A most unusual sight in 2023. Vacationers traveling north on State Route 443 just outside South Tamaqua, PA are probably thinking they've just entered the Twilight Zone as they suddenly behold a sight that hasn't been common in the US for perhaps 75 years. There, before their eyes, is a massive steam locomotive, hauling a 15-car passenger train, charging down a mainline railroad doing perhaps 30 mph or better. It's a sight that regularly has cars quickly pulling to the side of the road for a chance to take in the sights, sounds and smells of a bygone era that all but the oldest have never known. This particular stretch of track, near Zehner's Crossing, outside South Tamaqua, regularly becomes a parking lot for just a minute or two, every time the Reading & Northern's massive T-1 Locomotive #2102 makes an appearance. This particular image was captured in August of 2023, as one of the railroad's "Iron Horse Rambles" was making its way south toward Reading, PA, after a day-long excursion to the tourist mecca of Jim Thorpe.
Images from charters and regular operations depicting the Reading & Northern's two steam locomotives, the 4-8-4 Northern #2102 and the 4-6-2 Pacific #425.
