Current status of original Hamburg Blue Mountian and Reading

[scratchy]

What's the status of the original Pennsy Hamburg branch? Does RBMN still operate on it?

[guilfordrailfan]

The line is still owned by RBMN. Last I saw, the line was pretty much filled end-to-end (minus stations and grade crossings) with stored tank cars. If you look at the line in Google Maps you'll be able to clearly see all the tank cars.

[scratchy]

What happened to all the customers they had?

[rwk]

I don't know, I have the 1985 BM&R book that shows most of the freight customers at the time, Agway, Glen-Gery Brick, Nelco Lumber in Hamburg, etc. Did they all switch to truck? Are Agway and Nelco even in business anymore?

[pumpers]

Memory isn't so good but I seem to recall a bad bridge somewhere. Maybe OK for empty car storage but not for loads?? Or am I thinking of somewhere else related to the early days of BM&R? JS

[glennk419]

Looking at the RCT&HS website over the weekend, it appears that they have future plans to operate excursions along the line between Hamburg and Temple. There were no further details on how that would be accomplished; whether it would be an arrangement with R&N, a lease agreement or outright acquisition of the line. Being that R&N is now running service out of North Reading, it will be interesting to see how this develops.

[jrevans]

I remember reading that the bridge in question was repaired a few years ago.
As for the current status of the line, I believe that it is still filled with tank cars. My wife and I rode the RDCs on the Ride & Dine train back in August, and I could pick out the ROW across the river, as the line was filled with the tank cars. But, the RBMN did pull them out a few times in the last year to deliver two "new" locomotives to the RCT&HS up in Hamburg.