Rush Hour on the Road of Anthracite | Reading & Northern freight action 4-23-23

[@dennis78382]

Good afternoon Jamie. Back for a Sunday, Rewatch friend.🎉

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks Dennis!

[@1940limited]

I've done the bike trail several times but never caught a big freight, just the lehigh Gorge Scenic Trains. Thanks for keeping us up on what's going on the R&N. They're keeping the rails shiny, for sure! 🙂

[@dennis78382]

Good morning g Jamie. I apologize for not getting to this earlier. It's been a busy morning. My stepmother's house up in Maine wasn't far from the Penobscot river. I hope you had a wonderful day and enjoy yourself friend.🎉 The old two for one!

[@JamieMakin]

Good morning Dennis! No worries about your late arrival to the video, I was too busy working on the train yesterday to notice lol. Cool about the Penobscot River being near your stepmother's house. Penobscot sounds more like New England than Pennsylvania to me anyway.

[@trainutjob]

Very nice video!! I was part of the shenanigans at East Mahanoy Junction as well. Three trains was a solid surprise!

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks so much! And I'm glad you got out to East Mahanoy Junction to catch all three. Unique opportunity, and it was nice to see folks out for it.

[@thomaswellington7860]

It was nice when I still worked at the breaker in South Tamaqua got to see the fast freight almost daily. The tracks run right next to our breaker. Got to see lots of trains go by. Including 2102 solo a couple times. I've been transferred over to the mine in Mary D so no more railfaning while at work. 😭 🤣

[@JamieMakin]

I've got to spend more time railfanning in Tamaqua as I've heard it's a real hot spot for freight. Glad you enjoyed it while you could, but bummer that your transfer has taken you away from the rails.

[@thomaswellington7860]

@@JamieMakin Yeah it's a bit of a bummer. Definitely a good spot for freight. Bonus was a signal just above the breaker. So some trains stopped right next to the breaker.

[@BBenoist]

Looks like it was a nice Sunday afternoon chasing trains and fortunately no rain - :-)

[@JamieMakin]

It was a pretty good day for it! And the rain held off which was nice.

[@bpp325]

R&N doesn't play games with their power distribution. 👍👍

[@marilynscull4585]

Awesome video Jamie

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks Marilyn!

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

Awesome video Jamie!

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks!

[@LRSX]

Awesome video and catches! Id probably would have stuck around for the SDQA had i been there dont blame ya! You did good, nice shots! May be awhile till mine is out. But it was a fun show at Hetchels. Take care!

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed my part of the chase. No rush on yours, but it'll certainly be fun to see your catches at Hetchels when it comes out.

[@flowerfolkfarm3553]

Hi Jamie!! What a great little adventure! Hahaha you never know what’s gonna unfold do you??!! Great to see so many sand cars! Shame you didn’t catch the fast freight but sounds like you were happy regardless!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼 we’ve had beautiful weather here the last couple of days, I’m enjoying abit of a break now, got wedding flowers to do this weekend and then I’m finished for the season… still got alotta work to do over winter tho 😅 but the flower side of things are quiet now :) phew 😮‍💨 hope alls well for you and your crew Jamie !! ♥️🚂♥️

[@JamieMakin]

Good morning, Anita! I was definitely happy with how this mini-chase worked out. It would have been great to have caught the Fast Freight in the gorge per my original plan, but catching the third freight train was such a rare opportunity I couldn't pass it up. Definitely the right choice! Glad to hear you're winding down for the season and looking forward to a break. I hope your growing season went well! There's always work to be done no matter what the season, but often shifting from one kind of work to another can be refreshing. Good luck with wrapping things up!

[@flowerfolkfarm3553]

@@JamieMakin exactly Jamie! It’s been a fabulous season and I’m finishing feeling a great sense of achievement and joy! It was a rough start but we actually did well! Onwards and upwards to a new season ahead 💓💐🐝

[@JamieMakin]

Fantastic! Congrats! I know you had a very difficult start, but I'm glad it all came good in the end.

[@flowerfolkfarm3553]

@@JamieMakin thanks so much Jamie appreciate that my friend 🌻🐝🙌🏼💐

[@fernandezcuisinevlog9718]

Nice!

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks!

[@1940limited]

This is what makes possible 2102 and 425; not that they don't pay their own way, too, but it all starts here. I still can't get used to freight trains with no caboose! :-)

[@JamieMakin]

Definitely! Then more freight they haul, the more they earn to delight us with old steamers and other vintage equipment. The best time to catch freight in the gorge is after the final LGSR trip returns for the day. The NRFF is scheduled to arrive at RIVER (the junction with the new freight bridge) around 4:09 pm and then heads north on its way to Pittston. I've never seen a caboose on the NRFF, but they do use them on some of the other freight trains which is cool.

[@thomaswellington7860]

Sometimes I'd see 1546 go by where I work. Only 2 maybe 3 cars but it had the Conrail caboose on the end.

[@gusshadleythelunaticfromar7125]

Hey Jamie,got to get up there.

[@JamieMakin]

For sure, you'd enjoy it up here!

[@TheRailroadAdventures]

Amazing video yesterday was my birthday.

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks, and Happy Birthday!

[@Alcochaser]

19:29 "Restricting" aspect. it means you -just- missed something and he is still in the block between CP-COAL and the intermediate along the train just before the Tourist train run around. It means proceed, but the block ahead is occupied and you must proceed at restricting speed.

[@1940limited]

Interesting.

[@JamieMakin]

Thanks so much! I had a feeling it was something like that, but it's good to hear the actual explanation of it.

[@Alcochaser]

Well this certainly confirms it.. RBMN needs a way to pass trains between CP-Crestwood and CP-Tamaqua

[@JamieMakin]

They're always expanding and improving!

[@brianfalzon6739]

Whenever 425 comes back from her 1472 Day FRA Boiler and Inspection, she could lead 2102 on a freight train.

[@JamieMakin]

I'm hoping they'll do that! I'd say odds are good since she will be needing to be test run, though probably without 2102 with them.

[@paulsmith5398]

I thought you had a conductor/car host job on the LGSR? Or is that weekends only?

[@JamieMakin]

My schedule on the train varies each week. I happened to work Friday and Monday but not the weekend this week. Got lots of workdays coming up for May.

[@paulsmith5398]

@@JamieMakin i imagine when the scenic season starts getting busier, you will be busier on the trains too, it will be even better when 425 returns! Ive had a busy start with mower season repairs, doesnt look like i will be enjoying the model trains as much this year, but, that happens. Theres an old saying, "you can have your cake, and eat it too", but in your case, " you can have your trains, and ride them too!"

[@JamieMakin]

It'll definitely start picking up in late May, and I'm sure we've got a busy summer in store. Glad your mower repair work is going well too. Model railroading fits better into winters when there's less outdoor stuff to do.

[@paulsmith5398]

@@JamieMakin i saw an interesting video about CNJ113, didnt catch who filmed it, but it was sent to a yard on the other side of Cressona from Minersville to help #5049 do some switching. 5049 had apparently developed some kind of electrical issue, and 113 provided the extra ooooomph it needed to switch the yard, and deliver a string of tankers to an industrial area. And.........at the beginning of the video.......#1542 was filmed in action! The video ended with 113 heading back to Minersville. So now, R&N knows who to call in a pinch, and its not The Ghostbusters! (113 sure looked darn good strutting its stuff helping #5049!)

[@JamieMakin]

Oh wow!!! I've never seen that video, but I'll have to find it because #5049 and #1542 happen to be the RBMN diesels I have in N scale!