Reading and PRR Railroad History with

[@JPVideos81]

PRR history is so important to our history and is even more fascinating to learn about. Glad to see you shedding more light on this historic line.

[@rj78productions88]

Thanks brother. Yeah, it is definitely interesting to learn about the history and seeing what once was.

[@msmith1959]

Thank you for the nature walk and history lesson. Truly appreciate your time.

[@cavemanad]

One of the best videos yet. Very interesting and informative. I love RR history and PA is my home state. I also have to say how sick it makes me to see graffiti on art and historical items.

[@rj78productions88]

Thank you. I definitely appreciate that. Part 2 is in the works. I am glad you enjoyed it. And yes, what can we do? People are People and will do what they do. 🤦‍♂️

[@cavemanad]

@@rj78productions88 Unfortunately true and I'll keep an eye out for part 2.

[@emeraldsoundproductions]

Lot of fun that day. Glad I could take you there and show you around.

[@thetrainseekers1]

Awesome tour! Really enjoyed the history!

[@musclecarmitch908]

Awesome location and interesting Railroad history RJ! I'm sure glad they saved part of that swinging bridge, its awesome! Great adventure there, the old photos are awesome!Thanks for sharing!

[@rj78productions88]

Thank you Mitch, was a hot day when we filmed this back in July, but well worth it.

[@musclecarmitch908]

@@rj78productions88 👍

[@mattcrowley3075]

Another great video RJ! Thanks for sharing this video! I always wondered where the Reading Outer station was originally located. Really enjoyed seeing the locomotive shops as well! Can’t wait for part 2!

[@leodavis7524]

Great video There used to be the chain and cable building up the hill under the buttonwood street bridge not far from where your at in your video… It’s gone now but would be great to see some history on it …. I worked for a company that occupied the bottom of the building…it was quite a building to explore…when working with the R&N one of our engineers, said he used to service that building when he worked for the Reading ..

[@scottleidenberger4401]

What looks like a switch under the bridge may have been a derail. I was at the Reading Shops area for a RCT&HS event about 40 years ago. That place has really changed.

[@nomadsempirebuilder9461]

That was cool.

[@rj78productions88]

Thanks Blake, figured you would enjoy the PRR history.

[@coalcrackerchris]

Nice can't wait for part2. Love Pa RR history and seeing what remains today!

[@rj78productions88]

Thanks buddy. 😁

[@fmnut]

The trackage on the left in your scenes of the Swinging Bridge tower is the former Schuylkill & Lehigh branch of the Reading, not the Wilmington & Northern. There was a bridge across the Schuylkill just beyond your video site which led the S&L to the old Cumru Junction. At that point the S&L crossed the Schuylkill again and connected with the northern end of the Wilmington & Northern. This was long before the Reading Belt Line was built. The plan was to bring Lehigh Valley coal traffic from Slatington to Wilmington tidewater in direct competition with the Reading. The plan fell through when the S&L went bankrupt and the P&R/Reading bought it up in a blocking move. A number of years later the P&R also scooped up the W&N. When the W&N was still an independent carrier, they did have a station at Front & Franklin sts (not the nearby PRR station) which they accessed via trackage rights over the S&L from Cumru Jct. In that area of Reading there were three different (on paper) railroads running side by side. Starting from the river side, they were the PRR Court St. Branch, the West Reading RR, and the S&L. This parallel operation went from Court St. to Bingaman St. and all 3 tracks were extant until the Agnes flooding forced a rationalization.

[@rj78productions88]

That is some great helpful info. I truly appreciate it. Thank you. You definitely know you're rail history and I enjoy your videos very much. They help keep the history alive and well and also help to see what once was.

[@Mark-iv7np]

Beautiful area, nice day to film. Another great presentation.👍Do you know what the status of the very long massive bldg is ? Never saw a bldg that long. I really dig rail history. Too bad so much of rail history in Wilkes Barre was destroyed. Used to be a huge rail yard near the downtown.

[@rj78productions88]

Some other businesses are using the building.

[@MoeLarrycurly1]

We lost our plaques here at the school and the church probably 2012 they were bronze. So we decided to just carve a rock nobody is interested in stealing a rock LOL. You got to love humanity...

[@rj78productions88]

You never know who might like a rock? Lol.

[@lovesmashbox]

there were still steam trains in the 70s ??? what happened to the chessie line ?

[@rj78productions88]

The Chessie Steam Special is a former Reading T-1 #2101 that was purchased and used as The Freedom Train (AFT1) in 1975 and 1975, then was leased to The B&O in 1977 and 1978 and repainted into the Chessie Steam Special to celebrate the B&O's 150 birthday. If you google search it there is a lot of info on it as well as old videos on youtube. It currently resides at the B&O rail museum in Baltimore repainted in the Aft1 livery, sadly outside in pretty poor shape. It is a sister to 2102 currently running at Reading and Northern.

[@lovesmashbox]

@@rj78productions88 thanks for all the info . i will check it out ...

[@juliasecarroll7129]

Crooks Station

[@Nashvillesteam42]

I have a 1947 Pennsylvania railroad spike 2102 is running today

[@ThumperKJFK]

It is so amazing that you rattle of names without any research what so ever. Johann August Robling was the engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge and other structures. But dam your just babel talked the whole video.

[@rj78productions88]

Why thank you. Your misspelled words are very helpful to bettering myself for future videos to meet your viewing standards. 😁

[@ThumperKJFK]

@@rj78productions88😂👍 3am got up to take the dog out and saw your video. Like I said. you put up a very good video. but half asleep in the AM me looking and just could not finish watching. sorry for the misspelled words. but yeh. you missed a lot of who's who and what they were all about. That Mr. Roebling the engineer was way ahead of his time. All across America you will find his name on a lot of Bridge Spans. If you take a look at that Still Photo from your Video. of the Steal work. and go find a Photo of the Brooklyn Bridge. Now that''s just Amazing. His signature was the way he built things. You can look at every thing he has built. Yep, That's a Johann Roebling design. no doubt. Again. You did a great job of finding the sweet things among old Rail Road things from the past. Total Treasures to be found. Thanks 👍👍👍

[@gotcexplorewithalbee8574]

People are so disrespectful…I never got the graffiti thing or why people do that😞

[@carltonkeys6205]

Reading is broķer than Lehigh Valley