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 Post subject: RBMN 2102 and 425 Chase Questions
PostPosted: Tue Aug 02, 2022 1:31 pm 

Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:46 pm
Posts: 135
Hey everybody, with the recently announced R&N doubleheader with 425 and 2102 I’ve decided I will make the trip out to Reading PA to chase the train in my car all the way to Jim Thorpe and return. Being from Michigan I am very unfamiliar with the territory and searching up the RR from Reading PA can be extremely confusing since the line conflicts with NS lines in the area. I’ve found the RBMN reading station on Google Maps but does anybody know the lines/routes by car I should take to keep up with the train? And is there any spots I should make sure to stop to get photos? Road names and directions are most helpful but any information is welcome.

Thanks again!

-Gabriel


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 Post subject: Re: RBMN 2102 and 425 Chase Questions
PostPosted: Wed Aug 03, 2022 1:26 pm 

Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:36 pm
Posts: 217
I chased the May 28th run, which was my first time chasing the R&N. While they move fairly quick, it's still a pretty meandering route, so you can get ahead of them pretty easy. Traffic was busy then and it was raining on and off, so I wasn't even doing the speed limit, and I was still staying ahead. Addresses I used with my GPS for spots to catch photo video, in order from departure at Reading:

27 Railroad Ave, Leesport, PA 19533: It's at the end of a long straight stretch after leaving Reading Outer Station, with two crossings and a long line of sight. You can see and hear them coming from a long way out and they'll have some speed on through there.

1 Railroad Boulevard, Port Clinton, PA 19549: This is the Port Clinton shops. They stop there to pick up passengers, so you can catch them leaving the train, usually with some pretty good stack talk.

103 Hughes Street, New Ringgold, PA 17960: The road runs parallel to the tracks through here with long lines of sight.

762 State Road, Barnesville, PA 18214: This is East Mahanoy Junction. There's a grade as they come up out of Tamaqua and then a pretty sharp curve at the junction. You can get great broadside shots here, and they're usually working pretty hard. Busy site, but lots of room and there's a self-organized photo line.

155 Lincoln Dr. Tamaqua PA 18252: There's a bridge over the tracks, go down through the trees to trackside. They are climbing the grade off of the Hometown High Bridge, they pretty much stop on the bridge, so they don't have a lot of momentum, and then go under an overpass.

233 Marian Ave: This is on the other side of the Hometown High Bridge, so you want to go here on the return run for them to be going up-grade.

1 Industrial Complex, Nesquehoning, PA 18240: Leading up to this on the way into Nesquehoning, the tracks run parallel to the road for a long while, so really just pick any spot that looks good and wait.

1 Susquehanna Street, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229: This is the big parking lot for Jim Thorpe and the station for Lehigh Gorge Scenic. They arrive and depart from here. Warning: when they arrive, they will block the crossing for the driveway with the train while unloading, you will not get in here at that time. Either get there ahead of them, or wait for them to unload and clear the crossing. Parking in historic Jim Thorpe is at a severe premium.

Suggestions: Avoid Reading Outer Station, and Tamaqua Station on the way out to Jim Thorpe. They won't let you into the ROS parking lot without a ticket in the morning and the place is a madhouse. People are all over, parked in other parking lots and along the road. If you go there, you might get log-jammed and miss it farther down. As for Tamaqua, the road splits through the city and it's only a one way on each side of the downtown area. To get to the station, you have to go through the city, make a U-turn, then come back down the other way, then to continue on, you have to clear the city, turn around again and head back through. There are lots of long traffic lights. On the way back, you are already on the right side of the city, so it's not so bad.

Also, if you go down to the end of the huge riverside parking lot in Jim Thorpe to where the turntable is, you can watch them service the engines, and the R&N employees pretty much let you have free reign of the place. You might even meet Andy Muller down there. I know I did.

Have fun, and enjoy. The R&N is a great railroad and Jim Thorpe is a cool city.


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 Post subject: Re: RBMN 2102 and 425 Chase Questions
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2022 10:59 pm 

Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:46 pm
Posts: 135
Thank you so much. I’ll be on the lookout for the coppers while I’m out there as I’m sure it’s a good way for them to get their tickets in (No, not train tickets sadly). I know there is going to be a bunch of railfans and foamers out there so I’ll try to take it as safely as possible.


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 Post subject: Re: RBMN 2102 and 425 Chase Questions
PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:15 pm 

Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:36 pm
Posts: 217
A heads-up, on the return trip they will be cutting the steam locomotives off at Port Clinton and running it to Reading with diesel power. Also, the F-Units will be on Lehigh Gorge Scenic service out of Jim Thorpe this weekend, so if you want to see them and ride behind them during the layover, you will have the opportunity


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 Post subject: Re: RBMN 2102 and 425 Chase Questions
PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 11:02 pm 

Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:46 pm
Posts: 135
I’ll see if I can hop on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic with the F units fingers crossed. Sorry about the late response but do you know what time they deadhead the train or locomotives to Reading for excursions from Port Clinton? Thank you so much for your help I’m very excited for tomorrow.


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 Post subject: Re: RBMN 2102 and 425 Chase Questions
PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 6:19 am 

Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:36 pm
Posts: 217
I caught #2102 making the move down to Reading at Leesport but I don't remember the exact time. It was fairly close to departure time though. Like, 30 minutes or so before they left Reading.


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 Post subject: Re: RBMN 2102 and 425 Chase Questions
PostPosted: Mon Oct 09, 2023 8:04 am 

Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2004 7:16 am
Posts: 116
Location: Bristol, Virginia
We rode the Oct 1, 2023 Fall Foliage Special from Reading Outer Station to Jim Thorpe and return behind the 2102. We were in an open window coach about 6 cars back from the locomotive and it was fantastic. On the way back to Reading, I began to wonder about the logistics of the trip. I kept thinking that the crew was going to time out and sure enough at the Port Clinton station stop, they switched crews. Then I wondered, where do they turn the train on the south end of the railroad? I know about the wye at Jim Thorpe but looking at Open Railway Maps, I don't see any wye near Port Clinton or Reading. Further, I believe the 2102 is longer than the Port Clinton turntable.

Just curious.

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Matt Helton
Goose Creek Railroad
Bristol, Virginia
http://www.angelfire.com/va/GooseCreekRR/


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 Post subject: Re: RBMN 2102 and 425 Chase Questions
PostPosted: Mon Oct 09, 2023 1:18 pm 

Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 10:30 pm
Posts: 981
Location: Bucks County, PA
They don't. What they do (and the reason why there's no back-to-back day 2102 trips yet) - after the train arrives back at Reading Outer Station, 2102 and train reverse back to Port Clinton - then, later on, the crew reverses the entire consist all the way up to the wye at Haucks (north of Tamaqua and E. Mahanoy Jct) to turn the entire train - then reverse again back to Port Clinton.

Is it a very long process? Yes. Right now it's the only solution.

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Morrisville, PA

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