A rare cab ride in RBMN F unit

Reading & Northern's F units are a fan favorite, but few have been fortunate enough to get a cab ride in them. Working for the railroad has its perks, and on September 3, 2023 I was able to take a cab ride during their special appearance on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway for Labor Day weekend.
The F units are F9a #270 and F7b #275 and were built in the early 1950s. Reading & Northern purchased them from Norfolk-Southern in December 2019 and gave them a distinctive paint scheme reminiscent of the former Lehigh and New England Railroad.
Thank you to RBMN engineer Chris Peters for making this ride a memorable one!
0:00 Jim Thorpe arrival and intro
3:10 walking through the diesels
4:54 watching the RDCs arrive
5:30 riding from Jim Thorpe to Old Penn Haven
36:06 end screen
Chasing trains and building models is hard work! You can help me refuel and support my adventures at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/jamiemakin

[@johnalder6028]

Handsome livery on the engine and B unit. Greetings from Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Very nice video.

[@LNEProd]

Hi Jaime! I remember seeing you working at the rambles that day! i was one kid with a tripod in Jim Thorpe close to the end car on 2102s Consist. I recongnized you when you and other conductors and car hosts walked to the station!

[@JamieMakin]

Hey there! That's awesome that you saw me working the Rambles that day and I'm glad you got to see 2102 in action.

[@jasonoliver5388]

Jamie you got the best seat in the hole train. I really enjoyed this video.

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks so much!

[@dennis78382]

Good morning Jamie. I got my coffee. Let's head on down the tracks!🎉 hey Jamie. I let this one play once and then went back to watch it. Got called away! Thanks for sharing friend.

[@JamieMakin]

Good evening Dennis! Took me almost a week to get enough sleep and coffee to get back to replying to comments lol. Anyway, thanks for sticking with this video to complete it. I know it was a long one, so thanks!

[@dexterdog62]

What an amazing video! I recently purchased the N scale versions of 270 and 275 from Broadway Limited complete with DCC and sound to add to my Reading and Northern inspired layout. They’re absolutely fantastic little models. To actually see the interior of the prototype is a real treat.

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks, so glad you enjoyed the video! I also got the BLI F units in N scale and have been enjoying them very much. Glad you got them too.

[@gusshadleythelunaticfromar7125]

Iam glad you got to ride the F unit, they are just too cool.

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks, Guss! It was a special experience I'll always treasure!

[@rosiemcnaughton9933]

Beautiful day for the trip! This is a different perspective on it. Interesting to see how the trains maneuver in the station, something like planes in an airport. My favorite part was the spectacular view of the river and the bridges. Thanks for taking us along.

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks so much, Rosie! I've been enjoying learning about the train operations and how they coordinate all of the movements. Next weekend really ups the activity as the LGSR departs every hour, longer trains come from Reading and Pittston, and the RDCs arrive from Pottsville. Glad you enjoyed that and the beautiful scenery!

[@BBenoist]

Having never seen the inside of one of those cabs, this was a gem. I am sure it was a dream come true for you as well🙂. You are truly becoming the ambassador for Reading & Northern.

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks so much, Bill! There aren't many of these streamlined diesels still running which makes this an extra special treat. And Reading & Northern and I have a wonder and mutually-beneficial relationship going. Can't wait to see what the future there holds!

[@KevinRichards-my5oj]

Those old school diesel locomotives are cool. Back in the late 1930s when they first began building diesel locomotives, that time was the beginning of the end of steam locomotives. They still continued building steam locomotives up to either the 1940s/early 1950s & it wasn't until the 1960s when nearly all steam locomotives phased out & got replaced by more diesel ones.

[@JamieMakin]

I love the early diesel locomotives, and getting to ride in this one was a true pleasure.

[@marilynscull4585]

Awesome video Jamie

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks Marilyn!

[@jsnow181]

Im glad I got to run the complete set on Norfolk Southern before the idiots sold them. Nothing like running the OCS at 60 mph on the mainline.

[@JamieMakin]

Nice! I would have loved to see all four running together.

[@JohnRukat]

I enjoyed the the ride very impressive thanks for the ride front row seatw

[@user-hw1jh8wv7j]

Great video 😊

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks!

[@robertstevens9656]

Spectacular!

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks!

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

Amazing 😊

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks!

[@Alcochaser]

At 3:16 you can see the A end of the B unit. It looks like NS installed an equipment locker of some sort. 3:17 B unit electrical cabinet. Note railing for elevated walk way. 3:21 645 and Roots Blower 3:22 Underside radiator core covers. Pretty original in here all things considered. These are VERY F units still. 3:28 WOW, remnants from the old steam generator. 3:40 Begin A unit, HEP pony motor. 3:52 EMD 645, Exhaust Manifolds in top left, Radiator covers above. Still very original really in here. 3:59 Top left is blank for Dynamic Brake grid fan. Plenty of space to move the dynamic grids in here from 250 or 251. Back side of electrical cabinet. VERY nice clean install. 4:03 Cab, CCB-26 brake controller, added Dynamic Brake lever.

[@JamieMakin]

Excellent information! Thanks so much for identifying all of that!

[@joegotlewski413]

That’s so cool that you got to walk through both units! I’ve always wondered what the inside of the second unit looks like. Can’t wait to ride behind the F-Units on October 29th in the Parlor Car. Gonna be my second time riding behind them and also in the Parlor Car!

[@JamieMakin]

I was always curious what they were like inside too. Hopefully one day I will get to spend more time in them to look around. Enjoy your ride on 10/29!

[@michaelthayer643]

Thanks for sharing!

[@JamieMakin]

You're welcome!

[@DelHudson1]

There's a lot to take in with this video. F9A with the RDC coming into the station, with the GP38-2 Gorge train coming in as well. Lots of train spotting. Awesome train spotting videos.

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks so much! Jim Thorpe and Lehigh Gorge keep getting busier and busier with trains!

[@nomadsempirebuilder9461]

😎

[@petersmith4455]

hi from England, great video, love unit 270 a blast from the 50s, wish we had one over here,is it an F7 emd ? they have them in Aussie

[@TrainsAreReallyCool]

270 is an F9. It was originally built for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and then it got tossed around a bit after it was retired before eventually being acquired by Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) and being rebuilt as an F9PH. It then was acquired by Norfolk Southern (NS), and overhauled and refurbished along with the B (Cabless) unit, 275. They served on NS's executive train for almost 20 years, but were sold off in 2019 along with the other two F units, 271 and 276. Those two went to a Shortline in North Carolina, while these were bought by the R&N and ended up here.

[@JamieMakin]

Hello to you in England, Peter! The other viewer gave a great history of the engines, so hope that helps.

[@bekleidungu.ausrustung7068]

Wow!! That was a great ride, Really enjoyed it. Who owns the track at 16:09? Would that be NS? Doesn't seem to be used. Great video, Jaime 🚂🚂🚂

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks so much! The parallel track belongs to NS, it's their Ashmore Secondary line that runs north to Hazelton and south to Allentown. They run freight on it most nights during the week, but the ones that pass through Lehigh Gorge are so late at night (2 am or 3 am) that you can't realistically go out there to film them. We do see NS MOW equipment on it frequently during the day though.

[@paulsmith5398]

HA! Methinks theres a new "intro/outro" for your videos in the works!🤔👍👍👍👍😀😀🤣🤣😲😱❗

[@JamieMakin]

Cool idea, but I didn't think to get the view I would have wanted for the outro.

[@paulsmith5398]

@@JamieMakin talk with the "Big Guy", he might let you have another F-9 cab ride for the outro.........

[@brianfalzon6739]

What if the R&N can offer locomotive cab rides from North Reading to Pittston?

[@JamieMakin]

That seems unlikely, but it sure would be cool.

[@chrisscott8934]

Do you guys mostly do the dinner train special sometimes

[@JamieMakin]

Unfortunately we don't do any dinner trains. Hopefully someday.

[@chrisscott8934]

@@JamieMakin oh okay well I thought you guys had that but I guess I was probably wrong well at least you guys have other oprations to keep the passers intertane

[@paulsmith5398]

I have a clue why there wont be domes on the Pittston run, or the Mahanoy runs either, the domes wont clear the tunnels 🤔😔😤😲😱❗

[@brianfalzon6739]

No idea either

[@JamieMakin]

We're running dome #6 on the Pittston to Jim Thorpe trains every weekend for Fall Foliage season. It had no problem going through the White Haven and Rockport tunnels. I believe they are too tall to go through the Mahanoy Tunnel, but there's really no need to run them through there.

[@paulsmith5398]

@@JamieMakin WHOO-HOO😀😃❗

[@user-bm5hl5uf4b]

ALCO RSD39 me C15 Argentino Rodríguez RSD39 668C KZbin 664

[@user-qw3jj3vf9k]

Why don't these cab rides include the operators stand, so we can watch him or her work the controls, instead of going to sleep counting trees. It just makes it more interesting. And the timpanic sounds of those Detroits when they notch the throttle up on the GPs and the E and F units

[@JamieMakin]

That's something I can look at doing for future cab rides. I've done short clips of it on other rides, but if that's something folks are interested in I can capture more of it.

[@bhtrains8523]

Your wrong about the train it’s a gp38 with a shell of a f9

[@JamieMakin]

It does have a GP38 engine now, but it was built as an F7a for the B&O in 1952.

[@bhtrains8523]

Correct

[@bhtrains8523]

I really liked the video 2 weeks ago they let me in the cab oit

[@bhtrains8523]

I’m hoping I can work there someday but I already have job offer at a place called steamtown and I even got to be the assistant fireman for there 0-6-0 no. 26 steam loco

[@JamieMakin]

Cool stuff! Glad you got to visit 270's cab, and I hope you enjoy your new job at Steamtown.

[@williamclaxton6530]

Ex NS 4270

[@rodgodx345]

Why don’t they have a railroad crossing gates or lights here Jesus lol

[@JamieMakin]

It's technically a private crossing. Even though it's a busy crossing, they aren't required to have lights or crossing gates there.

[@user-qw3jj3vf9k]

Don't have good audio on the engines

[@JamieMakin]

Hopefully the new camera and mic I just got will pick up on that better next time. I'd also like to do a more thorough look around the engine bays.

[@knightryder6068]

The fact she has an E bell is both off-putting and depressing.