Ok, folks, the Reading plates thread has been productive and illuminating, but is now straying into flame war territory. A reminder to all from our Guidelines and Rules as set out at the link on the header of the Interchange:

"Constructive, polite criticism, and polite responses to same, are acceptable.

No flaming. There will be zero tolerance for this, one strike and you're out."

To expand on this: Assertions by one poster of defects in another poster's personal character ("X should be ashamed," "Y is emotional and irrational") are flames, and they are not permitted on this board. If the discussion continues in this direction, I will have to terminate the Reading builder's plates thread.

Also, please note that we very strongly enourage parties with sharp differences of personal opinion to resolve those differences offline.



eledbetter@rypn.org

> Ok, folks, the Reading plates thread has
> been productive and illuminating, but is now
> straying into flame war territory. A
> reminder to all from our Guidelines and
> Rules as set out at the link on the header
> of the Interchange:

> "Constructive, polite criticism, and
> polite responses to same, are acceptable.

> No flaming. There will be zero tolerance for
> this, one strike and you're out."

My apologies if I went to far Erik. This issue is far from simple to figure out, and being it involves equipment formerly used in Interstate Commerce, certain state laws that seem to apply may be ruled invalid. Add in the fact eventual form that the company formerly owning the locomotives took may be clouded as well. Who was the successor of the locomotives original owner, Conrail, SEPTA, NS, CSX? The land/coal company portion of Reading Company never absorbed into Conrail?

There's a lot of things that need to be taken into consideration, and it could get very ugly before it's all over. Having to resort to showing up at railroadiana shows, with a team of lawyers and cops in tow, assuming everything is stolen and must be turned over, would seem like the last choice.

Heck... I don't even know if the NS or CSX police would even get involved with this. Both RR's special agents go to train shows as it is now, and do confiscate their share of items that can be proven with reasonable doubt to be stolen (such as current-use switch locks and keys). With a vintage item, with no clear cut manner to verify its provenance, determining the proper owner might become far more difficult a task.

Fiv4HghStk@aol.com

P&R Coal and Iron was separated from the Reading Company in 1924. At that time, P&R Railroad was merged into the Reading Company, hence the unusual name on the cars.

The three FP-7's went either first to ConRail then SEPTA or directly to SEPTA, I'm not sure how that went, probably directly to SEPTA. They were operated by CR for SEPTA numbered in the CR series as 4371-4373. From SEPTA they went to the NRHS Chapters.

It would appear the Chapters have matters under control as to the builder's plates.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association

Actually, every piece of equipment, hardware, and paper that was ever owned by The Reading Company in its entire history is still in existance . . .

nothing was EVER scrapped !

it was stolen !

And we know that its still out there, which is why it has taken 25 years to get a museum going, because we could never find a building that we thought would be big enough . . .

Here and I thought R. Co. rebuilt everything into something else.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association