The reference to the last customer being the Philly Inquirer on Broad Street (with a Reading coach still lurking as a closed bagel shop across the street) prompted another resource to my head:

I know the concept of a "public library" may be alien to some of the Internet generation. Nevertheless.......... <:-)

Go down to the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia (http://libwww.freelibrary.org/branches/ ... fm?loc=CEN ), and in the Business, Science & Industry Department under Dewey 385.0974 P289D you'll find John R. Pawson's 1979 book Delaware Valley Rails : the Railroads and Rail Transit Lines of the Philadelphia Area. It's the same size as the "standard" Kalmbach reference paperbacks such as the Diesel Spotter's Guides.

It's a "closed reference" book, meaning that you can't circulate it (and every library copy I've ever seen of this book has had to be rebound because of lousy binding), but it's an incredibly detailed technical look at ALL the trackage from Wilmington to Trenton and west to Norristown. If you can't find your answers after being buried in that book for several hours, get back to us.

Sorry, Bucks County Library doesn't have a copy. There happen to be used copies on Amazon.com starting at $20, but beware of defective bindings.

Sandy, you are an amazing repository of facts and info on where to find facts. Is there anyway of backing you up on an external hard drive somewhere so we can retain this resource in case you suffer from a cerebral hard drive crash?

I do remain puzzled by your responses on this topic but appreciate the good nature in which you have handled the rebuttals.

You said, "My intention was not to deride Brother Goldman for asking a broad-based railfan-history question about non-preserved railroads (and further, lines/ROWs which stand little to no chance of actual preservation per se)."

It is precisely because there is little chance of actual preservation of this rail line that qualifies what Mitch is attempting to do as preservation. We have never been able to save one item of every kind of locomotive by every builder. Its precisely because someone like Mitch took the time to research and document that information that we still know about those models. We can never preserve nor should we try to preserve every abandonded rail line. But preserving information on as many abandonded rail lines seems like an admireable effort and intention.

This is not a slam. I like hearing your take on things. You at times are willing to say things that need to be said. However, I feel like I must be missing something on this one.

I nominate Brothers Conrad, Pincus, Schmidt, Anderson, Moedinger, Musser, and other "walking encyclopedias" for the rather dubious honor of brain-download first, if for no other reason than older hardware. >;-)

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go down to the Maryland Rail Heritage Library and see if there's another round of "ID what the heck is in this photo" awaiting me..........

As for the rest of you, maybe I should set up a PayPal "tip jar" or the like. Maybe over a year I'll get enough to buy the gas to get 1/20th of the way to the shop that has that copy of Bells & Whistles in Old Perry so I can acquire it for the MRHL........

Update:

The park concept:
https://philly.curbed.com/2017/3/16/149 ... date-march

The abandoned Reading diner:
https://philly.curbed.com/2017/5/3/1553 ... es-project

AbeBooks has a copy for sale for $57.50, and they'll send it to you for not much more than that... probably a better use of the potential donations.

As it turns out, our NRHS Chapter's eBay/Amazon broker spotted a copy in great condition for only $20 with free shipping a while back. I personally had him snap it up, and am checking to see if the library system in Perry County has it on hand (under secure keeping this time) before I decide who gets this copy...... okay, they now have two copies in the Newport library..........