disclaimers have been stated...

I never took the RDG or RDG-heritage line *to* its namesake city, and the only time I rode the RDG-heritage line *from* Reading happened on a Friday in September 1979, a fortnight into my first semester at then-Kutztown State College.

With a filled laundry bag and two duffel bags in tow, I rode Trailways from mid-campus to the Inter-City Bus Terminal at 3rd and Penn, lugged my three pieces 6 blocks to Franklin St., and watched the train from Pottsville arrive, a streamlined EMD(?) on the point (another KSC student waiting with me said, "Ah, the sweet smell of diesel fuel!" ) We boarded and off we went to RT, stopping at Birdsboro, Pottstown, Phoenixville, Valley Forge (?), Norristown TC, and getting into RT half an hour past the advertised 90 minute running time.

Then I had to dash across City Hall to SS and catch the next train (by then it was rush hour) to Media where my father picked me up.

Bus, train, train, car - a four seat ride from Kutztown to Boothwyn. That, friends, is the story of my only train ride from Reading - and my only ride to date on the ex-RDG side of the SEPTA Regional Rail system.

Ok, folks, your turn to share memories of your last ride to or from the Pagoda City. BTW I'm looking particularly for those who rode scheduled trains, not necessarily excursions, which I imagine have happened on those ex-RDG rails through Phoenixville, Pottstown, and Reading after mid-1981.

motor

[Nacho66]

During Christmas Break 1975 (when I was in 3rd Grade) I rode to the outlet malls in Reading with my Grandmom from Reading Terminal.
We caught a local from Bethayres to RT and connected.
The train was all Reading and was a push-pull FP7 and coaches consist.
I remember being surprised that there were bathrooms and a water fountain - compared with the usual commuter trains I was used to.
The ride along the river was very interesting as we passed a couple of freight trains.
There were maybe 4 other people in the coach (midday) and my Grandmom chain-smoked her Benson & Hedges Light 100's while admonishing me not to actually touch the window with my nose.

[Tom Jacobs]

My trips on the Reading were few, having been born in 1970, but I remember them pretty well. When I was about 3, my grandmother took me to Philadelphia around Christmastime to see the displays at John Wanamaker. My grandfather had been a machinist and later an air brake inspector in the Reading Shops until his untimely death in 1960, so "riding the Reading" to Philadelphia was a fairly routine occurrence for her and my mother - my mom used to tell me stories of riding the train with her parents, and walking up to the locomotive cab (this was before the advent of the RDCs) with my grandfather and handing the local paper to the engine crew to read.

In 1976 my parents took me on the RDCs to Philadelphia on a day trip for the Bicentennial - I remember flipping the seats so that we could sit facing each other. Then, in 1981, shortly before service ended to/from Reading, my 6th grade class took another day trip to Philadelphia, again on the RDCs. I can remember the inside of Franklin Street station, and I have this image of my mind of looking through the windows of the doors leading out to the platform, and seeing that stainless steel train pull in for us to board in the morning. Had I known that it was all going to end in a few weeks from that point, I would have taken some pictures.

[nittany4]

i just discovered this "album" on the current condition of the Reading Franklin Street passenger station

http://readingberks.tripod.com/reading_ ... tation?i=0

good shots

[chuchubob]

June 30, 1974 - charter using four Budd RDCs from Reading Terminal to Mahanoy Junction and back.

[JimBoylan]

Some Saturday in the Summer of 1968, RDCs Reading Terminal to Pottsville to Norristown.
While it was scheduled as a through train (others did show 2 times at Reading Depot to betray that a change of trains was necessary), a meet was also scheduled at the Depot. By then, it had only 1 platform track, so our 2 cars met the 1 car coming South head on, and all the passengers had to transfer. I remember someone wheeling the thin bundle of Saturday newspapers (probably the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin) up the wood plank platform from one train to the other. I got to blow the whistle way North of Reading, but the highlight was getting to start the RDC from Schuylkill Haven! Those RDCs has 4 speed notches on the throttle. The engineer took over when we had to slow down, the brake was stiff and I didn't know the positions on it.
Coming back, to save money, I rode to Norristown, took the P&W to Bryn Mawr, walked over to the Penn Central station, used my commutation ticket from my day job to get to Overbrook and walked home to 1708 N. 59th St. S.E.P.T.A. had just abolished the cheaper Restricted Monthly Commutation Tickets, so anything you could buy was good on weekends, also.

[rdganthracite]

It was a trip through Reading not to or from Reading. In May 1968 we rode MUs from Glenside to the Terminal and then the RDCs to Pottsville where relatives picked us up for the rest of the trip to Shamokin. Earlier we had ridden the King Coal all the way to Shamokin but that was no longer an option by that date.

[blippo]

When I hired out on Conrail we were cut back to firemen jobs and I was fortunate enough to work all those Reading to Phila. runs as a fireman. I also worked the Pottsville run once or twice. The thing I remember about the Pottsville run was that was it was very remote and quiet piece of railroad. The most memorable run was the run with the FP7 where you had to make manual transition as you came out with the throttle. You sat high off the ground and got a good view of everything from the cab.

[kp5308]

The P&R 150th Anniversary Special behind 2102, with the legend, the late Charlie Kochel behind the throttle. I don't remember the date, but I do know it was in the mid 80's,after the end of regular Philly/Reading/ Pottsville service.

Having been born & raised in East Reading PA, my fondest childhood railfan memories have that Philly service as the cornerstone of my railroading interest. From being treated by Grandma to rides to Reading Terminal if I was a good boy, to watching the noontime arrival of the Philly train from the 3rd floor window at Southern Jr High, &, on Mondays gettin' out early enough to watch the 2:20 come in, oh man, the good memories are just flowing back!

That 2:20 deal also got me green GP40-2's on the ore train thru town, along with 2 olive drab GP7's heading to Philly with what seemed like 1000 cars, & sometimes an electric MU or 2 tacked on after the caboose, being returned to Suburbia after work at Reading Shops.

Ole' Readingtown was a great place to grow up a railfan........

[Schuylkill Valley]

The P & R Special was with locomotive CP. 972 . I think you thinking of an shopper special that the BM&R had or the constenion special. in any rate the P& R was in 87 and so was BM&R trips with the T-1.

Len.

[Schuylkill Valley]

I last rode the Reading Main line when it was Reg. service in 1981 from Royersford to Philly. for an John Wanamaker's light show, one Christmas.

Since the NS days it was in 2002 with an Amtrak at the point.

Check out this video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=LOMy5aHPzT4

Len.

[kp5308]

The T1 powered trip was indeed provided w BM&R equipment, w 2102 carrying 1 time only identification above the pilot reading "P&R 150 Anniversary Special". Just from memory, I think it ran to celebrate the completion of the Reading/Norristown segment. All who purchased tickets received a handout with the history of the line from Reading to Norristown. I don't recall who sponsored the trip(there was only one), or how many groups were involved. I got a bunch of slides of this trip, along with the memories of how HOT it was.

I remember the 972 trips, along w the Philly Holiday Shopper's Special.

[RDGTRANSMUSEUM]

My last trip on this part of the railroad was from Phila to Reading in early 1998. I was the Conductor of a Conrail freight train. I rode this section of railroad a thousand times from 1990-1998,with everything from light power to 150 car trains,it was always a very senic trip.