Reading 2102 Ready for May Excursions

TRS · **Posted:** Sat Apr 16, 2022 10:01 am

Times News (Lehighton, Pennsylvania): https://www.tnonline.com/20220416/steam ... -28-trips/

• Reading 2102, 4-8-4 (Reading Company [no builder's number] / 1945), Reading class T-1

Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad: https://www.rbmnrr.com/steam

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Sat Apr 16, 2022 11:21 pm

Here's the first paragraph of the Press Release:

April 12, 2022, Port Clinton, PA- The Reading & Northern Railroad is excited to announce that steam locomotive #2102 has successfully completed its first test runs following its extensive five-year rebuild. The locomotive made a homecoming on Wednesday, April 6, stopping briefly at Reading Outer Station with hundreds of people looking on. It also visited Tamaqua on April 7& 8, plus Nesquehoning and Jim Thorpe on April 8.

https://www.rbmnrr.com/happenings/2022/ ... -test-runs

And the Passenger Page:

https://www.rbmnrr-passenger.com/schedule

Phil Mulligan

NVPete · **Posted:** Sun Apr 17, 2022 11:25 am

Looks good!!!...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3sG4qmiFq4

alzubal · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 9:05 am **Posts:** 118

Good evening
Are they able to turn 2102 in Jim Thorpe?

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Sun Apr 17, 2022 8:48 pm

alzubal wrote:

Good evening
Are they able to turn 2102 in Jim Thorpe?

They will be able to turn the locomotive just outside of town at the Nesquehoning bridge wye.

Kevin Gilliam · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 10:28 pm **Posts:** 292

alzubal wrote:

Good evening
Are they able to turn 2102 in Jim Thorpe?

Yes. There is a wye now that the new bridge is in service just north of town where the Pittston line branches off.

G. W. Laepple · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:10 pm **Posts:** 1182

I wonder why 2102 was not turned when it got to Jim Thorpe last week?

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Sun Apr 17, 2022 10:17 pm

G. W. Laepple wrote:

I wonder why 2102 was not turned when it got to Jim Thorpe last week?

I don't believe the locomotive can fit on the Port Clinton turntable, so if they turned it at Nesquehoning, I don't think they'd have a way to turn it back around in Port Clinton. As far as I think I know, they'd have to turn the train at the Haucks wye anyway.

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Mon Apr 18, 2022 4:13 pm

In steam days, Reading T-1's did not run to Mauch Chunk (now Jim Thorpe) but CNJ had 2-8-2's (USRA Heavy but with wide fireboxes) that had long tenders.

If the turntable is 100 feet, a T-1 (wheelbase just over 96 feet) will fit. Whether the table as it is now will take the weight is another problem and that includes the approach tracks as they are now.

Phil Mulligan

Ed Kapuscinski · **Posted:** Mon Apr 18, 2022 5:59 pm

I'm certain the fine folks at the R&N have thought it through.

mcgrath618 · **Joined:** Mon Feb 15, 2021 6:54 pm **Posts:** 231

bigjim4life wrote:

G. W. Laepple wrote:

I wonder why 2102 was not turned when it got to Jim Thorpe last week?

I don't believe the locomotive can fit on the Port Clinton turntable, so if they turned it at Nesquehoning, I don't think they'd have a way to turn it back around in Port Clinton. As far as I think I know, they'd have to turn the train at the Haucks wye anyway.

IIRC the turn table at Jim Thorpe is 75 feet.

Howard P. · **Posted:** Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:42 pm

The table at Jim Thorpe turned NKP 759 a number of times in 1968-69-70. That engine has a total wheelbase of just under 88 feet. I would suspect that the JT table is a 90-footer.

Howard P.

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:59 pm

Howard P. wrote:

The table at Jim Thorpe turned NKP 759 a number of times in 1968-69-70. That engine has a total wheelbase of just under 88 feet. I would suspect that the JT table is a 90-footer.

Howard P.

Either way, the turntable at JT is not a powered turntable - every time that 425 was turned on the table there, it had to be done via hooking up a front-end loader and chain, and using that to turn the table every time. Could it still be done, absolutely. But now that the nearby bridge/wye is installed, 425 has used that every time in Jim Thorpe. 425 can fit and be turned on the Port Clinton turntable - but I don't believe 2102 can.