Glad you unearthed this one.
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Thanks for sharing this classic, Michael. Hope to see more in the future.
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Would have love to have been there, but I was two weeks old... great image from the past... thanks for sharing.
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This was a great historical. Even 48 years ago it seemed historical. Thank you for putting it up for all to see.
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Beautiful shot! However, this is not Port Clinton. I am a 23 year employee with the Reading & Northern and the train is westbound between Auburn and Landingville on the Mainline. This is now Reading & Northern's Pottsville Branch. Behind the train is the PRR's Schuylkill Division. This section is still in today and we use it to serve Omnova Solutions in Auburn. The train is approaching what is now the junction with this branch which we call Blue Mountain. This location is terribly grown in today and this shot is no longer possible.
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My recollection of it being Port Clinton was from the trip schedule published with the ramble (I'm not really from around that neck of the woods so I wouldn't know the particular details), but we were informed the run-by would be at Port Clinton. From there the train took the Schuylkill branch to Tamaqua, double-heading up the infamous (3.5% was it?) grade.
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Addendum to the above comment:
My memory is jogged and now I do recall traveling on the main line to Pottsville, then heading to Tamaqua along I think what was called the Schuykill Valley branch (correct me if I'm wrong), wherein lay the >3 %'ter. So the spot Chris describes is probably correct, although the Reading identified the place to riders as Port Clinton. The return trip was by way of what I think was called the Little Schuykill branch which joined the main line at Port Clinton
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Yes Michael you are correct. Also the line from Pottsville over to Tamaqua is now gone between Middleport and Tamaqua. So this trip cannot be repeated today. Anymore shots from this trip??? Love to see them!
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"...So this trip cannot be repeated today...." - for more reasons than the the track is gone - there are no T-1's to do it anymore. Or if there is still one operational, that wouldn't suffice for the Schuykill Valley branch upgrade which required the two engines pictured.
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