train trains model trains steam locomotive railroading model railroading pennsylvania pennsylvania railroad philadelphia east broad top east broad top railroad 16 nkp 765 strasburg railroad sp 4449 up 844 reading 2102
Seeing that locomotive has been on my bucket list since it was restored. Not only does it look beautiful, but it has one of the best whistles of all time.
@@Rose-yx6jqi didn't understand why people liked trains until i saw a corvette Montecarlo parked outsiked my work and literally everybody including the boss went outside to look it and take photos
Friggin love 2102. A literal chad of an engine. Crazy to think 2102 and her sisters literally ran right by where I lived and grew up (The now torn apart Perk Branch 5 min from my home was one of the 1st branches to be upgraded for the T1s)
I’ve lived near port Clinton pretty much my entire life. When I was a little kid I was obsessed with steam engines and my grandfather would take me to the port Clinton station so I could be around some of the locomotives because I what little kid didn’t think trains where cool😂We walked down some of the tracks occasionally to where they used to store 2102 and he would lift me up to the windows so I could look in and see the sleeping giant. Now all these years later, he and I got to enjoy our first ride on the beast during the fall foliage excursion last year. What a machine!!
Same temperature as the surface of a low-end red dwarf would be (barely) possible, but same temperature as the surface of the Sun, even if you could make the firebox out of materials that could take it, would prevent combustion from occurring until the temperature went down.
Probably my first conscious memory was at maybe 3 years old (I'm now 84)...coming at me head on was a laboring steam locomotive enshrouded with swirling clouds of white steam..this would have been in 1941-42..I was standing in probably my mother's lap in a car approaching the oncoming train off to the right close to the road we were driving..I was absolutely awed , and I can still clearly remember the powerful image of the engine bearing down on us like looking at a photograph.
Original restoration done in Reading shops leased from Conrail by the Reading Company Technocal Society. I was a member at that time.. our crew was working on restoia GP30 in those shops at the same time. I was alos on the original ramble with the 2102 from Reading PA to Jim Thorpe Pa with a turn in Scranton. On the way back at night..... About 1/2 hr from reaching Reading the engine lost steam leaving the enti consist stranded and powerless on Conrails mainline. Had to be rescued by Contail to clrar the main. Turns out the water fill in Jim Thorpe by a local fire company had floride in it which foamed in the boiler causing loss of pressure stranding the locomotive. Got home 6 hrs late.
@@featherdabirb All the black smoke they put out is not a normal operating thing, it's done for show for photo-ops because it's kind of what people expect of a steam engine. Check out the video "Why do USA steam trains make smoke, but UK ones don't?" for an explanation.
Chased it twice, got to ride it this month on the last Rambles of the year from the newly opened Nesquehoning station to Pittston and back a whole day trip. Sat in the front car right behind the generator car. Got covered in coal but man was it fun. RBM&N and the 2102 put on the best excursion I've been on by far. Would recommend it to anyone who loves truly powerful classic steam.
My grandfather worked for the Reading. He started in 1914 at the Rutherford Pa. Yard. When it was called the P&R. He retired in 1964 with 50 years service. I would love to see it come up the N/S Harrisburg East Line again but I don't think that will ever happen. I did have the opportunity to chase it last year. What an awesome locomotive. My father took as a young boy to see the steam locomotives on that line but I was to young at that time to remember them. Nice video you made of this historic locomotive.
My favorite memories was visiting my grandparents home in Southport ny. There was a roundhouse just a few streets away. At nite I could hear the big boys whistling from PA to Elmira. My best memories ❤
I LOVE that locomotive!❤ As a little boy, I rode behind her on that excursion around the Horseshoe Curve in ‘77! I remember driving across the Smithfield Street Bridge in Pittsburgh to get on board at the old P&LE station. Great plumes of dark smoke puffed up from beneath the bridge like a dragon’s breath. She was massive, regal, & beautiful. You can’t imagine my joy at the news she was being restored! I rode behind her doubleheader with 425 and again this past October with my family. 2102 is just as beautiful & awe-inspiring as she was when I was a little boy taking my very first real train ride. 😊 I hope she runs for many more decades to come.
Interesting things to note: color of the smoke indicating efficiency. In the older shots in the engine is billowing a thick black smoke full of carbon from incomplete combustion (same as "roll coal" exhaust in tucks) as Engineers didn't worry about it as much back then. In the new shots the smoke is white indicating a more efficient and complete combustion from the engineers! Bonus fact: in the very first shot you can see white smoke coming from the rear of the engine but not the stack, that's because it's actually steam being released from the safety blow off. When the engine is not in open the throttle the steam is not going to the Pistons then exhausting through the stack. That pressure exhausts at the rear of the boiler through a safety relief vent when it's not being sent to positions
Boomer here. As a child, I was behind 2102 on an Iron Horse Ramble... 2124, 2100 too. My dad was quite the steam train guy, as was his brothers. I think I have a 45 rpm vinyl of 2124.
I got to ride behind it in what was probably 1990, or maybe 1989. My grandfather worked for the Reading Railroad when 2102 was still being used in regular service. I also remember sitting in the cab of 2102 as a child. I was probably 3-4 years old.
I haven't ridden a train pulled by this locomotive, but followed its progress in articles in Railfan and Railroad magazine to which I have subscribed since the 1980s.
The amount of engineering and machining skills that went into the manufacturing of this locomotive is astounding. It’s amazing to me that there people still around that are qualified to rebuild these.
My Grandfather worked for the Reading Lines from the late 40's all the way up to the 1970's, so there's a very good possibility that he was one of the engineers for this locomotive up to 1956. He generally ran out of the Rutherford yards east of Harrisburg, PA😉
I think the newest one will be a casagrand repro from the 1870's. John with mammoth steam works should have it done by next year. He operates out of palisade colorado. Builds everything, wheels, bearings, boiler. All by just looking at pictures. The engine so far is truly remarkable. And he builds it in the most unique way.
Ive been on the Reading Fall Fooilage passenger train ride, sadly I rid 1 year before this beauty was restored but hopefully will be able to go ride her this upcoming year
Rode behind it once, about 1988. I was present in Reading when they rolled it out of the old Reading shops in 1984 I believe after its first major restoration. But, I wasn't quite 2 years old at the time so the memory is very faded. If not for a former coworker showing me photos he took where you could see my mom and I in the crowd, I probably wouldn't have known what that memory was. I last saw it in Hamburg in 91 being rerailed under the 61 bridge. Spent a lot of time behind and chasing 425 with my mom.
Visited the Port Clinton Headquarters of the Reading & Northern today with my 7 year old grandson who eats, sleeps & thinks about trains 24x7. He has his own subscription to Trains magazine. We also train watch & chase all we can. We’ve chased the doubleheader of 2102 & 425 and ridden behind 425 Santa Train. The R&N folks are very train fan friendly. We toured the Steam Shop where they are overhauling #425 their Blue Pacific and they were shining & oiling T-1 2102 for a Saturday Ramble. My Grandson was invited to go into the cab of 2102. He knew most of the controls and impressed the machinists who took us up to the cab. We also watched a female shop machinist / Mechanic custom make a part for the 425 while a man was inside the firebox welding something. Check the schedule but this Saturday is a good time to see the gorgeous 2120 run from Reading thru Port Clinton, Tamaqua and on to Jim Thorpe. It’s so impressive to be near the tracks when it roars through. They’ll put on a show and blow some serious smoke 💨 when there are crowds of photographers and just enthusiasts watching. R&N lead by Andy Muller is a national treasure.
That’s an amazing story. Sounds like your kid had a great time! I was hoping to go to the R&N this Saturday, but I don’t think it’s going to work out. Hopefully I’ll be able to make it to the September ramble instead.
She was hanging around my town from about 2007 until 2010 or 2011, I think. Our local short line had some sort of plan to use her to pull excursions and even freight runs, but she just sat on a siding in our local county port grounds. Thankfully she didn’t end up collecting tumbleweeds for too long.
On two different occasions, I was called to pilot the excursion train from Temple to Jim Thorpe and return. They had to have a qualified locomotive engineer on board when operating over Conrail trackage. I had the opportunity to operate it from Jim Thorpe to Allentown. It had a modern braking system brake valve. I don't think I would have liked a career on the steamers, though. Dirty, loud, smelly, and exposed to the elements. It was either too hot or too cold.
These old trains always look the best imo. From this to the Flying Scotsman to the Big Boy they have such good looks that modern trains just don't have.
All nostalgia aside, there HAS to be another reason that, little by little, all these later model steam locomotives are being brought back to life. There are WAY too many being restored just to be pulling sightseeing excursion trains all around the country. Most people have no idea just how EXTREMELY expensive in both money and time it is to work on these live steam monsters just so people can go ooooh and ahhh!
There can’t be too many steam locomotives being restored, because people love to see them operate. They make the youngers wiser and elders younger again.
