Thank You for posting this. My Dad (Walter Seip) & my Uncle Stanley helped to restore the 02 in the early 80's. I hope all of the comments and whisperings of a future restoration really happen. I miss hearing her whistle.
Those t-1 Northern's were a great locomotive, My father fired most of them at one time or another, yes I am the son of a Reading RR Engineer.. 40 yrs on the Reading RR retired from Conrail. Went heaven on the Reading RR Crusader.🛤🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🤠🙏
How many whistles does it have? at 0:17 It seems to have a Santa Fe 6 Chime now at 1:36 it has it's 1 chime I wonder if it will use that whistle when it returns to servicee
That sure was a neat way to get to Jim Thorpe. Now, they'll only run on their own lines through Tamaqua on the Port Clinton-JT runs, avoiding Allentown completely. Only way we'll see a public passenger excursion through Allentown again is if NS does it with 765 or the Bennett Levin/Juniata Terminal PRR E8's from Philly run through.
It's also weird seeing old videos and seeing nothing but 1987 or older vehicles when now we live in a world of 1990's and 2000's vehicles, and 70's and 80's vehicles are rare. In 1987 I was in junior high school (Springhouse) at Parkland School District. Most of the teachers I had are now retired, a few passed away. I lived in Allentown area my entire life. I still live at home with my brother, mom, and her man friend of 16 years, my father passed away Mar 8, 1986. He worked for Bethlehem Steel.
These videos are priceless. I don't think we'll ever see steam in Allentown again unless Norfolk Southern permits it. They are bringing back a steam program, so that offers hope that someday we might see steam on NS in PA. The closest that NS's steam got to PA 1994 and earlier was Hagerstown, MD and Alexandria, VA.
@rwk360 As for the date, that's what I have in my notes. The reason for the backup running Reading to Allentown was to eliminate the time consuming turning move in Allentown and Saucon described in the 1985 video. That earlier trip was a disaster, returning to Reading way after the scheduled time and tying up Allentown Yard for a couple of hours, aggravating Conrail in the process.
I do have more of 2102. It'll be up here when I get to those tapes. Got a ways to go yet. I decided to re-digitize all the VHS because I recently got a Canopus converter and it results in much cleaner and sharper captures than when I did it the first time using the passthrough on my sony camcorder.
Why did Conrail permit these trips back then, but today Reading and Northern won't run any excursions on Norfolk Southern track or any one else's? And I heard there's a ban on interchange of friction bearing equipment like those old coaches since 1994. And Norfolk Southern does not like to handle friction bearing equipment because of the risks involved. When these trips ran, were both BM&R and Conrail crews on board the train? Now, NS is bringing back a steam program with locomotives from TVRM.
I rode the BM&R in 1986-1987-1988 but not the long distance ones on Conrail. I did ride behind 2102 in 1988 from South Hamburg, and again Sept. 1991 from Emmaus-Pennsburg. I rode behind 425 in June, 1987 from Temple during Railfan Weekend II, and July, 1992 from Leesport-Jim Thorpe. In 1986 it was the light blue switcher diesel pulling an RDC from Temple. I rode behind 425 again May 2009 Tunkhannock-JT.
Oh, the Basin St. crossings are gone they were replaced with railroad bridges in 1993 and Basin St. was lowered to go under the railroad. The City of Allentown pressured Conrail to do it because Basin St. was a busy road and always got backed up because of the railroad crossings.
These were the days when Andy Muller's railroad was a stranger, visitor to Jim Thorpe when George Hart ran the tourist trains out of Jim Thorpe at the time. Now, Andy's railroad basically owns and runs everything in JT now, and George Hart passed away a few years ago. Rail Tours, Inc. is done. Most of the equipment in JT was acquired by the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway/Reading and Northern or sold. The cabooses were privately owned, some were moved away.
Why was 2102 running in reverse here but in the Sept 22, 1985 video 2102 was running forward entering Allentown? Are you sure this is 1987? I thought 2102's tender was painted in the We the People Constitution Day for Berks County in 1987? Here, it's still in Reading. BM&R ran no off line trips in 1986 due to an insurance crisis, and in 1988 2102's tender was painted black, then BM&R lettering applied. 1988 was the final year of the off line trips on Conrail.
I have this in Trainz Railroad Simulator 2010, plus the routes to run it on. I'm combining routes to form a "super route" of Reading and Northern lines including the ex LV line to Sayre, PA, plus NS (Conrail) from Bound Brook, NJ to Harrisburg, PA. So, I'll be able to run 2102 anywhere I want on my Trainz route. For example, I could run an excursion from South Hamburg to Harrisburg like BM&R did.
Thank you Sarah for the kind words. But for your father, your uncle, and the other fine folks involved, I would have had nothing to aim my camera at. Too many people take these machines for granted and never think about the hard work of the folks that bring them back to life.
Good job you got video of "The Shambles Rambles" of 85 lol.... anything that could go wrong went wrong....Dispatchers that were not organized, Water Foaming in the boiler and Reverse moves...lol
Why were these same friction bearing coaches permitted on Conrail then hauling the general public but they wouldn't be permitted on NS now? What changed between then and now that would prohibit the operation of these coaches on class 1 railroads like NS? Also, why did BM&R stop doing the off-line excursions on Conrail? Was it Conrail's or BM&R's decision? I noticed that all mainline excursions need to have roller bearing coaches like 1950's streamline coaches, Amtrak coaches, or commuter coaches
Why wouldn't NS allow 2102 to operate on its lines, they're allowing other steam locomotives to operate on their lines now for 21st Century Steam. R&N could "lease" the 2102 to NS for a few trips on the ex-Reading mainlines out of Reading, PA. Maybe 765 could make it to Reading, Allentown, or Philadelphia again through NS's new program. It went through those cities in July and August, 1988.
NS is starting their own steam program again, with a 22 state tour starting next year, so we WILL see steam on NS in the form of Southern 630 and later 4501. 2102 should be restored, though. If NS can operate steam themselves again, why wouldn't they allow locomotives like NKP 765 and RDG 2102 to run a few trips over their lines? There would be the issue of friction bearings, though (coaches too) and 2102 owner Andy Muller having to deal with NS to run excursions south, west, or east of Reading.
@yankinga Dates are correct. I was on both trips and in 1985 tthe 02 pulled into Allentown noise first and had to wait three hours to get on the turntable. Reason for this is at CP Burn, Conrail in their infinite wisdom had removed one leg of the wye thus necessitating the need to turn :( In 1987 this problem was solved by running the 02 into Allentown Tender first. If I recall correctly, Charlie Kachal was driving both trips :)
@yankinga True that, although ive heard rumors that the R&N was planning on restoring her once the steam shops were completly finished. just rumors though. Maybe NS's steam program would encorporate her, although they would need roller bearing coaches instead of the R&N's friction bearing ones.
Just my own personal preference but to me the Reading freight whistle on the 2102 is like Hulk Hogan talking with a baby's voice. If I was to put a single-note whistle on her it would have to be an N&W-type 12-incher. Though it's a single-note like the Reading whistle, it's a low-enough note so when you hear it you know it's still a very large locomotive charging at you. Again just my two lousy pennies.
There's nothing cheap about rebuilding a steam loco. As I'm to understand 2102 was on her last mile when retired, meaning she would need a full rebuild from the ground up ( $500,000 to possibly 1 million or more! ). Thats a big investment for something that may not turn a profit, break even or pay for the rebuild itself. It would be great to see her run but it's Mr Mullers money and shes doing just fine either way.
@indie1361 She would need extensive (hence expensive) repairs to allow her to get a Federal Certificate to operate. Then, she is surrounded by Class One railroads that will not permit her to operate on their lines (CSX and NS), limiting her to he owner's Reading and Northern lines. Finally, insurance premiums for hauling passengers are extremely expensive. This in turn causes excursion tickets to be priced very high, reducing potential ridership and revenues.
About this vid, you will NEVER, EVER see this again in Allentown. Period. Not while NS (No Steam!) is in charge! Plus, the 2102 hasn't steamed since Oct 1991. NS also does not like old friction bearing coaches. BM&R stopped running trips outside of their own tracks anyway after 1988. 1990 Andy Muller formed Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern after acquiring Conrail ex-RDG trackage north of Reading and BM&R was phased out after 1995. They have plenty of track to run excursions on now.
But CSX still has a big hatred toward steam and railfan excursions. They want nothing to do with anything that would hold up their freights and cost them money with little profit. It's expensive to run steam excursions, look at 765's NS's excursion prices this year.
if it is the trip I think it isit wort s trip I have ever been on it got back about 3 am bad water and just poorly run I know I should have not gone on it
2102 is back! Great news!
Thank You for posting this. My Dad (Walter Seip) & my Uncle Stanley helped to restore the 02 in the early 80's. I hope all of the comments and whisperings of a future restoration really happen. I miss hearing her whistle.
Those t-1 Northern's were a great locomotive, My father fired most of them at one time or another, yes I am the son of a Reading RR Engineer.. 40 yrs on the Reading RR retired from Conrail. Went heaven on the Reading RR Crusader.🛤🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🤠🙏
It seems like it has a Santa Fe 6 Chime in this vid
That whistle sounds so beautiful
How many whistles does it have?
at 0:17 It seems to have a Santa Fe 6 Chime
now at 1:36 it has it's 1 chime
I wonder if it will use that whistle when it returns to servicee
Great video of this beautiful T-1.👍☕
That sure was a neat way to get to Jim Thorpe. Now, they'll only run on their own lines through Tamaqua on the Port Clinton-JT runs, avoiding Allentown completely. Only way we'll see a public passenger excursion through Allentown again is if NS does it with 765 or the Bennett Levin/Juniata Terminal PRR E8's from Philly run through.
It's also weird seeing old videos and seeing nothing but 1987 or older vehicles when now we live in a world of 1990's and 2000's vehicles, and 70's and 80's vehicles are rare. In 1987 I was in junior high school (Springhouse) at Parkland School District. Most of the teachers I had are now retired, a few passed away. I lived in Allentown area my entire life. I still live at home with my brother, mom, and her man friend of 16 years, my father passed away Mar 8, 1986. He worked for Bethlehem Steel.
Great video of the Reading T-1👍
Love the pacing shots!!!
These videos are priceless. I don't think we'll ever see steam in Allentown again unless Norfolk Southern permits it. They are bringing back a steam program, so that offers hope that someday we might see steam on NS in PA. The closest that NS's steam got to PA 1994 and earlier was Hagerstown, MD and Alexandria, VA.
I like the guy at the beginning blowing his car horn to echo the whistle lol
@rwk360 As for the date, that's what I have in my notes. The reason for the backup running Reading to Allentown was to eliminate the time consuming turning move in Allentown and Saucon described in the 1985 video. That earlier trip was a disaster, returning to Reading way after the scheduled time and tying up Allentown Yard for a couple of hours, aggravating Conrail in the process.
I do have more of 2102. It'll be up here when I get to those tapes. Got a ways to go yet.
I decided to re-digitize all the VHS because I recently got a Canopus converter and it results in much cleaner and sharper captures than when I did it the first time using the passthrough on my sony camcorder.
Why did Conrail permit these trips back then, but today Reading and Northern won't run any excursions on Norfolk Southern track or any one else's? And I heard there's a ban on interchange of friction bearing equipment like those old coaches since 1994. And Norfolk Southern does not like to handle friction bearing equipment because of the risks involved. When these trips ran, were both BM&R and Conrail crews on board the train? Now, NS is bringing back a steam program with locomotives from TVRM.
I rode the BM&R in 1986-1987-1988 but not the long distance ones on Conrail. I did ride behind 2102 in 1988 from South Hamburg, and again Sept. 1991 from Emmaus-Pennsburg. I rode behind 425 in June, 1987 from Temple during Railfan Weekend II, and July, 1992 from Leesport-Jim Thorpe. In 1986 it was the light blue switcher diesel pulling an RDC from Temple. I rode behind 425 again May 2009 Tunkhannock-JT.
Great Video!! Love the Hooter.
at 2:09 when it's kinda quiet you can hear the noises of the engines wheels sounds great, good video
Oh, the Basin St. crossings are gone they were replaced with railroad bridges in 1993 and Basin St. was lowered to go under the railroad. The City of Allentown pressured Conrail to do it because Basin St. was a busy road and always got backed up because of the railroad crossings.
this good old girl will be back in action soon thank god its been to long
These were the days when Andy Muller's railroad was a stranger, visitor to Jim Thorpe when George Hart ran the tourist trains out of Jim Thorpe at the time. Now, Andy's railroad basically owns and runs everything in JT now, and George Hart passed away a few years ago. Rail Tours, Inc. is done. Most of the equipment in JT was acquired by the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway/Reading and Northern or sold. The cabooses were privately owned, some were moved away.
Why was 2102 running in reverse here but in the Sept 22, 1985 video 2102 was running forward entering Allentown? Are you sure this is 1987? I thought 2102's tender was painted in the We the People Constitution Day for Berks County in 1987? Here, it's still in Reading. BM&R ran no off line trips in 1986 due to an insurance crisis, and in 1988 2102's tender was painted black, then BM&R lettering applied. 1988 was the final year of the off line trips on Conrail.
I have this in Trainz Railroad Simulator 2010, plus the routes to run it on. I'm combining routes to form a "super route" of Reading and Northern lines including the ex LV line to Sayre, PA, plus NS (Conrail) from Bound Brook, NJ to Harrisburg, PA. So, I'll be able to run 2102 anywhere I want on my Trainz route. For example, I could run an excursion from South Hamburg to Harrisburg like BM&R did.
Thank you Sarah for the kind words. But for your father, your uncle, and the other fine folks involved, I would have had nothing to aim my camera at. Too many people take these machines for granted and never think about the hard work of the folks that bring them back to life.
LOVE IT!!!
Good job you got video of "The Shambles Rambles" of 85 lol.... anything that could go wrong went wrong....Dispatchers that were not organized, Water Foaming in the boiler and Reverse moves...lol
Why were these same friction bearing coaches permitted on Conrail then hauling the general public but they wouldn't be permitted on NS now? What changed between then and now that would prohibit the operation of these coaches on class 1 railroads like NS? Also, why did BM&R stop doing the off-line excursions on Conrail? Was it Conrail's or BM&R's decision? I noticed that all mainline excursions need to have roller bearing coaches like 1950's streamline coaches, Amtrak coaches, or commuter coaches
Why wouldn't NS allow 2102 to operate on its lines, they're allowing other steam locomotives to operate on their lines now for 21st Century Steam. R&N could "lease" the 2102 to NS for a few trips on the ex-Reading mainlines out of Reading, PA. Maybe 765 could make it to Reading, Allentown, or Philadelphia again through NS's new program. It went through those cities in July and August, 1988.
Did the T-1s only have the freight whistle in regular service, or did they have the passenger 6-chimes as well?
NS is starting their own steam program again, with a 22 state tour starting next year, so we WILL see steam on NS in the form of Southern 630 and later 4501. 2102 should be restored, though. If NS can operate steam themselves again, why wouldn't they allow locomotives like NKP 765 and RDG 2102 to run a few trips over their lines? There would be the issue of friction bearings, though (coaches too) and 2102 owner Andy Muller having to deal with NS to run excursions south, west, or east of Reading.
wow will this mean that 2 years later this train will be back on jim thorpe instead of a reading diesel locomotive
What?
Is that a B&M 6 chime?
Six chime of the Southern Pacific.
All though I do admit that both whistles do sound the same.
@@jltrain-zgamingrailfan202x3 It's more probable to be a B&M 6. 425 Had a B&M 6 around this time.
U no each one of them lady's have a different tone she they put off I love it
Amos Maclin what
@yankinga Dates are correct. I was on both trips and in 1985 tthe 02 pulled into Allentown noise first and had to wait three hours to get on the turntable. Reason for this is at CP Burn, Conrail in their infinite wisdom had removed one leg of the wye thus necessitating the need to turn :(
In 1987 this problem was solved by running the 02 into Allentown Tender first. If I recall correctly, Charlie Kachal was driving both trips :)
@yankinga True that, although ive heard rumors that the R&N was planning on restoring her once the steam shops were completly finished. just rumors though.
Maybe NS's steam program would encorporate her, although they would need roller bearing coaches instead of the R&N's friction bearing ones.
4:16 that’s how you know the train is going extra slow
Why doesn't she run anymore?
Just my own personal preference but to me the Reading freight whistle on the 2102 is like Hulk Hogan talking with a baby's voice. If I was to put a single-note whistle on her it would have to be an N&W-type 12-incher. Though it's a single-note like the Reading whistle, it's a low-enough note so when you hear it you know it's still a very large locomotive charging at you. Again just my two lousy pennies.
There's nothing cheap about rebuilding a steam loco. As I'm to understand 2102 was on her last mile when retired, meaning she would need a full rebuild from the ground up ( $500,000 to possibly 1 million or more! ). Thats a big investment for something that may not turn a profit, break even or pay for the rebuild itself. It would be great to see her run but it's Mr Mullers money and shes doing just fine either way.
@indie1361 She would need extensive (hence expensive) repairs to allow her to get a Federal Certificate to operate. Then, she is surrounded by Class One railroads that will not permit her to operate on their lines (CSX and NS), limiting her to he owner's Reading and Northern lines. Finally, insurance premiums for hauling passengers are extremely expensive. This in turn causes excursion tickets to be priced very high, reducing potential ridership and revenues.
Gotta love Northerns!
I love northerns to
cool
About this vid, you will NEVER, EVER see this again in Allentown. Period. Not while NS (No Steam!) is in charge! Plus, the 2102 hasn't steamed since Oct 1991. NS also does not like old friction bearing coaches. BM&R stopped running trips outside of their own tracks anyway after 1988. 1990 Andy Muller formed Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern after acquiring Conrail ex-RDG trackage north of Reading and BM&R was phased out after 1995. They have plenty of track to run excursions on now.
@yankinga In other words, the owner is too cheap to fix it.
Stop beeping your horn little car...
But CSX still has a big hatred toward steam and railfan excursions. They want nothing to do with anything that would hold up their freights and cost them money with little profit. It's expensive to run steam excursions, look at 765's NS's excursion prices this year.
if it is the trip I think it isit wort s trip I have ever been on it got back about 3 am bad water and just poorly run I know I should have not gone on it