Last Pictures of Old Reading Train Shed in Philly.

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wanswheel

Jan. 1, 1963 - Biggest fire in Philadelphia history to date destroys the Fretz factory at 10th & Diamond Streets in North Philadelphia

That isn't the fire schlimm was talking about, which was years earlier.  Look for something just prior to November 1960, starting in the Trains Complete Collection issues for that period to find the reference that was mentioned.

[schlimm]

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wanswheel

Jan. 1, 1963 - Biggest fire in Philadelphia history to date destroys the Fretz factory at 10th & Diamond Streets in North Philadelphia

 

 

That isn't the fire schlimm was talking about, which was years earlier.  Look for something just prior to November 1960, starting in the Trains Complete Collection issues for that period to find the reference that was mentioned.

 

Hold the phone!!  Actually it might have been the Fretz fire.  I think I started reading Trains about 1962.  The article discussed how the Reading quickly came up with a plan to continue commuter services, but thinking back, the fire was not in the trainshed.

Sorry for the confusion.

[wanswheel]

Philadelphia Inquirer, Jan. 2, 1963

http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%2023/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer%201963/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer%201963%20-%200030.pdf   Front page

http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%2023/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer%201963/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer%201963%20-%200057.pdf

http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%2023/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer%201963/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer%201963%20-%200058.pdf   Reading RR

“The Reading railroad's stainless steel streamliner, 'The Crusader' at the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, Jersey City, New Jersey, 1957. It ran from Philadelphia to New Jersey with a ferry connection to Lower Manhattan."

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wanswheel

wanswheel wrote the following post 4 hours ago: Philadelphia Inquirer, Jan. 2, 1963

THANK YOU!!

[daveklepper]

The FL-9s were originally equipped with double-sprung third-rail shoes and could pick up power on both NYCentral and LIRR third rail.  But they had to be maintained to close toleranes and ditto the third rail.  When maintenance was not up to par, entering the thrid rail zone on Penn Central would simiply nock off the shoe with a shower of sparks and leave the locomotive dependent solely on diesel power.  So Metro North quickly substituted a much simpler third-rail shoe, and there was no longer a requirement for FL-9s to run into Penn anyway, since PC and then Amtrak was using GG1s on all New Haven line trains intio Penn Station.

[54light15]

One thing about U.S. money in Germany, I stayed in a hotel on an Army base near Stuttgart in 1978 when my ship was in Genoa. The money was filthy! it didn't seem to get back to the U.S. to be replaced. It must have happened at some point but it was all dark gray and tattered. Military people got paid, spent it in the PX, back and forth. Army guys said you could live "on the economy" and get paid in Marks (I think) or you stayed on the base and got paid in dollars. Most money is dirty; I worked as a cab driver 30 years ago and the first thing I did after my shift was wash my hands. I guess anyone that handles money for a job would do that. 

[BaltACD]

54light15

One thing about U.S. money in Germany, I stayed in a hotel on an Army base near Stuttgart in 1978 when my ship was in Genoa. The money was filthy! it didn't seem to get back to the U.S. to be replaced. It must have happened at some point but it was all dark gray and tattered. Military people got paid, spent it in the PX, back and forth. Army guys said you could live "on the economy" and get paid in Marks (I think) or you stayed on the base and got paid in dollars. Most money is dirty; I worked as a cab driver 30 years ago and the first thing I did after my shift was wash my hands. I guess anyone that handles money for a job would do that. 

Went to Las Vegas 30 years ago - woke up early, too early, one morning and couldn't get back to sleep.  Went down to the hotel's casino with about $5 in change.  Played slots and other coin operated games for about 3 hours until I went broke - my hands were filthy!

[aegrotatio]

Amtrak dual-modes use over-running "LIRR-style" third rail just so they can use the ex-NYC West Side freight line in diesel mode and then catch the newer, over-running third-rail-powered tunnel under the Javits Center to Penn Station and back.

Metro-North versions of this same unit use under-running third rail only.

There hasn't been a "convertible" over/under third-rail shoe since the early FL9 era.  The current locomotives are exclusive to each service, and they don't need to be compatible since Amtrak moved out of Metro-North's Grand Central Terminal in the early 1990s after the West Side line was put back in service as the Empire Connection.