Railroad Forums 

  • old Phila & Rdg car and plane

  • Discussion Related to the Reading Company 1833-1976 and it's predecessors Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway.
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

 #575624  by JimBoylan
 
Courtesy of the Gravity Railroads Yahoo Group, here are some old photos:

http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/speccoll/imcati ... 02-222.jpg
http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/speccoll/imcati ... 02-179.jpg
http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/speccoll/imcati ... 02-197.jpg
http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/speccoll/imcati ... 02-230.jpg

Some on that Group think that they are of an older Mahanoy Plane.

No plane here, just train. Is it the "Miners' Train"?

http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/speccoll/imcati ... 02-051.jpg

Also, try looking here, there are plenty more to be identified:

http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/speccoll/imcatimages/

This series seem to be mostly coal country, there are very few missing numbers:

http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/speccoll/imcati ... 02-???.jpg
 #576301  by glenonoko
 
The Reading had three (or four depending on how you count them) inclined planes:

- Mahanoy Plane
- Gordon planes (two planes in series)
- Big Mine Run Plane (to the east of Ashland)

Photo #222 has been published and identified previously as the Big Mine Run Plane. Big Mine Run was a self-acting plane, meaning the heavier weight of loaded coal cars going downhill is what lifted the empties uphill. Hence, no powerhouse was needed, and there is no smokestack visible at the top of the hill in photo #222 (although considering the distance, a stack and powerhouse might not be visible). At Gordon and Mahanoy Planes, powerhouses were at the top of each plane to run the stationary engines that hauled the loaded coal cars uphill.

Photo #179 is the headhouse of the Mahanoy Plane prior to the early 1900's rebuilding. This photo has been published several places, including an RCT&HS calendar a few years ago.

Photo #197 is a mystery to me. Perhaps it is one of the Gordon Planes. Or its non-Reading.

Photo #230 looks more like one of the gravity railroads above Scranton. Or else its part of a colliery or lokie railroad.

The miners train photo is very interesting. Definitely an old P&R Civil War-era 4-4-0 Millholland design. Would like to see a higher res version of the photo to maybe pick out the loco number or identify the location. It looks a bit like Cressona, but I am not at all sure of that.

-- rkb