Reading and Northern PNEX: A Rare Move of All Four F-Units
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
- On January 14th, 2024, the Reading and Northern Railroad conducted a move of their four F-unit diesel locomotives on a Port Clinton Extra Train (PNEX). This move consisted of transporting F-units #270 and #275 to Jim Thorpe, and F-units #250 and #251 to Penobscot for storage. Throughout the previous several years, #250 and #251 have been stored behind the Port Clinton diesel locomotive shop. However, over the past few months, they have been moved around the Port Clinton yard in preparation for this move to Penobscot.
#250 and #251 are two F-7a units that were both built in 1953 by EMD and served first for the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad, and then for the Southern Railroad of New Jersey, with #250 formerly numbered #727 and #251 numbered #728. #270 and #275 have an extensive history, but were most recently of Norfolk Southern heritage, being purchased by Reading and Northern in 2019, and frequently appear on special passenger excursions.
At this point in time, there do not appear to be any plans to restore #250 and #251 to operation, making this move of all four F-units together potentially once in a lifetime!
Additionally, I completed this chase as a collaborative effort with fellow RUclipsr and my good friend @JamieMakin! I'd like to thank her for providing several shots for this video, especially the arrival shots in Jim Thorpe and Penobscot. Be sure to check out her channel to see her video of this special move!!
Although I did not collab with him, Ian from Lehigh River Subdivision (@LRSX ) also chased this move from Port Clinton to Jim Thorpe. Be sure to check out his video to see some epic shots, many of which neither Jamie nor I were able to capture!!
Please enjoy this rare catch of all four Reading and Northern F-Units together!
0:00 Intro
0:55 History of the F-Units while building the train
3:47 The Old Meets the New
4:29 Passing in front of Port Clinton Station
6:00 Departing Port Clinton for Jim Thorpe
6:59 Miller's Crossing
8:09 New Ringgold
9:14 Checking for hot bearings
9:53 Resuming the journey north
10:53 Reynolds
11:42 Tamaqua Station with a Snow Squall
12:35 Tuscarora Park Rd. (Jamie Makin Clip)
13:12 Marian Ave. (Jamie Makin Clip)
14:30 Lincoln Dr.
16:01 Nesquehoning Tunnel (Jamie Makin Clip)
16:29 Jim Thorpe Jct. and around the wye
18:22 Shoving into Jim Thorpe to drop of #270 and #275
20:00 Arriving in Jim Thorpe (Jamie Makin Clip)
22:02 Lehigh Gorge 11:00 trip's return and PNEX departure northbound (Jamie Makin Clip)
24:00 Glen Onoko Rock Cut
24:51 Penobscot (Jamie Makin Clips)
25:22 Outro
Music in this video:
Song: Tropic Fuse
Artist: French Fuse
Licensed to RUclips by: RUclips Audio Library
The two unrestored F-units are both original Bessemer and Lake Erie locomotives, I wish they could be restored to their BLE colors. The BLE was the first major railroad to dieselize and no Bessemer and Lake Erie diesels are preserved.
A proper B&LE butterknife paint scheme would be amazing. One of the best looking of all time. Nose herald and all. Do you know what the B&LE road numbers were of these two units? I was assuming they were the old Western Allegheny 727 and 728 units but not sure.
@@ChipMitchell-fs6ni I believe 727 and 728 are original
The first railroad to dieselize in the US was the Detroit and Mackinaw, dieselized by 1949
Aren't those WARR units?
@@larrycurran8036 you can see the previous owner on one. The other was made to look like a NYO&W engine
That was excellent! We used to hang around bridge #1 over the Cuyahoga river in Cleveland, Oh in the mid 70's. PC was still using alot of F-7's and 9's on it's freights,
got to climb around on them in the dead line at Collinwood. Seems like a life-time ago, now!
The Southern Railroad of New Jersey! So THAT'S where those two F-Units with the bady deteriorated paint came from. The one with the NYO&W paint scheme looked very familiar as bad as it looks. I had no idea Reading & Northern owned them now.
Maybe they'll be restored in the future as time and money permit, maybe they being held as parts donors for the other ex-Norfolk-Southern units? Only time will tell.
R&N #270 and #275 were so extensively rebuilt by N-S that in effect they're GP38's under the hood. That's a good thing, they'll have very long service lives ahead of them.
Great chase folks! Thanks for posting!
I'm 70 and I grew up seeing only F units. I have a special affinity for the streamliners.
I'd love to see some actually pulling before I kick. It's on my bucket list.
Great job, Collin! Enjoyed this very much!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you all for capturing this. While watching, I did notice a few of the shots could have used an EV adjustment in camera to lighten them up or could be boosted in editing software after the shoot. But, great shots overall, we really enjoyed watching. More please!
Thank you I’m glad you enjoyed! You are correct in your observations as well; specifically I can recall New Ringgold was dark, as I did not have my white balance properly adjusted. Working to learn more on how to fix things like that in editing. Very glad that you enjoyed!
Well done! Thank you for sharing.
When 2003 ran over the tree I wasn’t expecting it to be so loud from that distance. Also you can notice how it took a little bit for the sound to travel. Awesome chase!
Thanks! Yeah, that’s the first time I have caught anything like that on camera, and I was surprised myself how much the sound carries. It absolutely obliterated it!
Now we know what the pilot is for on the front of an engine! At first I thought they might stop and move the branch by hand but no, just smashed right through. Overall such a cool move for the F units, glad you were able to film it all.
Tamaqua Station is beautiful! Is it a stop for a tourist railroad?
Yes, they may of been painted in other colors than the original, the units have been preserved. Not sitting rusted away in the woods or worse, cut up for scrap.
Great catches and awesome video, thanks for sharing.
Thank you very much!
This was an amazing and interesting move yall caught...just awesome😮!!!
Great video! Excellent coverage and narration.
Thank you!
Awesome shotd and great video Colin! Nicely done at the wye! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Ian! Glad that you enjoyed it!
Excellent video. Thanks!
Very impressive catch there! I never knew that any SD38s or other F Units remained on the Reading & Northern. Just Subscribed so keep these awesome videos coming.
Thank you very much! Will do!
I truly enjoyed watching this! Thank you for sharing.. Tyler near Syracuse NY
Glad you enjoyed it!
Near Syracuse as well!
This ferry move is a possible sigh 250 & 251 will one day see use with 270 & 275. It’s slim but it could happen.
Terrific video!!! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great catches and awesome video collin
Thank you very much!
Very good work!
A sight to behold, that was cool.
Excellent video 👍
Awesome video! I think last I heard at least one of the F units is supposed to be restored to make an ABA set.
Thanks! That has been the rumor for a while, and in fact 251 was receiving some work prior to the purchase of the units from Norfolk Southern. As of now they are being stored, but you never know what might happen
Great video
Awesome video 😊
Thank you 😁
Very nice catches. Wish i could have seen them. What is crazy is the Reading F units came down the Harrisburg East Line two days before. I was lucky to capture them. I knew nothing about them being transported.
Thanks! Yeah I wish I would’ve known about the Reading F-units, but I was glad to have caught this move. Unfortunately they aren’t something broadcast publicly
@@PANortheasternRailfan You are right. I was just out rail fanning and just happened to capture them.
Both these F7-A should be restored and wear the livery of Reading and Northern.
Great stuff no doubt about it.
I would love to own those icons!! ❤❤
Nice Catch Man. I was going to head up to Penobscot to see them drop off the 2 old Fs, but the weather was too bad.
Thanks! Yeah there were some pretty crazy snow squalls that day, was glad to make it through them!
Good vid bro
Thanks!
For those wondering Reading and Northern confirmed they’re restoring one of the F’s and scrapping/getting rid of the other one. As to which one they’re keeping I don’t know.
That was the plan as of a few years ago; however, as of now there are not any specific plans for restoring or scrapping them. They are just being stored and awaiting whatever they decide to do with them one day.
Fantastic! It sure would be great to see them rolling under there own power!
There own?
Where own?
@@jefferyG499 huh?
The two derelict F's were indeed built consecutively accord to the serial numbers.
I always wondered about these beautiful rusted F units ever since they got my attention and i thought : "Just what will be done to these ladies now? Surely they can't just sit rotting like this." This is quite a surprise.
Interesting that one is in the NYO&W scheme.
The Norfolk Souther units in the back round of the train in Prescott dose RBMN own throws or are they NS units stored there?
They are owned by R&N and are in the process of being put into active service.
Wow, that was cool! Wasn't this Conrail, nee Central Railroad of New Jersey trackage? I visited Tamaqua, PA on a number of occasions and I thought this trackage still had the CNJ's 100 pound rail. Unless it's 115 rail? I couldn't really tell, but it's still jointed rail track.
Thanks! The trackage was originally Conrail, however before that it was composed of the Reading and the CNJ. The reading owned the line from Port Clinton to Haucks (Hometown), and then the CNJ owned the tracks to Jim Thorpe from Hometown. Then heading through the gorge to Penobscot, that was the Lehigh Valley Railroad. There is some jointed rail yet but the system is being changed to continuous welded rail over the past few years.
Great video and both of you keep up the good work! Seems to me that something must be going on with these or another piece of equipment. Why move these unless making room for something else, or doing something with them.
Thanks and will do! I think they were moved to make room in Port Clinton, as well as to keep them out of the overgrowth that tends to happen behind the diesel shop
Love that horn on the lead locomotive! Is 2003 an sd 50?
@Dan0Myte490 cool thankyou! That's what a train horn is supposed to sound like!
DUDE I HOPE THIS WILL BE THE YEAR WILL BE THE COMPLETION OF 425'S REBUILD BECAUSE ALOT OF USERS ARE SAYING THAT AND I AGREE WITH THEM. BTW NICE VIDEO AND CATCH MAN.
I'd like to see at least one of the units restored. It would be awesome if the RBMN could have an A-B-A set of F units for their excursion trains.
Would be nice to see that; it may happen one day after some other parts of the railroad receive some attention.
DUDE I HOPE THIS WILL BE THE YEAR WILL BE THE COMPLETION OF 425'S REBUILD BECAUSE ALOT OF USERS ARE SAYING THAT AND I AGREE WITH THEM
I know the B unit was originally Chicago Great Western built 10/50, I believe. Is the matching A unit former CGW too?
You are correct on the B unit; the A unit was built originally for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Great to see F units on the move. will the 2 new units as to say, be restored?
As of now there are no apparent plans for restoration
Though I did not see who the locomotives belonged to . There were 2 of these type locomotives in the NS yard in Taylor a couple of weeks ago at the northern end of the Yard .
If they were green and black, then they were the Reading F-units 901 and 902 being moved from Steamtown to the Woodstown Central Railroad.
@@PANortheasternRailfan I believe they were but I have a color deficiency . They were behind a few grain cars right in the area of the sand off loading terminal I guess you can call it . I use to be one of two that delivered diesel fuel to the locomotives ( direct fueling ) of probably it’s safe to say 20 different locomotives of other companies . Started doing that in 1985 and ended my service there 2010 . Delivered Delaware lackawanna as well as reading and northern’s loco’s and other equipment briefly . Met and buried numerous people I met that worked on the railroad including family .
Oh ich mag das sehr. Ich mag das. 🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂
Both of those dead ones are F9s, not 7s, the telltale sign is the intake vents which that style didn't come out until the 9s.
Reading and Northern’s locomotive roster, as well as several documentary type videos I have watched, have identified them as F7s. It’s probably that they had their intakes updated at some point in time.
These two girls need to be restored to operating conditions! I hope that they dont end up being scrapped.
I don’t think they’ll get scrapped; would be nice to see them restored one day
I saw 4 F units on the train cam by Erie last week😊, were these the 4 ? I couldn’t make them out in the dark
Chances are they were not, as these F-units were taken to Jim Thorpe and Penobscot and were not near Erie
@@PANortheasternRailfan ok thanks , one of the F’s did have a LTEX painted on coming from Larry’s truck and electric . It was heading eastbound
I got a friend of mine whos best friends with the RBMN CEO im not kidding by that. I can ask him if he knows about it or could ask Andy about it this, kind of sounds like an advantage if your a rbmn railfan even though im a pacificer
Do you happen to know why the #250 has a Rock Island paint job? Great video, loved watching these old locos get moved around.
It’s close to a Rock Island paint job, but it’s actually painted as a Southern Railroad of NJ locomotive, which is the last railroad it served at. Glad you enjoyed!
What do you mean? 250 and 251 need to be restored to run again!
That would be cool; maybe one day in the future!
I wholeheartedly agree.
Yes that is correct! 250 and 251 are going to be restored for operating service again 🚂🚂🚂
@@BrianHolzheimer-mg4qt Splendid!
@@BrianHolzheimer-mg4qt unfortunately as of now there do not appear to be plans for the restoration of 250 and 251.
😢 they look sooo sad 😭 im crying now 2 rest in peace 🕊️ gone but not 🚫 forgotten ❤
Old Norfolk southern locomotive
Weren’t these at Winslow Junction?
I’m not entirely sure; for the past at least 7 years they have been on the Reading and Northern, before that I am unsure of where they have specifically been.
I know the two SRNJ units were, still in their original paint too.
These were at Winslow Junction. In 96 I was running them on the Salem branch.
What is Jamie’s RUclips channel called 😊😊
@JamieMakin
I'd buy those 2 beat up F units if I could.
Amen brother.
@@joshthetrainfan I'd paint em in the mopac blue and creme and refurbish them with 645 prime movers.
@@ChargerusPrime Awesome. They're former BLE but it'd work!
@@joshthetrainfan yeah they would, the mopac had single headlight Fs and Mars light equipped Fs. I'd see how much it'd cost to do the Mars light treatment cuz I'm a sucker for a Mars light.
@@ChargerusPrime BUGX recently equipped their GP40 with a Mars light. No joke. I believe it was former DRGW GP40
To bad they can't lone out F7B 275 to the conway scenic railway, they could use it with the 4266 and 4268, B&M F7As
according to some better knowledged railrfans on the various facebook pages, either 250 or 251 is planned to get a restoration at some point. The R&N is only going to restore one and use the other as a parts engine for the locomotive that is being restored. Because why restore an engine in poor condition when the other one is in better condition. However as to when this is happening is unknown. But given this info was said by railfans, I'm hesitant to believe this move is that restoration or if such a restoration is ever going to happen
I’ve heard the same thing too, and for a bit that likely was the plan because I was told 251 had received some work prior to the purchase of the ex-NS units. However, as of now they are being put into long-term storage, and this move was not related to a restoration.
I understand that Steamtown sold the two Reading FP-7’s a few months ago to an operator in NJ. I wonder if the R&N tried to buy them before they were sold. A great video of this rare move..
@@Laszlo.42 Steamtown never owned them. They were owned by a different organization, but loaned/stored at Steamtown...well, until recently. I don't know the whole story, but last I heard, they were on to good homes.
If the A and B units run, why were they dead in tow instead of being motive power??
The A and B units had been winterized already, meaning they had no water in the diesel engines and could not be fired up. They also weren’t going as far as the other two units, so it made more sense for them to be towed.
@@PANortheasternRailfan Ok, the winterization makes sense. If I ever hit the mega millions, I want the other two A units...
@@ffjsb that would be awesome! If I had that kind of money I’d put it into all sorts of projects
They better fix the other 2
Well this is sad news this means they won’t be restored to lash up with the ex No Steam units Andy bought. Otherwise they’d have stayed in PN.
Unfortunately that does seem to be the case for now
Sheesh, they look worse than they did when they left Winslow
Yeah they are a little rough
It would be nice if the Reading line could be connected with Philadelphia, as a passenger route, not just freight. My friends and I will never go to Reading to ride. (Vandalism to our cars).
Two F7A units should restored them Santa Fe blue yellow freightbonnets units
I love them and I have a folder about them
come take a ride! :))
🚅🚈🚞🚝🚂🚃🚄
trains, trams, aren't they all beautifull
250 & 251 look like "pre-scrap"! Keep the Steam alive, who needs diesels?
A little paint and they’d look alright lol