Tripping On Anthracite: Journey Of The Hopper Jet

[@xkevvx]

I've watched bits and pieces of this many times, but just now watched he entire thing in one sitting. Amazing. Living in the Reading & Northern area, I have watched MANY R&N videos, but this is by far my favorite. And not ONE GLIMPSE of the 425! Great video. Thanks for sharing!

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

+xkevvx You're welcome! I think this was during the time that 425 was down for overhaul - watch as the train passes back through Port Clinton on the way to East Mahanoy Junction and you'll see 425's tender (or an auxiliary) sitting outside.

[@xkevvx]

Yes, 425 was indeed down during this time. But usually all the "good" Reading & Northern videos involve the 425, usually the same old scenes from Port Clinton to Jim Thorpe. This vid is great because it's "only" diesels, and includes Port Clinton to Reading, which are my home rails, and you don't see these places as much. Also, just yesterday I took a drive from Shoemakersville to show my son the St. Nicholas coal breaker, and drove by the spot where this excursion ended, and I only recognized that area from this video, so that was cool as well.

[@brianfalzon6739]

Great footage, well done!

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@roypersson3265]

Outstanding...!!!

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@slikkarl]

What a great....LONG ride. Thanks for sharing!

[@SleeTheSloth]

Thank you for sharing this video. I really enjoyed it. :)

[@ModelingSteelinHO]

Going into favorites. Excellent sound !

[@OneGodOnlyOne1]

Wow! Great video! Thank you so much for sharing. :)

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Thanks!

[@PotentialAutist42069]

the early SW-series locomotives are the coolest diesels, change my mind.

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

No need to change it if we're in agreement. Although that may be due in part to my distinct lack of exposure to Alco and Baldwin power, which I hope to rectify at some point.

[@johnreitzel2289]

what a great video, thank you so very much for sharing !! fun & safe travels to you, family and friends

[@johnspicer9108]

Thanks for a highly interesting 'Rail Journey' Thanks to one and all involved, am now subscribed and look forward to more!!

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the subscription! Between the steam locomotives set to run this year and all the other possible trips, it ought to be an interesting excursion season.

[@rustamn.3177]

Very interesting video! Thank you very much!

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

You're welcome!

[@TheOilman747]

Excellent video I always liked Reading And Northern and I only live 2 hours away from their.

[@irelandbloke]

Awesome videos

[@ButThatsShacksTrain]

I just watched this. WOW!! Nice job! The Reading has been a favorite of mine. Spent many a day in my youth watching the Lurgen Branch. Watched it turn into Conrail and NS. I really enjoyed this fine video. My only question,,, who are the 4 people that could have possibly given this a"thumbs down"?????? Wtf

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Thanks! Perhaps the downvoters were looking for the Director's Cut with all of the violence and nudity left in and were sorely disappointed to find out this wasn't it. You might be happy to know then (if you didn't already) that the Reading & Northern and the L&WV Chapter NRHS are teaming up again to run another trip in about a month, this time over Ex-LV, CNJ, and DL&W trackage in the Wilkes-Barre area, and I'm booked for one of the open-air cars again. The sequel is coming...

[@paulne1514]

We have taken the train from tamaqua to Jim Thorpe. What kind of ruined the day was having to drive from below Philly to get to tamaqua and back. Would have been much nicer, taking the train from Philly, all the way up to Jim Thorpe.

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

My drive for this trip was Aldan to Port Clinton, but from Richmond, VA to Aldan the day before that if you want to get technical. :) I'm not a Reading/CNJ expert, but I think you'd have to go back to the early 1960s before you could find a train that would get you from Philly to Jim Thorpe. Service to Allentown didn't last much longer beyond that. The closest thing SEPTA ever had was the Reading's former Philly-Bethlehem commuter runs that lasted until they ended all diesel service in 1981. Since then it's been a steady parade of rumors and talks and whatnot about restoring service to Reading, which may finally be happening under Amtrak (fingers crossed). So at some point in the future it might be possible to ride Amtrak out from Philly, get to the Reading & Northern's Outer Station somehow, and then get to Jim Thorpe from there.

[@paulne1514]

@@FastFlyingVirginian my wife’s great grandfather, was an engineer, who had a run from Philly to tamaqua. We even have an old 8mm movie of one of his runs. Drivers in this area(except Amish counties) suck. Car has been hit twice while parked. Yeah, would much rather take the train all the way and relax. Hope what you say about a connection happens before I die.

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

If you're ever looking for more footage from that area, John Pechulis has a number of DVDs that feature scenes around both Tamaqua and Jim Thorpe. I've been watching and rewatching a lot lately, as its an area I never saw much film of before.

[@mshotz1]

#801 was the engine Mike Bednar said was described as 'Shnappy" by the old LV hoggers.

[@Jensmetts]

Awesome, Thank you for sharing.

[@stanwright7575]

Great video! I felt like I was there.

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Thank you sir, and precisely the impression I strive for.

[@bnsfrailwayfan5997]

13:49 There’s 425’s Tenders. What were they doing out here? 👀

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

I'm not sure. This was in May 2012, if that helps date it to when 425 might have been in for an overhaul or repairs.

[@tooling_engineer]

This is great, I watched it all. Now I wonder how many trips they do per set of brake shoes.

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Thanks. I'd be curious to know that statistic as well. I think the shoes are built to take a bit of abuse like that though.

[@JawTooth]

At 59:17 there is some type of 0-6-0 steam engine. Is that a fireless switcher?

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Yes. I can only find bits and pieces of info online so far, but it appears to be a former Pennsylvania Power & Light locomotive. According to the accounts I read, the PP&L fireless switchers actually served up into the late-80s/early-90s as backups to the diesel at the plant where they served.

[@JawTooth]

That is awesome. I love fireless switchers and wish someone would restore one to use. Its amazing that it was a backup that long. Thanks for the information.

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Jaw Tooth You're welcome! If this is a PP&L switcher, its counterpart is at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg and has been cosmetically restored. No restored operating fireless engines really come to mind when I think about it...

[@mshotz1]

No one will be seated during the coupling scene!- MST3K

[@pur4567]

beautiful trains

[@justinvoelker99]

really cool video I have been up in coal country in PA before but nothing like it in MD that's for sure

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Thanks - this was my first excursion in this part of PA, and I hope it is far from my last.

[@justinvoelker99]

***** yes but it is a far place too

[@SynchroScore]

Interesting that the ventilation structure for Buck Tunnel is still there. I'm also wondering how those switchers don't have ditch lights. Are they grandfathered, or something?

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

I'm not sure. I saw at least one photo where they did have them, they could have been either temporarily removed or added after this trip. I'll have to ask around and see if I can find out.

[@SynchroScore]

I'm not sure how the regulations work, but I know that for museum locomotives, they aren't required, even when going out on the main line, although when the 765 ran excursions on Metra out of Chicago it was equipped with a Mars light, because Metra loves Mars lights.

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Per someone who works for the Reading & Northern, the 800 does have ditchlights, and the only restriction on the other two leading without them is that they have to slow down to 20 at crossings.

[@sclm046]

Looks like a well-run operation. Open air observation coach #9 does not appear to have a center sill? Lots of brake shoe smoke at various times due to no dynamic brakes?

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

+sclm046 No dynamics - the former Lehigh Valley SW8s that pulled the train did come from the factory with dynamics installed (a rarity on switchers), but my understanding is they were yanked out long ago in the Conrail era. Look closely and you may notice the area where the dynamics would have been, just ahead of the cab's front where the top of the hood is straight instead of tapered down. The open-air cars have two long wooden benches mounted back-to-back down the center.

[@KB9NLL]

Fogging the mosquitos around the 57 minute section, lol.

[@tony1961ch]

Graias por la extraordinaria calidad de imagen, que cámara usaron.

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Canon Vixia HF-G10.

[@Phaedrus-th7bi]

I love it when the rail cars have no graffiti.

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

I agree.

[@soaceba]

Sounds like some futuristic alien drug. "Tripping on antherasite."

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Railfanning is something of an addiction. Hmm...

[@soaceba]

@@FastFlyingVirginian I'll be honest I love trains!

[@aloisius1950]

...Apprezzato!***** I subscribe your channel. Ciao!

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Thank you sir, I have subscribed to yours as well.

[@markcinque4586]

Cool ,0:56

[@AndrewEgerer]

So is this a legit fright train on an actual delivery? Or a staged one?

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

It was staged for photographic purposes. At each stop the passenger cars for the excursion were parked out of sight while the runbys were performed with the freight cars, then the train was reassembled to continue.

[@marksymbala3454]

Tom lafren and carlare gae