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Reading, PA trackage; map included

Discussion relating to the NS operations. Official web site can be found here: NSCORP.COM.
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Reading, PA trackage; map included

 #101615  by Rooneth3808
 
Hi everyone,

I'm looking for as much information as possible regarding the industrial tracks in and around the city of Reading operated by NS. Here's a map i created using a program called Vistamare Trainzmap, which should give you an idea of what i know (or think i know).

Image

Specifically what i need to know are; what industrial tracks remain/remain active, what are their names, and what industries are located along each. Besides adding to our general knowledge, any information greatly helps construction of the NS Reading Line (including all the tracks shown in this map) for the Trainz Railroad Simulator Software by Auran that i'm currently working on. Now, some of you may know of my previous works, so you know detailed i get and how serious i take making these routes.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated :). Thanks!!

~Josh

P.S. if you're really interested see http://www.ustrainz.com for some of my work, and the other work of our group.

 #107389  by Schuylkill Valley
 
Hi Josh,
Your map is just a bit off. but that`s ok. lol.
CP. Valley is right , but CP. Wyomissing isn`t . Lets see if I can make this easyer. Coming up from Philadelphia , you enter Reading area. at Cp.Cumru you can go eirter way straight takes you into down town Reading or you can go to your left and take the beltway. If you take the beltway you first come to Wyomissing Jct. Wye. then you come to Valley Jct. wye . Both jct`s. takes you to Harrisburg. At. Valley Jct. is where the Belt line starts with the bridge over the Schuylkill River. That will take you into Belt Line Jct.

Back at CP. Cumru if you go straight you go into down town Reading where CP. Center is and also CP. Oley The old tower still stans. This is also where the Outer station stood . The left leg takes you to Wyomissing Jct. if you go straight you enter the Reading yard. at Spring Street tower.
You also have all the former Reading Locomotive and Car shops. Going out of the Reading yard heading to Belt Line jct. you come to the ROW of the Hill track off to your right and then the ROW of the Schuylkill & Lehigh branch .

As far as the companies that are still serviced I know CarTech is , but that`s all I know.

Now once your in Belt Jct. you go to your right that`s the Blandon Lowgrade. this line took the place of the Hill track. if you go straight that`s the Reading & Northern former Pottsville line. The to over head bridges, over the pottsville line were of the Schuylkill Div. of the PRR. and the Schuylkill & Lehigh Branch. If you take the blandon low grade you go through Temple You pass the old BMR tracks on your left. and then you come to Laural Jct. where the Evensville IND. track starts,( Ex. S&L branch.

Hope that helps.
Leonard.

Journey Back In Time Video Productions
Http://hometown.aol.com/_ht_a/conrail6370/

 #107653  by glennk419
 
Actually, I think Josh did have it right. Isn't Wyomissing Jct where the Lebanon Valley Line meets the High Line from CP Center and west of Valley Junction? Coming up the Belt Line from Cumru, you would hit Valley first then head west through Wyomissing.

 #107668  by Schuylkill Valley
 
Hi Glenn,
Yes your right, I was going on my memory. and I just took a look at the map. I was thinking Wyomissing was first but Glenn you are right. The other wye I was thinking of is the one down at CP. Titus. where the Turkey path starts. which was the W&N. there were two wye`s at CP. Bird also.

Jash I have trackage Real Reading Co. blue prints of Reading yard and the shops. from 1923.

Len.

 #107673  by glennk419
 
Thanks, Len. It's been TOO long since I've been to Reading myself, need to plan a trip out there in the near future. I also had to check my maps. :wink:

 #108146  by Schuylkill Valley
 
Hi all,
I`ll be in the Reading area today. I`ll do some Company hunting . To see who still getting rail services. Maybe I`ll get lucky. lol.

Leonard

 #108828  by Rooneth3808
 
Awesome, thanks for all the information guys! :) I figured the main track and junction information better be right, i was one of the many ACT's to pass through Allentown a few years ago :P ; plus the route was made using Digital Elevation mapping and TIGER lines, so all the road and rail lines as well as ground contours are already drawn in for me using real world data (and theoretically the map should then be to scale) and; i also picked up a copy of the NS Harrisburg Division track charts, which, while it lists all the major lines in great detail, is still fuzzy on industrial tracks and some industries.

I did some major updating of the line a few weeks ago, and have since switched over to other projects (such as Disney's monorail system and PPL's Montour coal-fired power plant), but i passed on the Reading Line to a good friend of mine to work on the mean time, so work is still being done :).

Here's a few pictures of the Reading area i have online:

Spring Street Yard/ex-Car shops (not completely finished)
http://www.ustrainz.com/josh/RY5.jpg

http://www.ustrainz.com/josh/RY6.jpg

http://www.ustrainz.com/josh/RY7.jpg

http://www.ustrainz.com/josh/RY8.jpg

Beginnings of the 11th Street Industrial track off of the Pottsville branch, based on information given to me from a guy on another railfan forum.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... /11ITa.jpg

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... /11ITb.jpg

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... /11ITc.jpg

Between Wyomissing Jct and Leisy.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... nz/rl1.jpg

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... nz/rl7.jpg

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... nz/rl8.jpg

Tulpohocken Creek bridge.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... nz/rl5.jpg

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... nz/rl6.jpg

Switching industries way out on the Evansville Industrial.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... inz/E3.jpg

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... inz/E8.jpg

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... inz/E6.jpg

There, that should give you a good idea of what i've created and what's capable to be built using the program. I know i have more pictures floating around somewhere, i'll just have to find them. Anyway, thanks again, keep the info coming, and i hope you all enjoy and maybe learn something from the shots :).

~Josh

*edit: fixed two broken links*

 #109017  by yutzk
 
Yeah i need some motivation on what to add next to Joshs Reading Line.

Im the "other friend" whos working on it hehe..

Kevin

 #109200  by Schuylkill Valley
 
Hey Josh,
The belt line bridge is two tracks, not one. At Valley Jct. there is the stone foundation of the tower that once stood there , it`s aside of the Rt. 422 Bypass. Are you going to inclued the PRR row at 6th. and Penn St. if so the Red brick building you see under the 422 bridge is what`s left of the East Reading Roundhouse . The railroad is know the hike bike trail.

Ans as you leave Belt line passing Cartech that bridge is two trask too and over the Schuylkill River thers also a smaller bridge in the background and thats of the PRR. The NS bridge has Reading Lines on it and is painted lite green with white letters.

Len

 #109208  by Rooneth3808
 
Actually, if you're thinking of the long bridge over the Schuylkill River that still says READING LINES on the side of it (or at least it did when i last saw it a few years ago), then you're right. But the bridge in this picture

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... nz/rl6.jpg

is the bridge inside CP Tulp interlocking crossing over Tulpohocken Creek shown here:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=70005

Of course the pictures are taken in opposite directions, and i don't have any foliage in yet.

If i get time, maybe i'll try and create a much more detailed Reading area map :).

~Josh
Last edited by Rooneth3808 on Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.

 #109209  by Rooneth3808
 
Hmm, i haven't looked at the Reading area for some time, so i'm not familiar with much abandoned trackage in the area. As much as i tried to often include old abandoned ROW's...i would have to say that due to time limitations i would have to leave the PRR line out (although sections of it are in to the north and south of the city). Many people might also be happy to know that i have included the old grade over Temple Hill, and even a small section of a short narrow-guage line that once brought stone to the PRR tracks near Temple. Both of these sections are modeled as either invisible track, or roadbeds with weeds. I'll try to take some sample pictures sometime :).

~Josh
Last edited by Rooneth3808 on Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:26 pm, edited 2 times in total.

 #109210  by Rooneth3808
 
Here's a giant map of the Reading area. Please remember some parts are not finished, and not everything is known about many of the lessor industrial tracks.

Also, it's 2500 by 3200 pixels, so...open it with something that lets you view a picture at full size :-D

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/w/k ... ingMap.JPG

Enjoy!
~Josh
Last edited by Rooneth3808 on Sun Mar 20, 2005 11:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.

 #109211  by Rooneth3808
 
Found an error in it already (actually a friend called it to my attention). For some reason i decided to name the Reading & Northern mainline with the older Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern letters. Stupid mistake.

~Josh
Last edited by Rooneth3808 on Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:14 pm, edited 2 times in total.

 #109212  by Rooneth3808
 
multiple post

 #114457  by Schuylkill Valley
 
No you were right the first time. the right name is Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Company, People call it for short Reading & Northern.

Just like it was when it was known as Blue Mountain & Reading, People called it BMR for short.

Len.
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