Reading Belt Line

In the region just south of Reading (e.g from Gilbraltar/Seyfert) down to Birdsboro, on the west bank of the Schuylkill, did the Reading Belt Line and the PRR Schuylkill division share tracks(e.g. Reading trackage rights on the PRR) , or did they each have their own right next to each other?

In modern aerial photos, you can see the abandoned PRR right of way north of this spot separate from the active Reading, but they merge together in this area.

If they shared, then I imagine a piece of the PRR Schuylkill division is still active in this stretch? Or was there a continuous stretch of the PRR that was abandoned?
THanks, JS

No, they definately had their own tracks.

Remember, the Pennsy built their SV line out of spite.

See maps here. http://historical.maptech.com/getImage. ... g&state=PA and here http://historical.maptech.com/getImage. ... g&state=PA
(careful they're 1mb + )

The Pennsy is abandoned between Reading and Pottstown.

Alec, thanks. I believe you, but I don't think those old topos are much help.
I think the line they show separate from the double track (near Gilbraltar), between the double track and the river, were from an
electric interurban (it goes crosses the river to the east side a bit
upstream of Gilbraltar).

Also, who was there first in that stretch-- the PRR, or Wilmington and Northern (aka Wilmington and Reading), which the Reading later took over? JS

PRR and RDG paralleled each other south side of the river between Reading and Birdsboro. However, between Gibraltar and B'boro, the PRR right of way has track on it, used to access a quarry originally served by the PRR. Much of the PRR in the area is or is being converted into a trail, the Thun ( pronounced toon) trail. Heading south of Reading a new bridge over a major road was built after the original railroad bridge was removed in the 1980s. Ironic, eh? The trail was tweaked a bit further south as a power station took over the ROW for dumping ash, and between Gibraltar and east of B'boro it goes on some roads because the ROW still being used for the aforementioned quarry access and the fact that the PRR crossed through Birdsboro on many bridges, all removed. I haven't been to east of Birdsboro yet except to check out an old junction with a spur line to serve another quarry- surprisingly a lot remains.

The SD45

Oh PS! This RDG line we're talking about isn't technically the Belt Line, this was the original W&N route, today called the Turkey Path. The Belt Line was built in the early 1900s as a freight loop around Reading to avoid downtown foot/trolley/road traffic.

NYSW, thanks.
It looks like south of Gilbralter to Birdsboro, along Main St., the PRR and Reading Turkey path ran right next to each other, and that at least 1 track of the PRR (and the Reading track) are still in parallel to each other for a ways.

The quarry is pretty clear on acme.mapper.com, near Rock Hollow Rd.

Two minor questions: 1. How many tracks was the PRR through here back in the day -- I think I read the Reading was 1 along the Turkey path.
2. At historical.maptech.com, the Reading also had a spur to a quarry south of Monaracy, about a mile east of Birdsboro. Did the Reading get to this spur by travelling a mile from Birdsboro on the PRR to the spur (as it looks like on the old topo, or did Reading also have their own line next to the PRR for this mile east of Birdsboro . (It would have had to go through Birdsboro, over bridges too, I guess, like the PRR.)

thanks, js