Reading Terminal and Approaches track diagrams?

[Sean@Temple]

I am currently planning to build a model railroad centered around an urban area based roughly situations found in Philadelphia. I am having trouble finding any track diagrams or many decent pictures of the approach trackage to the station. I am particularly interested in the layout of the Green Street engine facility, the station throat and the wye.

I am for various reasons going to probobly shrink the station slightly but I want it to really scream Reading Terminal. Most of the rest of the layout will be more Pennsy inspired.

Thanks for any help ahead of time.

Sean@Temple

[glennk419]

There are a couple softcover books on the Reading that offer decent pictures of the Reading Terminal approaches and track plan (you're going to need a lot of double slips). They are "The Northeast Railroad Scene, Vol 3" by Bob Pennisi and "Rails Along the Schuylkill" by G.M. Heathcliff and Alvin Traz. Both are out of print but the first one is available on eBay for a decent price at http://cgi.ebay.com/1978-NORTHEAST-RAIL ... dZViewItem. There may also be a few still floating around at some Philly area hobby shops.

You might also try contacting the RCT&HS to see if they can help. Their website is http://www.readingrailroad.org/

[Clearfield]

The model board from Race Tower is on display at teh PA Railroad Museum in Strasburg. It shows all tracks and switches.

[Sean@Temple]

Thanks, thats great. The funny thing is I know I saw it when I was there but my brain never made the connection.

Sean@Temple

[Lucius Kwok]

Electric Trains to Reading Terminal by Wes Coates (Railroad Avenue Enterprised, 1990) also has a track diagram and photo from Race Tower of the tracks to Reading Terminal.

[David Hutchinson]

Go to ebay and enter Reading Track Diagrams. Not sure what is left, but they had some nice ones.........

[Franklin Gowen]

David: those eBay lots were very nice diagrams indeed, and (sadly) very expensive... Some of that seller's yard maps have recently gone for astronomical prices.

[Sean@Temple]

I went to the Railroad Museum and took the requisite pictures and composited them in a hand drawing

Thanks to everyone that helped.

p.s. the photos of the interlocking boards themselfs can be found on my photoblog http://www.splashblog.com/stayfrosty

[glennk419]

Nice job Sean, sure brings back memories.

"4:15 Warminster Local now boarding on Track Number 2. Making station stops at North Broad Street, Wayne Junction, Logan, Tabor, Fern Rock, Melrose..........."

[JimBoylan]

To add to the diagram, Terminal Track 13, at the bottom of the diagram, had a siding that went straight to the left and ended over the hole on top of the power house or heating plant coal bin. In the 1970s and 1980s, the box car holding the supply of new brake shoes sat there. It must have been removed a few hours before the last train left.
I don't think that Track 13 had wire in those years, and of course, the curves to the lower left (connecting with the Callowhill St. Subway) weren't electrified.

[amtrakhogger]

When they closed Reading Terminal, does anbody know what happened to
those destination boards that gate attendants slid into the
slot above the doorway at departure time?

I remember they were multi-colored similar to the color of the
schedules (i.e. West Trenton-blue, Warminster-pink, etc.)

[glennk419]

I don't think that Track 13 had wire in those years, and of course, the curves to the lower left (connecting with the Callowhill St. Subway) weren't electrified.

Jim, you have a great memory. I also recall the boxcar that was a fixture on Track 13 for many years. I shot a couple rolls worth of pictures at the terminal on Saturday, November 3, 1984, the last weekend it was open. The crews were very accomodating as far as allowing me to walk the platforms all the way out to the ends as long as I "stayed out of the way". I have a picture of the spiral staircase at the end of 13 and you are correct, there was no catenary on that track at that point.

I also still have my "Last Rush" button from Tuesday, November 6. A sad day in the life of this Reading fan.

[Sean@Temple]

I don't suppose you have scanned any of those photographs. They would be a real prize being that there are very few pictures of the interior and trackage of the Terminal online.

Sean@Temple

p.s. also I don't suppose any you could tell me in reference to my drawing where the end of the train shed would have been?

[glennk419]

I don't suppose you have scanned any of those photographs. They would be a real prize being that there are very few pictures of the interior and trackage of the Terminal online.

Sean@Temple

p.s. also I don't suppose any you could tell me in reference to my drawing where the end of the train shed would have been?

Actually yes, I've scanned several of them but I can't post them here and don't have a website to link to. PM me and I'll see if I can get a few to you.

[Steam man]

Actually yes, I've scanned several of them but I can't post them here and don't have a website to link to. PM me and I'll see if I can get a few to you.

Glenn, if you want I can host them as I have a couple gigs of open websapce. Let me know here or email me @ [email protected]