SEPTA & AMTRAK / READING TERMINAL & 30th ST. - 1981

Railroading at PHILADELPHIA 1981.
SEPTA action at Reading Terminal including Blueliners, RDC's and Silverliners.
AMTRAK action at 30th Street station including PLATINUM MIST GG1's & E60's & RS3's. Super8 Sound film.

[@s.s.99]

I’m glad that someone in the 70s decided that this was worth recording. We can admire it 50 years later

[@howardjohnson6911]

Thank you. I have even earlier but Super 8 sound is expensive to do.

[@howardjohnson6911]

Yes I thought so.

[@howardjohnson6911]

I got into recording the day Kodak came out with KMA594 Super 8 Sound Film and never stopped! That was March 1975.

[@howardjohnson6911]

Thank you. I got so involved when Kodak brought out Super8 sound movie film in 1975. Strange they don't sell it anymore but they do sell the silent version??????????

[@TheRailcarbusguy]

@@howardjohnson6911Hey do you have films of the Fl9’s in the Penn Central and Conrail era?

[@davidluciano7495]

The Old 1930's Bluebirds with the ancient pantographs & JG Brill era traction motors, The Silverliners & Budd Diesels....20th Century Philadelphia in 81' right after the 1970's. The grittiness & grime of a Bygone time. Electric & Diesel Electric Locomotives & Switchers, workers & civilians nonchalantly crossing the tracks oblivious to imminent danger....Yup that's the Reading Terminal I remember in 1981. It was fun being 10 going on 11 with Family in railroading. Thanks for this timeless footage. -Engineer Trainee , Ex Trucker.🚄🚈🚋🚉❤🚂

[@howardjohnson6911]

Thank you for this information! What did your family do in railroading?

[@davidluciano7495]

Conductor/Engineer: Amtrak,Conrail Mechanic:SEPTA-Two Uncles,My Great Uncles were Pullman Porters.🚂🙏🏽💯

[@davidhibbs6989]

My father was a signal maintainer for reading and Conrail from 47'-82' worked out of race street tower location he really took his life in his hands walking up and down these active lines which is amazing just to watch!

[@howardjohnson6911]

I hope he took a few pictures.

[@54blewis]

I’m 69 and I remember the old terminal….along with John Wanamaker’s ,Lit Brothers,Gimbels,Strawbridge’s & Clothiers,Horn&Hardart’s …ect!!

[@thewmreed]

Will you meet me at The Eagle? I brought my first suit as a teenager from Wannamakers

[@matthewbrandley9027]

I rode every single one of those rail cars on septa at some point growing up. . So many great memories of cutting school. Hopping the train into philly. Pinball and pizza in center city watching them build the commuter tunnel

[@victordubowski1276]

Thank you for the upload. Really brought back wonderful memories. In the spring of 1981, Septa went on strike, so I took the train every morning from Logan Station to Reading terminal, when the busses and subway started running again, I would still on occasion ride the train to Reading terminal. Logan Station doesn't even exist anymore.

[@libertubey2199]

Wow, a scene that you will never see in Philly again, the trains roaring into Reading Terminal. I am happy, however, that they incorporated the train shed into the Convention Center.

[@Usaaviation193]

The old septa seems cool 😎

[@shaggy4583]

I was born in 2007, but seeing this and how things were back then is so interesting

[@arthouston7361]

I worked second trick at Reading Terminal, doing SD tests with Mikey Monastero. John DeStolfo was still the supervisor of signals. It was was great to see those old wooden passenger cars, some not even fully painted with new SEPTA livery. During the afternoon rush, I was out at NX. One afternoon, the code machine failed, and John and I acted as dispatcher and towerman for the afternoon rush, with my panel set to "manual." I actually got a "good job" out of John, who rarely thanked or acknowledged anyone. At that time, it was a good job to have. I moved on in 1985, when the SEPTA split took place. Good memories, though. I also enjoyed seeing a GG1 in Amtrack livery. Another location I worked, in 1978, was out at the Nest yard, running the second trick trouble truck. The shanty was right next to the tracks, and a GG1 drove by and made such a noise I nearly fell out of my chair next to the old pot bellied oil stove. This was when Nest was still an automobile unloading facility.

[@NeedtoSpeak]

Fantastic!

[@scdevon]

I lived in Philly during this era. The Budd RDC cars were my favorite. Thanks!

[@Septa13141]

Same

[@howardjohnson6911]

You're very welcome.

[@89horizon]

I've ridden the Trenton Iine countIess times BUT this wouId have been about 3 years before I was born though. (SIightIy before Market East opened in fact.) So it's amazing seeing the trains puIIing into Reading TerminaI instead of going underground to Suburban Station. :O

[@CraftedBrodyVR]

love these types of videos

[@himbourbanist]

was this before the Center City tunnel was constructed? Also it's WILD to see some of the Amfleet coaches way back in 1981 - Amtrak still uses them to do this day (but damn were they well built, it's no wonder) - also WOW a GG-1. It's incredible that Amtrak was using them until the 1980's

[@howardjohnson6911]

Probably is before the tunnel.

[@railfan282]

Also those SEPTA Silverliner IV EMUs are an icon of the Regional Rail network to this day in 2024.

[@shanayabuckery3618]

Right I miss the old Septa Train and trolley

[@howardjohnson6911]

Plenty of Historic trolleys still run.

[@RedArrow73]

11:46 - Ex-Combine Coach. Baggage comp't where you now see picture windows. And fast as any Silverliner, too!

[@bradkuether3561]

@5:00 ... Those were the much older coaches that were not air conditioned, and should have been retired years prior. My father would sometimes ride them from the city at rush hour, and used to call them "klunkers". The silver coaches had AC. Also the small two car silver coaches without pantographs shown prior likely serviced the Fox Chase Newtown line. It had no electricity before Jenkintown (? & whose tracks tilted the train like 30 degrees....) and were diesel driven. I lived in Southampton and it was cool catching the train into the city. I wasn't there for the train vs. gasoline truck accident, but it spelled the end for that line. Now it's a rail trail that goes behind Klinger Jr High..... The Southampton station appears to still be there. Heard they were raising money for it's restoration. I actually bought tickets from an agent inside the building, that's how long ago it was...... Thanks for putting up this video, brought back many memories.

[@eringardner4962]

I was attending OLGC when that accident happened.

[@howardjohnson6911]

You're very welcome.

[@atomsmash100]

Amtrak was still very much in their Rainbow era at this point, but cool to see the GG1s in action.

[@howardjohnson6911]

Yes I Loved them!!

[@howardjohnson6911]

I LOVE GG-1s!!!!

[@wdd6864]

RDCs were used on the Fox Chase to New Town line, West Trenton to I believe Newark, NJ since the Aldene Project and the closure of Jersey City Communipaw. I believe that this time from reading that they Serviced Reading and Pottstown as well but service ended very shortly after this I believe in 83

[@victordubowski1276]

Yes your absolutely right service to Newton ended in 1983, I believe in the fall, because I used to take that train to Newtown regularly, how I miss that ride. The tracks aren't there anymore, I believe it's a bike path.

[@Thunder_6278]

I wonder if this can be done in hi res. or is the old videotape low quality.

[@egbutler114]

That brings back memories. I think the guy hated the GE'S

[@howardjohnson6911]

why do you say that?

[@egbutler114]

@@howardjohnson6911 there were no run bys of the GE'S

[@scdevon]

I was a daily rider on SEPTA rail back then. Silverliner II cars were the best ride by far, IMO. It took a while for rail fans to warm up to the GE cars I think.

[@brianfalzon6739]

Very awesome

[@trainrover]

the incongruences even CN doled out had ended up enchanting you...their ultra modern Tower at Toronto or long passenger cowboy trains with ! clerestory rooves hauled through the mountain and over the back river by camelbacks or boxcabs

[@samjohnson1061]

Remember the signs posted in the terminal. No Photography

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

Cool!

[@losh330]

It's interesting how dystopian and filthy everything looks in old videos.

[@egbutler114]

Do you mind if this is shared?

[@howardjohnson6911]

Shared in what way?

[@trainrover]

so queer that bloke crossing the busy throat with his brolly all jollily..!

[@jimcarey9523]

Love the old blue liners.