Storming Out of Port Clinton

Storming Out of Port Clinton

In the proud tradition of Reading Iron Horse Rambles…

With a loud blast of her whistle and a mighty “CHUFF” from her stack, the Reading & Northern Railroad’s
handsome and lovingly restored T-1 class “Northern” 4-8-4 steam locomotive gets down to business at
Port Clinton Station with a long train of passenger cars, on the way back to Reading Outer Station
from an Autumn Colors round-trip excursion to Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.

Not only handsome, but brawny and powerful, 2102 pulls some very long passenger trains, consisting of a wide range of equipment types, from old open-window coaches to enclosed, more modern varieties, to First Class accommodations including more luxe full-length dome cars, heavyweight Pullmans, and a handsome rounded end observation-lounge.

The train has climbed and descended long grades through remote and rugged forests, passed through scenic small towns, their grade crossings well attended by camera-wielding railfans, and along various bodies of water on its colorful journey. From Port Clinton, the train will follow the Schuylkill River on the way back to Reading.

Seen just beyond the 2102, at the Port Clinton Diesel Shops (the steam locomotive
maintenance facility is a short distance north of here) is EMD GP-38-2 No. 2012,
one of the railroad’s many diesel-electric locomotives used in freight service.

©2022 Steve Ember.