Rails Through Manyunk

I don’t know much about the Reading railroad, but what I do know is very appealing to me.

I think the Reading Railroad is on the Monopoly board, and I like that.

Phil Klopp has  featured the Reading Railroad on all of his layouts that have been in train magazines and videos and I’ve always loved them. 

I love the green, yellow and black Reading color scheme.

It’s one of the beautiful railroads in the beautiful State of Pennsylvania. Even the word Pennsylvania sounds beautiful to me. 

Take a ride on the Reading. I never did but sure would have lovedvdoing that.

The Reading and the Jersey Central were built end to end and were operated as one rr.  My collection for both in O scale consists of a Weaver Reading built up brass G1 4-6-0, a Lionel T1 4-8-4, a MTH CNJ Blue Comet 4-6-2, and a Weaver built up brass USRA 0-6-0, a Lionel CNJ camelback 4-6-0 plus the Blue Comet coaches and a string of Reading coaches.  So there are adequate Reading models to model the Reading.  Good luck,   ODD-D

I love the game of Monopoly.  Take a ride on the Reading.  I try to own all four railroads when I play.  It's amazing how many times the other players land on one of them.  And each time they do, I collect $200.00. 

Well, the Reading sort of lives on in the NS Heritage unit and the Reading and Northern Railroad, the Reading museum in Hamburg, and preserved equipment like coaches elsewhere like Kempton, New Hope, etc.

Dan, thanks for the post - the book did look interesting and I found several used copies were available on AbeBooks.com and Amazon. Ordered one for myself and am looking forward to receiving a copy.

Thanks Dan. It looks interesting and I may go for it. I "grew up" (I really do wonder if train people ever "grew up") not too far from there in Havertown and remember shopping in Manayunk over 40 years ago. But I spent little time there. I spent much more in the old Reading terminal where my best friend's father had a butcher shop. I have since moved to the NYC area. Manayunk was a bit "ragged" back then. I assume it has gentrified. 

Gerry

Available used though Amazon for $22. + $3.99 shipping.

Treasured memories of the Reading.  Lived less than a block from the Landale line and it paralleled my walk to school.  Across the street from school was the Ambler Freight Yard (where a future neighbor ran the V01000 switcher (and T1 2100 for the Rambles).

Those were the days when a 6 year old could take the train by themselves to North Wales or Lansdale.  I have a photo of the sign on the Ambler Train Station:

"Ride the Reading, 33 minutes to Center City, 35 cents".  Wow!

gmorlitz posted:

Thanks Dan. It looks interesting and I may go for it. I "grew up" (I really do wonder if train people ever "grew up") not too far from there in Havertown and remember shopping in Manayunk over 40 years ago. But I spent little time there. I spent much more in the old Reading terminal where my best friend's father had a butcher shop. I have since moved to the NYC area. Manayunk was a bit "ragged" back then. I assume it has gentrified. 

Gerry

Manayunk became "Gentrified" in the late seventies and early eighties.  It has since slipped back a notch or two, in my opinion, but still draws young people.    

Francine posted:

Treasured memories of the Reading.  Lived less than a block from the Landale line and it paralleled my walk to school.  Across the street from school was the Ambler Freight Yard (where a future neighbor ran the V01000 switcher (and T1 2100 for the Rambles).

Those were the days when a 6 year old could take the train by themselves to North Wales or Lansdale.  I have a photo of the sign on the Ambler Train Station:

"Ride the Reading, 33 minutes to Center City, 35 cents".  Wow!

How about that, Francine.  At 10 years old, my buddies and I would take the Frankfort El downtown, by ourselves.  We loved going to the Franklin Institute and browsing the stores on West Market Street.  West Market was a bit shady in those days.  

I live in Fort Washington.  Are you still in Ambler ?

Dan Padova posted:

Francine posted:

Treasured memories of the Reading.  Lived less than a block from the Landale line and it paralleled my walk to school.  Across the street from school was the Ambler Freight Yard (where a future neighbor ran the V01000 switcher (and T1 2100 for the Rambles).

Those were the days when a 6 year old could take the train by themselves to North Wales or Lansdale.  I have a photo of the sign on the Ambler Train Station:

"Ride the Reading, 33 minutes to Center City, 35 cents".  Wow!

How about that, Francine.  At 10 years old, my buddies and I would take the Frankfort El downtown, by ourselves.  We loved going to the Franklin Institute and browsing the stores on West Market Street.  West Market was a bit shady in those days.  

I live in Fort Washington.  Are you still in Ambler ?

I live in Ambler (just up the road from you, Dan!) and always take that line to Center City!  In fact, I purposely go to the Market East (now Jefferson) Station so I can take the escalators up past the Reading mural and out the doors of the Reading Terminal headhouse!

Since my father passed a few weeks ago, I've now inherited something that he always loved and now I have and cherish: both the 1970's Lionel Blue Comet set and the K-Line Reading Crusader set (which I think was offered through Boscov's Department Store).  

As for Manayunk, my brother and I used to build decks and a few houses paralleling the line in Manayunk have decks that we built!  It was great to be at the right height and look onto the line there!

Eddie Marra posted:

Dan Padova posted:

Francine posted:

Treasured memories of the Reading.  Lived less than a block from the Landale line and it paralleled my walk to school.  Across the street from school was the Ambler Freight Yard (where a future neighbor ran the V01000 switcher (and T1 2100 for the Rambles).

Those were the days when a 6 year old could take the train by themselves to North Wales or Lansdale.  I have a photo of the sign on the Ambler Train Station:

"Ride the Reading, 33 minutes to Center City, 35 cents".  Wow!

How about that, Francine.  At 10 years old, my buddies and I would take the Frankfort El downtown, by ourselves.  We loved going to the Franklin Institute and browsing the stores on West Market Street.  West Market was a bit shady in those days.  

I live in Fort Washington.  Are you still in Ambler ?

I live in Ambler (just up the road from you, Dan!) and always take that line to Center City!  In fact, I purposely go to the Market East (now Jefferson) Station so I can take the escalators up past the Reading mural and out the doors of the Reading Terminal headhouse!

Since my father passed a few weeks ago, I've now inherited something that he always loved and now I have and cherish: both the 1970's Lionel Blue Comet set and the K-Line Reading Crusader set (which I think was offered through Boscov's Department Store).  

As for Manayunk, my brother and I used to build decks and a few houses paralleling the line in Manayunk have decks that we built!  It was great to be at the right height and look onto the line there!

Hi Ed.  Maybe we should all get together at some point.  

The hardcover Reading RR books by Benjamin Bernhart chronicling the building of the Reading infrastructure in the late 1800s and early 1900s are phenomenal. 

They show the building of the elevation/grade separation projects.   Great stuff. 

Hi Dan,

Yes, next train station toward Philly (from Ambler).  You should come out the NPS, we have a great group of people who do both Traditional Flyer, DCC and FlyerChief.  We have a huge modular layout and will be at Lansdale Commons on March 10th.

Francine

Thanks Dan. I'll be finding a copy myself. I live on the Reading seashore branch and remember a steamer that came down the line for the bicentennial in 76. Also always loved when the circus train would go to A.C. on the same line. love the Reading and was in the Terminal Market last week for some good eats. Believe it just had a birthday.

thanks all for adding to the thread, enjoy a good thread.

Dan Padova posted:

Eddie Marra posted:

Dan Padova posted:

Francine posted:

Treasured memories of the Reading.  Lived less than a block from the Landale line and it paralleled my walk to school.  Across the street from school was the Ambler Freight Yard (where a future neighbor ran the V01000 switcher (and T1 2100 for the Rambles).

Those were the days when a 6 year old could take the train by themselves to North Wales or Lansdale.  I have a photo of the sign on the Ambler Train Station:

"Ride the Reading, 33 minutes to Center City, 35 cents".  Wow!

How about that, Francine.  At 10 years old, my buddies and I would take the Frankfort El downtown, by ourselves.  We loved going to the Franklin Institute and browsing the stores on West Market Street.  West Market was a bit shady in those days.  

I live in Fort Washington.  Are you still in Ambler ?

I live in Ambler (just up the road from you, Dan!) and always take that line to Center City!  In fact, I purposely go to the Market East (now Jefferson) Station so I can take the escalators up past the Reading mural and out the doors of the Reading Terminal headhouse!

Since my father passed a few weeks ago, I've now inherited something that he always loved and now I have and cherish: both the 1970's Lionel Blue Comet set and the K-Line Reading Crusader set (which I think was offered through Boscov's Department Store).  

As for Manayunk, my brother and I used to build decks and a few houses paralleling the line in Manayunk have decks that we built!  It was great to be at the right height and look onto the line there!

Hi Ed.  Maybe we should all get together at some point.  

Dan,

I agree!  That would be great!