Hello,

For those who are interested in the Phildelphia and Reading Railroad history, I found the following information on Google Books:

http://books.google.com/books?id=NLMJAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA328&dq=reading+locomotive&as_brr=1#PPA328,M1

Are these the large facilities that still exist today? I believe there were an earlier set of shops and/or they went through a substantial upgrade. In this reference, it appears they had 120 Ton cranes. I thought there was a 220 Ton crane in the shops of today. If I recall, I think one crane could lift a 2100 series steam locomotive proper (less tender of course).

These are very impressive buildings.

Best regards,

Randy Musselman

The Reading Shops were rather famously involved with a rebuilding of 2101 during her Chessie Steam Special days; Railfan Magazine had photos of Chessie 2101 airborne from the cranes. The last time those halls saw rail vehicles was around 1985-1986 during the resurrection of Reading 2102 and Reading diesels (and PRR 5706-5898) under the aegis of the Blue Mountain & Reading. At least one railroad open house was hosted there.

If I understand correctly, the erecting hall still stands in Reading today, albeit in a non-railroad use, though I think the cranes are still there, and I think if there's ever any legitimate reason to pick up 2100, 2101, 2102, or 2124, it might still happen. (Okay, Google Terraserver fanatics, go to it--you're looking between North 6th and N. 9th Sts, and between Spring St. to the south and Heister Lane to the north--probably just southeast of Pike and 6th....... and why is every darned Chinese restaurant in America listed on my copy of Microsoft Streets & Trips?)

I work just a few blocks from the former erecting hall, and I assure you they are still there and in good hands. I've been wanting to get inside to have a look, I'm told the owner is a bit friendly. There are a bunch of other structures at the former yard, most remain, in varying states of repair.

Joshua

The Reading facility is one of the most valuable railroad structures in the US that is not preserved. Although it looks intact, the past 20 years have seen key pieces of the site vanish. I would put it on any top 10 list of most significant rail sites not preserved.


Saving facilities where locomotives were built or rebuilt is a tall order. We know that the last vestage of the ALCo shops in Schectady are doomed - though arguably the most significant buildings were lost decades ago.

In PA there are some interesting loco erecting/heavy repair shops left, of which just one is being preseved.

A list? Sure!

Erie - the GE shop is still working.

Altoona - remaining Juniata shops still working.

Reading - see above

Scranton - DLW shops being used as an ammo plant

Weatherly - Lehigh Valley/Beaver Meadows shop being adaptively reused as a library.

And the newest entry...

Strasburg - Active use.

Any others?

Rob

How About Norfolk Southerns Roanoke Locomotive & Car shops (East-End). While the Car shops are currently being used by American Freight Car (Hopper production), Many of the structures are not being protected, and currently NS is cutting back on what it does use all the time in Roanoke. In fact just recently NS shut down the boiler plant and compressed air shops, foundry complex was shut down not to many years ago. If any of you all have ever seen the air compressor shops it's worthy of being a museum of its own, amazing large Fly-wheeled compressors dating back to steam days and the shops locomotive production. This whole facility is quite a place; this shop complex was responsible for the birth of all homebuilt N&W steam and many many of its freight cars.

Did we forget the East Broad Top shop complex...

The Central Pacific's locomotive and tank shops are being transfered to the California State Railroad museum for its new railroad technology museum. The Paint shop will be rebuilt and adapted for other use.

One that comes to mind locally is the NYC Beech Grove Facility (now Amtrak). Nearly all the buildings are still there and in good shape for the most part.

James

Rob,
The L&NE Shops in Pen Argyl, Pa survive. Includes back shops, Roundhouse, Carpenters Shop, Oil house and Storage House. The Old Car Shops as well exist further towards Bangor as well.

My best,

Eric

Two in southwest Pa.

Ex B&O Glenwood shops - now used as warehouse, as I recall

Ex Monongehela Ry. shop in Brownsville - an abandoned shell when I last saw it

Also,some or all of the P&LE shop complex in McKee's Rocks may still exist, I haven't been by there for a while.

In northwest Pa., the ex B&LE shop complex, including the roundhouse, in Greenville is still owned by CN. It appears intact as of last year, with parts of it being used by CN.

In Maryland, the ex B&O shop in Cumberland was still used by CSX, last time I was by it. I think the WM Scenic uses part of the ex WM shops, also in Cumberland.

I wouldn't hold my breath on the Strasburg shops. I believe the current engine house will come down when they construct their new roundhouse. Also, this is not a shop that existed before they became the tourist hauler they currently are. There used to be a one stall house further towards town across 741.

Not railroad shops per se, but how about the American Car & Foundry shop in Milton, Pa., just reactivated after several years of dead storage? Parts of it date back a century or more, right, Wayne? There's been car construction there since 1864, or so we're told..........

Are the former PRR/Philadelphia & Erie shops in Renovo, Pa. (a town named for railroad car RENOVation) still standing?

The Cumberland Valley Railroad backshop and roundhouse still stand in Chambersburg, PA. After the CV was merged into the PRR the shops were used as a track componet reclamation plant. It is said the first welded rail on the PRR was welded in this shop and installed on the old CV at Falling Waters, WV. The backshop has been used for decades by the fruit industry but the last time I was in the building in 1980 the overhead crane was still there. It looked odd sitting over mountains of applesause. The roundhouse is currently used as a flee market or famers market I think.

John Bohon

Lets not forget the OTHER Reading Railroad erecting shop still standing in the City of Reading. While the North 6th Street locomotive shops are certainly more impressive in size and capabilities, the older shop at 7th & Chestnut near downtown is in some ways more historically significant.

The Philadelphia & Reading RR's original shops were established at the 7th & Chestnut site in the late 1830's, and portions of the present building are believed to date to 1854 when the complex was rebuilt following a major fire. The P&R built its first locomotive on this site in 1845, and the building is where the P&R conducted all its development work in steam locomotive technology, including perfecting the use of anthracite coal as a locomotive fuel, the Millholland "Gunboat" 4-6-0's of the Civil War era, and the Wootten boiler and the Camelback designs of the late 1870's.

After the new locomotive erecting shop was built on North 6th Street in the early 1900's, the 7th & Chestnut shop building was eventually sold and has since had a variety of industrial occupants.

-- Rick Bates

Still standing, and one or more of the buildings now occupied by Renovo Rail Industries, a freight car repair business.

Alan Maples

Numerous trips to the in-laws in Jersey have led me to explore cheap motels in every town along I-80 between Sharon and Snowshoe, but we've developed a fondness for the funky town of DuBois. The B&O car shop there is pretty impressive, and still in use by a tank-car rebuilding firm.

Has the enormous B&O shop at McKees Rocks in Pittsburgh, where I saw the 2-10-4 under restoration in the 1980's, been flattened yet?