Another Person Implicated in R&N Tampering

Pennsylvania authorities say a man who sought to tamper with grade crossing signal equipment on the Reading & Northern had hoped to slow vehicular traffic which in turn could lead to a slow night at the fast food restaurant where he worked.

Police said a second employee of the Wendy’s restaurant was also apparently involved in the scheme, which occurred last month.

Ryan Boria, 34, of Tilden Township was arrested earlier and charged in connection with a plan to use a shunt to disrupt crossing gate-signals.

He was arrested after coworkers identified him by his work uniform. Boria was shown on video walking along the R&N tracks.

News reports identified the second Wendy’s worker allegedly involved in the scheme as Amy Schaner.

Police said Schaner dropped Boria off when he placed the shunt on the tracks and then picked him up and drove him to work.

Police said the two workers told them in interviews that they hoped this would prevent would-be customers from reaching their restaurant that night, thus resulting in a slow night.

Pa. Man Charged in Signal Tampering Incident

A Pennsylvania man has been charged with alleged tampering with grade crossing signal equipment on the Reading & Northern Railroad.

The suspect, Ryan M. Boria, 34, of Tilden Township, was identified by the fast food uniform that he was wearing at the time of the incident.

Several of his co-workers at a Wendy’s restaurant were able to recognize Boria after viewing video footage of him made by a security camera and posted on Facebook by police.

After obtaining a search warrant, police found in Boria’s home a shunt that could short-circuit the crossing signal.

Railroad officials said that could have created the possibility of a collision between vehicles and freight or passenger trains. The crossing in question is on a route used by R&N excursion trains.

Authorities said Boria was on his way to work at the restaurant when the alleged tampering occurred.

He faces felony counts of risking a catastrophe and criminal mischief, along with misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment; disrupting, delaying, or preventing operation of a train; and disorderly conduct.

R&N 2102 to Haul Freight on Friday

The Reading & Northern plans to have 4-8-4 No. 2102 pull a freight train on Friday (Aug. 19).

The announcement was made on the carrier’s social media sites although details were sparse.

 “Take off this Friday and chase 2102 in revenue freight service,” the announcement said. The announcement also said 2102 was expected to depart from Port Clinton around mid-morning.

Earlier this year the 2102 operated in freight service with empty and loaded coal train as it prepared for its first revenue service passenger trip in late May.

R&N Runs Steam Doubleheader

In part to celebrate the 75^th birthday of its owner Andy Muller, Jr., the Reading & Northern operated a steam doubleheader on Saturday featuring 4-8-4 No. 2102 and 4-6-2 No. 425.

The doubleheader was part of a scheduled Iron Horse Rambles excursion that already had been sold out.

Trains magazine reported that it was the first R&N steam doubleheader since 1988. The magazine said in a report on its website that Muller received applause from passengers as he walked through the train.

The 19-car excursion ran for 67 miles from the Reading Outer Station to Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.

The train returned to Reading behind two SD50 locomotives that were adorned in a special livery to promote the railroad’s North Reading Fast Freight service.

At Nesquehoning Junction in Jim Thorpe, the steam locomotives were removed from the train and passengers were invited to visit their cabs.

R&N Offering New Class of Service

The interior of the new Crown Class coach on the Reading & Norther. (R&N photo)

Pennsylvania regional railroad Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern has added a new class of seating for its tourist train operations.

It has converted a former Illinois Central Railroad heavyweight passenger car into “Crown Class” service for its Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway excursions.

Car No. 450 has been named the Pagoda after the seven-story Reading Pagoda near Reading, Pennsylvania, that was built in the early 20^th century.

In a news release, R&N said it acquired the car at an auction of the assets of the bankrupt Iowa Pacific and its shop workers have given it a thorough cleaning and installed new seat upholstering.

Most R&N passenger cars feature open air seating, but the Pagoda has air conditioning, added this year by railroad contractors and employees.

R&N Planning Steam Double Header Aug. 13

Pennsylvania regional railroad Reading & Northern plans to run a steam locomotive double header on Aug. 13.

The Iron Horse Rambles train will feature 4-8-4 No. 2102 and 4-6-2 No. 425 and is already sold out.

R&N said it will be its first steam doubleheader since 1988 and the third of four scheduled steam excursions between Reading and Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, this year.

All three of the remaining trips are sold out. Some fall foliage excursions are expected to operate with steam power.

July RDC Excursion Set on R&N

A rail diesel car excursion has been set for July 29 on the Reading & Northern regional railroad in Pennsylvania.

The excursion will depart Outer Station in Reading at 9 a.m. and visit Tremont, Minersville and Port Clinton.

A photo runby is planned in Tremont in the median of Cres Street. Also on the agenda is a visit to the Anthracite Mine Rescue Station.

A lunch stop is planned in Minersville while a tour of the R&N steam shop will be conducted in Port Clinton.

The excursion is being operated in partnership with the National Museum of Industrial History.

It will be the first excursion train to visit Tremont in more than two decades.

Ticket are $112 for museum members and $125 for non-members. An optional lunch ticket is available for $15.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit https://www.nmih.org/event/2022railroadramble/

Hundreds Welcomed Return of R&N 2102

A sold-out train and hundreds of trackside photographers greeted the return of Reading & Northern’s T-1 No. 2102 last weekend.

Railfan and Railroad reported on its website that photographers stood several deep at such popular spots as West Leesport, New Ringgold and Tamaqua in eastern Pennsylvania.

The 4-8-4 pulled the 19-car train without diesel assistance. The 2102 was making its first tourist train outing since the completion of a six-year restoration project.

The R&R report said the T-1 slipped several times at East Mahony on wet rails and steep grades on a cloudy and rainy day but quickly regained its footing.

Billed as a return of the fabled Iron Horse Rambles, excursions pulled by the 2102 also are planned for July 2, Aug. 13, Sept. 3, and Oct. 1, 8 and 29.

The Iron Horse Rambles moniker is a nod to a series of steam excursions of the 1960s hosted by the former Reading Lines. Those trips last ran in 1964.

The article with photographs can be viewed at https://railfan.com/reading-2102-makes-debut-on-sold-out-iron-horse-ramble/

Return of the Reading Rambles

 My goal this past weekend was to introduce my former brother-in-law (but still good friend) Karl West, his son (my nephew) Owen, and Jeff Troutman to an old friend of mine from way back

Reading  4-8-4 No. 2102 on May 28 made its first passenger excursion since October 1991.

To sum it up, everybody loved it. It ran, sounded and looked spectacular.

The departure from Reading Outer Station was right on time at 9 a.m. A quick passenger stop was made at Port Clinton,

We started with cloudy conditions and we ran in some rain en route. The T-1 was unaffected and from what I could see performed flawlessly. The stack talk was loud and constant. We arrived at Jim Thorpe at 11:45 a.m. 

We had plenty of time for lunch in town. Afterwards we returned to the station to see the return of the 1 p.m. Lehigh Gorge Scenic Train.

After the 3 p.m. Lehigh Gorge train departed, the 2102 performed a solo photo runby. Once complete it backed to pick up the train for our 3:45 p.m. departure.

The sun broke through on the return trip.  We arrived back in Reading on time, just before 7 p.m.

The last time I rode behind 2102 was May 22, 1977. That was its doubleheader with former Grand Trunk Western 2-8-2 No. 4070 on a trip from Pittsburgh to Altoona and return featuring Horseshoe Curve. It was a 45-year wait for me to ride behind the 2102 again. It was worth it.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

R&N Receives 1st Frac Sand Unit Train

Pennsylvania regional railroad Reading & Northern said this week it took delivery of its first unit train of frac sand.

The train has handed off to R&N by Norfolk Southern on May 15 at R&N’s North Reading Yard.

R&N moved the train to a storage facility in Pittston, Pennsylvania.

The railroad last year created a transloading terminal in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, that will handle Marcellus and non-Marcellus transloading business.

Frac sand is expected to be the dominant commodity handled at the Tunkhannock terminal.