I searched the forums but saw no similar topic, so I'll start one here!
Could the Reading have survived on its own into the present day? Considering how heavily Conrail and now NS use the line from Harrisburg-Allentown, and the fact that Reading & Northern has turn things around on their lines, it seems that the core of the Reading has remained profitable despite the loss of substantial coal traffic. On the downside, I don't see the Gov't letting the Reading go it alone - but there was a proposal for a RDG-CNJ-LV system to compete against CR. Also, surviving until the 1980s when deregulation would have allowed the Reading to shed those unprofitable branchlines seems like a bit of a stretch. It'd be cool to model a modern day Reading...but it seems the cards are stacked against plausibility on this one. Anyone else have thoughts on this topic? Thanks!
Could the Reading have survived on its own into the present day? Considering how heavily Conrail and now NS use the line from Harrisburg-Allentown, and the fact that Reading & Northern has turn things around on their lines, it seems that the core of the Reading has remained profitable despite the loss of substantial coal traffic. On the downside, I don't see the Gov't letting the Reading go it alone - but there was a proposal for a RDG-CNJ-LV system to compete against CR. Also, surviving until the 1980s when deregulation would have allowed the Reading to shed those unprofitable branchlines seems like a bit of a stretch. It'd be cool to model a modern day Reading...but it seems the cards are stacked against plausibility on this one. Anyone else have thoughts on this topic? Thanks!