Question - Locomotive Assignments

[Tom Jacobs]

Hello all,

Question - can someone please provide details on the Reading's locomotive assignments in the 1960s, particularly as it concerns return trips - were certain locomotives almost always assigned particular trains - I know about the RS3s on the Grace Miner - and was it a standard practice to send them back where they came from - for example, would the power for AH-9 return to Allentown on HA-18, or did they grab whatever power was available for the next train out? On average, how much time did it take for locos to be made ready after a run?

Thanks in advance for any info.

Tom

[RDGTRANSMUSEUM]

Since no one has posted anything ,here goes. The years 1960-1969......the "60's" as you stated, would be alot to cover. The RDG went fron "old school" to a "power center" operating concept and beyond. It would take a book to describe this. Maybe SOMEONE will do one.......but don't hold your breath. (we,have a long list of Rdg books that are being planned,but that aint one,sorry) Check out Holton's second Rdg book,maybe there is something in there......

[David Hutchinson]

The 444-450 RS3s were used on the Grace Mine Run because they had hump control and this was used during loading. I can speak of the 1962-64 era as I lived on the Port Reading Branch and would sometimes travel around the system. I remember the AS16s as being the only class that would be sort of "captive" on the mine runs. Other trains would have almost anything. The Port Reading trains came from Bridgeport and were pretty much RS3s until around 1963 when the unit coal trains started. You could see almost anything then. B&O power started coming into Port Reading around November, 1963, and would be mixed with the RDG stuff. I remember one train with a B&O GP30, B&O F7a, RDG GP30 and a B&O FA. The power on the unit trains would lay over at Port Reading for 8 hours and leave. Sometimes you would see three units and then, on the following day, the same three units with one more added. You could also see four or five RS3s or four GP7s on a train. The 553 Baldwin AS16 would also come in with mixed power because that group could MU with other makes. Hope this helps a little.