PRR Mt Carmel Branch & Reading Rambles

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your kind offer.  If you have a scanner and if you find the flyer, perhaps scanning it and then e-mailing the scan may be easier.  I will try to find a copy of the book here in Oregon.  If not, I'll go to Amazon.

Chuck Lytle

[techem321]

     As mentioned by an earlier respondent, there was at least one book on the Reading Rail Rambles, entitled "Iron Horse Rambles and the Reading T-1's" by Willliam S. Young and published by Starrucca Valley Publications in Susquehanna, PA(Mr. Young's company, I believe).  The book has about four pages on the rambles and the rest on the T-1s plus a good selection of photos from the rambles.  I believe that there was more than one trip to Gettysburg, and I rode one of them, probably the one in 1962.  Somewhere, I probably have the mineographed handout describing the route that they gave out on the train, and if I can find it, I would be more than happy to photocopy it for you.  Let me know if you are interested.

[Anonymous]

Thanks,

I don't get back east much anymore, and even though we have what's billed as "the world's largest independent book store" here in Portland, Oregon, books on the Pennsy, Reading, and other eastern lines are not that common, especially recent titles.  I grew up a stone's throw from the Pennsy/Reading dual lines from Sunbury up the Shamokin Valley into the anthracite coal mining regions.  The Pennsy Mt. Carmel branch was being torn up when I was back in 1994 and was gone when I revisited in 2000...as was the tower and crossing at Third St. in Sunbury.  Thanks for the help,

Chuck Lytle

[Lost World]

Since no one seems to be in any hurry to answer this question, I'll provide what little I can.

I know no more about the Mt. Carmel branch than you do, other than I believe it is now abandoned, as I was in Mt. Carmel about a year ago and saw no sign of any railroad.  As to steam age ops, I know only Collias and DPM.

There is at least one book on the Reading Rambles.  Don't know what it's called, but it's a paperback and I've seen it about a million times in the rack at the Model RR Shoppe in Dunnellen, NJ.  Not being a Reading fan, I never gave it much attention.  However, I'm sure there is someone who will read this who will know the title and who wrote it.  Reading fans tend to be numerous in this part of the world (Eastern PA).  Is anybody out there???

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for persons familiar with this branch of the PRR during the days of steam, particularly during the running of "The Ore Train," popularized by Clarence Weaver's color movie and profiled in Joe Colias' book The Last of Steam and the David Morgan Trains story anthologized as "The 2-10-0's That Thought They Could -- And Did!" in his book The Mohawk That Refused To Abdicate, And Other Tales."

I'm also looking for information about the Reading Rambles of the early to mid-sixties, especially one that ran through Harrisburg to the Carlysle Junction, south to Gettysburg, and back.  I believe this particular run was in the fall of 1962.  I "chased" this run from Harrisburg to Gettysburg and then back to the junction and would appreciate any details.  Have these runs ever been assembled in a book or review article?