A trio of GP30's bring a train into the Chessie System ( now CSX ) yard in
Philadelphia. This is Grays Ferry and the train is probably ALCS (
Allentown-Chessie System.CONRAIL
This page will cover the former Reading Railroad mainline from Philadelphia to Reading, PA. While most passenger trains use the former Pennsylvania mainline between Harrisburg and Philadelphia, Conrail freights used the ex-Reading Lines. The few remaining passenger trains between Reading and Philadelphia were terminated in 1982. Several former interchange points were upgraded to allow a smooth flow of trains between what were once different companies.
A trio of GP30's bring a train into the Chessie System ( now CSX ) yard in
Philadelphia. This is Grays Ferry and the train is probably ALCS (
Allentown-Chessie System.
While the passenger trains ran along the north side of the Schuykill River,
freights are on the other side. Here is an eastbound rolling through
Bridgeport, PA. Located across the river from Norristown, the passenger
main joins this line just west of here at Norris tower.
Two SD40's work the east end of Abrams Yard. Abrams is located just west
of Bridgeport and was used by Conrail to sort cars destined for local
Philadelphia area industries. Most of the old Reading Company yards in the
city of Philadelphia proper were closed or drastically reduced in size.
A trio of GP38's at Abrams.
Back in November 1976, a westbound departs Abrams and passes the small station
at Port Kennedy. This depot is near the entrance to Valley Forge Park.
An eastbound PICA ( Pittsburgh-Camden, NJ ) passes the old station at Perkiomen
Junction. An old Reading branch here went north to Emmaus, PA.
The site of a caboose on the rear was becoming very rare by this time.
SD50 6800 rolls east by the nice station in Phoenixville, PA.
The same train back west a bit in Pottstown.
A single big GE unit brings a train of empty hoppers back to the port for ore
reloading.
A trio of GP10's ( rebuilt GP9's ) arrive at Pottstown to work the yard here.
In 1976, two ex-Penn Central units roll a short westbound at Birdsboro, PA.
In 1991, a set of GP38's bring an empty hopper train east at Birdsboro.
This train is coming off the line that bypasses downtown Reading. It
swings over to the west side of the Schuykill River and meets up with the
east-west main at Valley Jct.
An eastbound passes a coal loader near Klapperthal Jct. on the bypass line.
Several units sit out the weekend in downtown Reading, PA.
6274 brings an eastbound into Reading passing the site of what was once the
Outerbridge Station. Reading Railroad's passenger trains that ran from
Allentown to Harrisburg used this station for their Reading stop as the other
depot in town was at Franklin St. down on the Philadelphia main.
Rolling through the old shop complex in Reading.
SD40 6451 leads a westbound out of downtown Reading and over the Schuykill River
bridge at Valley Jct. The small building housed the operator controlling
movements at this juncion.
Continue west from Valley Jct. to Harrisburg