Reading & Northern

#425 steams up once again with a whole new look, including a new bell, a centered headlight and new number plate - not to mention glossy coat of bright blue paint!
The engine performs a final test run with a private train before hauling excursions later in June.
Special Thanks goes out to Kyle Sanders for helping me chase this train. I would have been lost otherwise!
Also, pardon any lapse in quality with this video. The framerate is not quite what it should be, so it may appear a bit jumpy.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Excellent video Joe! I admire your work. I expecially like your choice of places to catch this run of the 425, the bridge being my favorite shot. Nice capture of the 6 chime, the sound qaulity is superb. Hope to see you in June!

[@frankbaker9117]

My dad is a retired engineer rom the Reading RR.1947, to 1987. 40 yrs. Onthe Reading.so proud of my dad. Although he is no longer with us his legacy lives on. I'M 72 YRS OLD , And still love trains.

[@silverjinglebobspur1]

This was awesome. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of watching this. I get emotional at times over beautiful things. And this has literally brought tears to my eyes. Whoever is responsible for the upkeep and the keeping of this engine running, I thank you. And the videographer, what an outstanding job.

[@photonegativemickey3733]

R&N’s 425 will live on her life as “the one whistle that screams beauty”. Edit: even though she no longer wears this whistle, we still have these videos to remember the years she wore this whistle.

[@steamtrainfra4377]

The return in 2022

[@Chris9017]

All I can say is OH MY GOD! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL ENGINE!

[@PennRailVideos]

Nice video! Love the shot departing Port Clinton, and at Tamaqua Tunnel.

[@frankbaker9117]

Great whistle true sounds of a steam locomotive.🛤🚂🚃🚃🚃👍🤠

[@AndrewTheRocketCityRailfan4014]

I wish 425 was still painted this way because that livery is easily her best livery

[@railjunction]

Nice Job! Makes me want to head over to see this unit! Good work!

[@AmtrakWPK]

This is a great video Joe! That HD footage makes this video a WHOLE lot better than the others out there. Keep up the great work!

[@Baltimora1957]

Love the color of the train!! Beautiful blue!

[@fuscoproductions]

The engine was built with a high-mounted headlight, not centered. Historically, the bell was never on the smokebox (where it is now). It was changed to have a centered light some time in its career, but the bell position never changed until R&N moved it in May 2008.

[@Lionheart5294]

I have watched many steam train videos and this is, by far, one of the very best! The audio and video are of superior quality. Nicely done, my friend! :o) Dan

[@WSOR10C]

sweet video. as always joe, your videos rock!!! 5 stars and favorited!!!

[@ethanmorel2746]

Jason Hill A Reading 6-Chime.

[@trailwayt9H337]

Very 💚 Beautifull 💚 and very Loved view. 🚂🚞❤️🚞🚞🧡🚞🚞🚞💛🚞🚞💚🚞

[@Dinosorable]

Wow, these engines have a lot in common. I heard the Blue Comet was in black, before, too.

[@PennRailVideos]

That's the smokebox. It's the second hottest part on a steam engine, and they use graphite, not paint, on the smokebox.

[@acdc9902]

The video dosen't serve the whistle justice.......you have to hear it in person. Trust me its MUCH better than the whistle on #90.

[@fuscoproductions]

@PereMarquette1223 - no, 425 is actually not inspired by the CNJ blue comet. It is based off of a Reading 4-6-2 that was painted blue for a short time.

[@drfunk411]

Great stuff. All you guys got out this time i see.

[@Trainfanz]

(Looks) That Thing At Strasburg Would Be Epic.

[@bigd522524]

Not if I get there first Ha Ha , but I'll share !:D

[@THOMAS81Z]

god that is a beautiful blue !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@larken24]

1st off, it was originally for the GM&N, and also it doesn't have any of the neat features from the original 425. Now the only similarity between the 2 versions is the number, they might as well change the number to it

[@bigd522524]

Very nice!

[@TheGingerBuff]

That stack talk there at Tamaqua tunnel makes her sounds bigger than she already is. Beat that 734.....

[@bigdan4712]

beautiful locomotive

[@wrailfan]

Looked much better during the 80's on the BM&R.

[@pohldriver]

oh yeah? well i actualy stood in the cab, when i was like 5 in 87

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

I've seen other videos where the 425 "scorches the ballast" at what appears to be around 45-55 mph. What is the track speed for the R&N?

[@TravisDGordon]

It is owned by the Reading, Blue Mountain, and Northern Railroad.

[@otakurailfan]

I would like if the healight was mounted on top of the smokebox and the bell where it used to be on the boiler. I like the blue paint though! That 6 chime sounds real good, or is it a 5 chime? I don't remember.

[@thomasweekley9209]

What whistle did 425 have that day?

[@radforddivisionrailfan]

Reading 6 Chime. Her most often used whistle.

[@steamtrainfra4377]

@@radforddivisionrailfan not anymore unfortunately.

[@otakurailfan]

kinda reminds me of the Blue comet that used to run on the Jersey Central.

[@rwk360]

I have to know this, will they use the dome car on the public trips in June, July, etc.? What about the pullman or observation? It would be nice to ride through the gorge on the dome car. I saw they renamed the dome car Lehigh Gorge and the pullman Hickory Run. What's the difference between the two observations?

[@CEO100able]

Do they still use the car with the promotional information on it at 1:10?

[@smokeybandit9760]

No they don't, they now use a n auxiliary water tender in place of it and the car you're talking about is parked up at the Jim Thorpe station for promotional use.

[@cykablyatman6242]

​@@smokeybandit9760that is the aux tender.

[@GrandPrixGTP02]

@gr8pumpkin If they had something like that, I'd buy it instantly!

[@kingofthemonsters3712]

my little brother Drew was 2 days old.

[@Dinosorable]

And since it's a 4-6-2 like the Blue Comet, I think the whole locomotive and tender were inspired by the Blue Comet.

[@griggerp]

Well, The Blue Comet was inspired by this due to it being made in 1929, and 425 in 1928.

[@Dinosorable]

@@griggerp Right. I had no idea what I was talking about at the time. Also, 425 originally had her headlamp fitted above her smokebox door, quite different from the Blue Comet.

[@griggerp]

mhm

[@150ERS]

why is the headlight in the center i like it better at the top, also i like the 261s old whisle alot better then its new one

[@SuperFoxyRailwayProduction6702]

So the train was fix very like in the 2007 right??

[@fuscoproductions]

Yes. 425 ran from the mid 1980s through 1996. It was taken out of service until 2007, and it ran until 2010 when it was sidelined for more work. It returned again in 2013 and has been running occasionally ever since.

[@bnsfrailwayfan5997]

However, 425 is gonna go out of service again for her 1472 FRA inspection after her final run on December 18, 2022. But hopefully it wouldn’t take too long before she can go back into service.

[@shay29772003]

GREAT

[@csgptg]

i have question: does the 425 belong to a single railroad, or goes to different ones? or does it do excursions on mainlines?

[@BRWFan]

Im just sayin because 425 wasn't meant to burn that type of coal

[@2102FAN]

Well i think this one, The Fredricsons, Steve G's sounds very good. The one at SRR sounds like it need to be tuned, and also like it is traping water is its chimes.

[@Classicalguy12]

Nice.

[@kd7tqn]

man, what a beautiful sounding whistle, whcich whistle is that?

[@EngineerDaylight]

I think its a reading 6 chime

[@SuperFoxyRailwayProduction6702]

@@EngineerDaylight it's actually a Reading 6 Chime whistle

[@thomasweekley9209]

Is it weird that I really prefer the centered headlight over the high headlight? Where did the idea to change the face come from?

[@fuscoproductions]

Yes it is weird and you are objectively wrong for preferring that. LOL only kidding. I personally prefer the as-delivered high headlight look, but to each his/her own. Someone from R&N can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it had to do with the owner (Andy Muller) wanting to put his front mounted Reading bell on the engine, necessitating the headlight move elsewhere (down in this case).

[@thomasweekley9209]

Ok that makes sense.

[@2102FAN]

How comes you dont like the whistle?

[@Dinosorable]

@pennyf9 It reminds me of the Blue Comet too! :)

[@Dinosorable]

OK, thanks.

[@2102FAN]

Hey Joe was that first shot on the Leigh Line?

[@Dinosorable]

I looked it up and I couldn't find any.

[@22640cal]

whats up with the steam coming out of the side?

[@Dinosorable]

What do you mean?

[@BRWFan]

yes she is. What type of coal does she burn though?

[@elliotthool8325]

Hey May 10th Is 6 Days Till My Birthday

[@larken24]

This engine is absolutely terrible. The headlight is the worst part of it. The bell sounds like crap. I want the one that they had tested back in the december testing

[@SuperFoxyRailwayProduction6702]

That's got to be the worst comment i ever read

[@Clawzord2277]

6 chime