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.
54light15One 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!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
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.
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.
wanswheelwanswheel wrote the following post 4 hours ago: Philadelphia Inquirer, Jan. 2, 1963
THANK YOU!!
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
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."
RME 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.
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.
wanswheelJan. 1, 1963 - Biggest fire in Philadelphia history to date destroys the Fretz factory at 10th & Diamond Streets in North Philadelphia
schlimmwas 3.452 on Feb. 25, 1985
Thats pretty close to 3.5 (and it could have been higher than 3.452 depending on where I saw the sign), your making progress and this is a lot better where you started doubting me at 2.94 or something. Not sure why you argue this small stuff, this argument went nowhere and it ended up the highest daily exchange rate was a lot closer to what I thought it was then what you thought. The Germans ran the banks on post via a contract with American Express, AMEX had the travel contract as well. The on post Bank Manager was a compulsive gambler but nobody really cared.
I was there from June 1984 to December 1985. I could have stayed longer but the weather was crappy and it cost a small fortune to fly home for holidays.
CMStPnP BTW, the figures I posted for March 1985 were a monthly average......so you know what that means schlimm if you had any math or Algebra, the daily rates for March 1985 spiked higher to get an average at a peak around 3.30 DM to Dollar. So it is not looking good for the University of Santa Barbara at this point. :) Looks more and more llike the max rate hit was indeed above 3.30 a ways and could easily have been 3.5 DM to a Dollar.
BTW, the figures I posted for March 1985 were a monthly average......so you know what that means schlimm if you had any math or Algebra, the daily rates for March 1985 spiked higher to get an average at a peak around 3.30 DM to Dollar. So it is not looking good for the University of Santa Barbara at this point. :) Looks more and more llike the max rate hit was indeed above 3.30 a ways and could easily have been 3.5 DM to a Dollar.
Ok. You arrived in Germany in June 1984. The rates then were:
1-Jun-84 2.6845 4-Jun-84 2.6660 5-Jun-84 2.6860 6-Jun-84 2.6780 7-Jun-84 2.6950 8-Jun-84 2.6975 11-Jun-84 2.7145 12-Jun-84 2.7250 13-Jun-84 2.7155 14-Jun-84 2.7210 15-Jun-84 2.7410 18-Jun-84 2.7560 19-Jun-84 2.7585 20-Jun-84 2.7790 21-Jun-84 2.7830 22-Jun-84 2.7825 25-Jun-84 2.8035 26-Jun-84 2.7865 27-Jun-84 2.7965 28-Jun-84 2.7835 29-Jun-84 2.7815You mentioned that six months after your arrival (June, 1984?) so in December 1984, the rates was 3.5%. In fact according to the US Federal Reserve the daily rates were:
3-Dec-84 3.1150 4-Dec-84 3.0595 5-Dec-84 3.0790 6-Dec-84 3.0620 7-Dec-84 3.0870 10-Dec-84 3.0930 11-Dec-84 3.0870 12-Dec-84 3.0865 13-Dec-84 3.1050 14-Dec-84 3.0910 17-Dec-84 3.0900 18-Dec-84 3.0870 19-Dec-84 3.1000 20-Dec-84 3.1295 21-Dec-84 3.1160 24-Dec-84 3.1240 25-Dec-84 ND 26-Dec-84 3.1260 27-Dec-84 3.1520 28-Dec-84 3.1440 31-Dec-84 3.1550Yet you said: "About 6 months after I arived in Germany the DM went to I think it was 3.5 DM to the Dollar.." Not even close to 3.5 DM to the dollar. Yes, in March 1985 the rate was from 3.0830 to 3.432. The highest the dollar got from June '84 to June '86 (You were there during that period)was 3.452 on Feb. 25, 1985. It never was 3.5. Naturally the exchange rates are set daily at banks, Sparkassen and Cambios in Germany. Maybe things were different on your base. But I know very well how Germany itself was from 1968-present, having not only traveled there almost yearly, but also having lived there for extended intervals up to 2 years at various times.
RME A Philadelphia fire history site, discussing the Fretz Building fire in 1963, recaps significant fires up to that date but does not even mention one for the Reading.
Excerpt from PRR Chronology by Christopher T. Baer
http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR_hagley_intro.htm
Jan. 1, 1963 - Biggest fire in Philadelphia history to date destroys the Fretz factory at 10th & Diamond Streets in North Philadelphia; debris topples onto Reading's “DI” Diamond Street Tower, stopping all service between North Broad Street and Reading Terminal until Jan. 7; Reading runs shuttle buses between Reading Terminal and Wayne Jct. and North Broad Street to meet electric trains; diesel-powered trains run to Reading Terminal via West Falls, Belmont, Park Jct. and the Pennsylvania Avenue Subway.
[quote user="schlimm"]
CMStPnP I probably rounded it a little but not as much as above indicates, so I would dispute your source. I lived there and the exchange rate went far north of 3.0 DM to the Dollar. Officially the Fed Reserve of St. Louis says the peak was 3.29 DM to the Dollar in March 1985
CMStPnP I probably rounded it a little but not as much as above indicates, so I would dispute your source. I lived there and the exchange rate went far north of 3.0 DM to the Dollar. Officially the Fed Reserve of St. Louis says the peak was 3.29 DM to the Dollar in March 1985 (see link below) but thats only official and according to them, depending on who is doing the exchanging it can be up to 10-15 pfennings off either direction in periods where the rate was rapidly rising.............just like what you see at the pump with gasoline. In fact we were briefed where the best rates of exchange were in Germany that were most favorable to dollar holders. One of them was the train station, forget the rest. One of the worst places is the airport. Not sure why DB was considered at or near the top of the list. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/EXGEUS BTW, the plunge right after the peak was caused by a Fed, Treasury Department or German Central Bank announcement they were going to intervene in the market. One of the three intervened though and brought down the rate.
Hardly a 'rounding error' or a difference on where one exchanged dollars. You or I could make a fortune arbitraging on such an error if there were one.
I used this link. I used the right column, annual averages
Even better is the daily US Federal Reserve listing of daily spot rates (varies by only 6 pfennig in one month):
20-Dec-85 2.5120 23-Dec-85 2.5050 24-Dec-85 2.5055 25-Dec-85 ND 26-Dec-85 2.5050 27-Dec-85 2.4730 30-Dec-85 2.4650 31-Dec-85 2.4470 1-Jan-86 ND 2-Jan-86 2.4380 3-Jan-86 2.4613 6-Jan-86 2.4480 7-Jan-86 2.4445 8-Jan-86 2.4565 9-Jan-86 2.4480 10-Jan-86 2.4555 13-Jan-86 2.4625 14-Jan-86 2.4678 15-Jan-86 2.4625 16-Jan-86 2.4675 17-Jan-86 2.4645 20-Jan-86 NDThe exchange rate was at 3.432% Mar 5, 1985, but you did not arrive until late '85. Why can't you simply admit to an inaccurate recollection? It was over 30 years ago! No biggie (or 'biggly' if you prefer!).[/quote]Oh boy where do I start here:First, University of Santa Barbara is not an official foreign exchange rate source.......so I would go with the Federal Reserve or the Treasury Dept.Second, clearly I stated in my first post that I was waiting on the East Coast to fly over to Germany in May of 1984. How that translates that I arrived in late 1985 in your head is beyond me (that would be a very long flight). All I can say again is read for content not for what you wish the post said.Third, I lived there I should know the exchange rates went well over 3.25 DM to the Dollar, I also had to exchange rates using various means at my disposal and I can assure you that nobody in the country of Germany that was exchanging currency knew WTF the current spot rate was in NY nor did they use daily percentages (lol). And the Federal Reserve of the United States was not changing currency on the streets of Germany. So like I said before and I stand by my comments, the exchange rate would vary depending on the outlet you used to exchange currency expecially if the rate were rising fast. I don't care how you wish it worked......thats how it actually did work in the 1980's I was there and saw it myself.Did you know I could request my pay in Dollars or DM in Germany. How do you think the Army calculated the rate in an era of no computers. Do you think the LT standing there called New York and asked for the current spot rate? Seriously....think for a minute before you post about the dates and technology at the time.
CMStPnPI probably rounded it a little but not as much as above indicates, so I would dispute your source. I lived there and the exchange rate went far north of 3.0 DM to the Dollar. Officially the Fed Reserve of St. Louis says the peak was 3.29 DM to the Dollar in March 1985 (see link below) but thats only official and according to them, depending on who is doing the exchanging it can be up to 10-15 pfennings off either direction in periods where the rate was rapidly rising.............just like what you see at the pump with gasoline. In fact we were briefed where the best rates of exchange were in Germany that were most favorable to dollar holders. One of them was the train station, forget the rest. One of the worst places is the airport. Not sure why DB was considered at or near the top of the list. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/EXGEUS BTW, the plunge right after the peak was caused by a Fed, Treasury Department or German Central Bank announcement they were going to intervene in the market. One of the three intervened though and brought down the rate.
20-Dec-85 2.5120 23-Dec-85 2.5050 24-Dec-85 2.5055 25-Dec-85 ND 26-Dec-85 2.5050 27-Dec-85 2.4730 30-Dec-85 2.4650 31-Dec-85 2.4470 1-Jan-86 ND 2-Jan-86 2.4380 3-Jan-86 2.4613 6-Jan-86 2.4480 7-Jan-86 2.4445 8-Jan-86 2.4565 9-Jan-86 2.4480 10-Jan-86 2.4555 13-Jan-86 2.4625 14-Jan-86 2.4678 15-Jan-86 2.4625 16-Jan-86 2.4675 17-Jan-86 2.4645 20-Jan-86 NDThe exchange rate was at 3.432% Mar 5, 1985, but you did not arrive until late '85. Why can't you simply admit to an inaccurate recollection? It was over 30 years ago! No biggie (or 'biggly' if you prefer!).
schlimmYou'd lose.
I certainly would. But I find it almost infuriating that there is so little about this on the Web - I was only aware that 'something' had happened by reading in a caption for a November 1960 picture of commuters in a station near PRR North Philadelphia that they were there on detour during repairs following the fire. A Philadelphia fire history site, discussing the Fretz Building fire in 1963, recaps significant fires up to that date but does not even mention one for the Reading. It's at times like this that I most miss access to the Complete Collection...
schlimm CMStPnP Saw it in person in May of 1984, you all paid for me via tax money to sit around and drink beer and party for three weeks spending my weekends in Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Del........etc. Waiting at Ft. McGuire AFB for a flight to my next Active Army unit.......ah what a life. About 6 months after I arived in Germany the DM went to I think it was 3.5 DM to the Dollar.. 1984 2.8450 Deutsche mark to 1.0 dollar 1985 2.9420 Deutsche mark to 1.0 dollar
CMStPnP Saw it in person in May of 1984, you all paid for me via tax money to sit around and drink beer and party for three weeks spending my weekends in Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Del........etc. Waiting at Ft. McGuire AFB for a flight to my next Active Army unit.......ah what a life. About 6 months after I arived in Germany the DM went to I think it was 3.5 DM to the Dollar..
I probably rounded it a little but not as much as above indicates, so I would dispute your source. I lived there and the exchange rate went far north of 3.0 DM to the Dollar.
Officially the Fed Reserve of St. Louis says the peak was 3.29 DM to the Dollar in March 1985 (see link below) but thats only official and according to them, depending on who is doing the exchanging it can be up to 10-15 pfennings off either direction in periods where the rate was rapidly rising.............just like what you see at the pump with gasoline. In fact we were briefed where the best rates of exchange were in Germany that were most favorable to dollar holders. One of them was the train station, forget the rest. One of the worst places is the airport. Not sure why DB was considered at or near the top of the list.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/EXGEUS
BTW, the plunge right after the peak was caused by a Fed, Treasury Department or German Central Bank announcement they were going to intervene in the market. One of the three intervened though and brought down the rate.
Some one mentioned the Reading Terminal Market?
We've been there, and let me tell you if you're a foodie and you're in Philly DON'T miss it! So much good stuff in there you'll feel like a blind dog in a meat-house, not knowing where to turn!
Hey, go there even if you're not a foodie!
MidlandMike ... MetroNorth Hudson line trains for NYP would follow the Empire Service trains at Sputyn Devil to NYP, to then become LIRR trains. RME reminded me that in NH days only the locos were equiped with changable 3rd rail shoes, and both MN and LIRR have locos (dual mode for travel beyond electric zones). ...
...
MetroNorth Hudson line trains for NYP would follow the Empire Service trains at Sputyn Devil to NYP, to then become LIRR trains. RME reminded me that in NH days only the locos were equiped with changable 3rd rail shoes, and both MN and LIRR have locos (dual mode for travel beyond electric zones).
I realized later that Amtrak style dual mode locos would be usable as is on a Hudson line-LIRR thru commuter train (presuming they don't have clearance issues). The Amtrak trains run diesel along the MetroNorth electric zones, so the dont need a 3rd rail shoe for the MN zone, only a LIRR style shoe for Penn station and beyond. I presume the ATK dual modes have a 3rd rail shoe that retracts or otherwise does not get in the way of MN 3rd rail.
CMStPnPSaw it in person in May of 1984, you all paid for me via tax money to sit around and drink beer and party for three weeks spending my weekends in Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Del........etc. Waiting at Ft. McGuire AFB for a flight to my next Active Army unit.......ah what a life. About 6 months after I arived in Germany the DM went to I think it was 3.5 DM to the Dollar..
One thing not mentioned here (but maybe I missed it) is that if you are traveling on Amtrak and, rather than end your trip at 30th Street Station, you would prefer to go to the convention center area closer to center city you just go upstairs to the suburban station area at 30th Street and take the next train EB on certain lines (ask about which ones at the info booth). Show the conductor your Amtrak ticket and you can ride free to Jefferson Station. This will save you abit on cab fares and traffic congestion.
CandOforprogress2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH0DNd6s-f4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH0DNd6s-f4
Saw it in person in May of 1984, you all paid for me via tax money to sit around and drink beer and party for three weeks spending my weekends in Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Del........etc. Waiting at Ft. McGuire AFB for a flight to my next Active Army unit.......ah what a life.
About 6 months after I arived in Germany the DM went to I think it was 3.5 DM to the Dollar......then it was take your choice Mercedes or BMW to Bremen (winter) or Bremerhaven (summer - North Sea coast). It was nice at times. Got tired of the weather and sometimes the politics over there though.
As for the Reading Terminal trainshed, as historic as it was. It really was an eyesore and I would have torn it down if I were the major, it's ugly appearance and the approach tracks really dominated the landscape of that part of the city and made it look like it was frozen in time from the 1920's. THough I guess they could have kept it if like the Europeans IF they did a much better job of hiding the approach tracks and trainshed with other buildings or vegitation.
CandOforprogress2 The Reading Elevated Line is due to be the next "High Line" Park on the East Coast, Does anyone here know the name of the Elevated Station midway on the Reading EL
The Reading Elevated Line is due to be the next "High Line" Park on the East Coast, Does anyone here know the name of the Elevated Station midway on the Reading EL
They still use part of the elevated structure before they dive underground, and I remember that the Temple University station was in that section.
MidlandMike ... Something similar could happen with NY Penn Station, for instance if proposed ex-NH trains into Penn Station could become outbound NJT trains. With changable 3rd rail shoes, proposed Hudson Line trains into NYP could become LIRR outbound trains. Would help solve some NYP congestion.
Something similar could happen with NY Penn Station, for instance if proposed ex-NH trains into Penn Station could become outbound NJT trains. With changable 3rd rail shoes, proposed Hudson Line trains into NYP could become LIRR outbound trains. Would help solve some NYP congestion.
I guess I should have been clearer on the routes.
Th ex-NH line trains for Penn Station would leave the normal route at New Rochelle and travel over the NEC to Penn Station, where they could become NJT trains. I understand that NJT quipment can handle NH line cat, but that the MetroNorth/CDOT equipment can't go to Penn, Not sure if it's the cat or just that the 3rd rail shoe needs to retract.
I heard that in Phily, SEPTA crews change at Suburban Station (the transition point between ex-PRR and ex-RDG). As I remember in the early days of MetroNorth, the trains off the ex-NH were all CDOT orange cars and the ex-NYC trains were green cars. Now the two colors seem to be freely mixed.
RMEBet a hat you mean the Broad Street fire of June 1923. The only Reading fire I have heard of happened around 1960, and I don't think it was particularly catastrophic.
You'd lose. I believe the Trains article concerned a Reading Terminal fire. The only reason it was not a major problem ('catastrophic' was your word, not mine) was the ingenuity displayed by the Reading.
CSSHEGEWISCHA couple of minor problems with the suggestions for Penn Station. Metro North goes to GCT, not Penn Station.
This was implied in his use of "Hudson Line". The context is partly in reference to running some traffic that currently goes to Penn via the Hell Gate route) over the ex-New Haven between New Rochelle and Woodlawn, then running briefly on the Hudson Line to divert up the Empire Connection at Spuyten Duyvil instead of 'turning left' via Marble Hill.
The hardware changes would not be cheap and the suggested operation would require dedicated equipment or re-equipping all equipment whether they would operate in such service or not.
Most of the 'hardware change' is making and then maintaining shoes capable of reliable operation on both underrunning and overrunning third rail. I have seen a number of proposals to do that well. I have also seen a couple of well-intended ideas that did NOT work out well when built.
I would start this service using push/pull with dual modes and put smart shoes on the locomotives, as (to me at least) that's an easier technical implementation, and expands (somewhat) the areas where these trains could be run. Nowhere near as flexible as a dedicated fleet of MUs, but it would certainly establish where any 'through operation' between regions generates enough traffic or enthusiasm to justify the added cost and trouble, and would find most of the problems before any great investment in MU conversion would have to be undertaken.
I don't know how large a dedicated fleet of MUs would have to be to cover the 'peak' service requirements for the various routes proposed, plus reserve. It would certainly be large. Any substantial use of 'run-through' from underrunning to overrunning regions would, as you note, have to be larger still, perhaps fleet-wide. That is not a bad thing for the tech equivalent of crayonistas, but it's difficult to imagine finding the capital to implement it when there are so many alternative project opportunities for any capital that is available...
Something else this would require is harmonization in things like CBTC, operating and safety rules, and qualification. I think, again, that doing the testing on a limited number of dual-mode locomotives makes better sense than the required number of MU car conversions, at the outset.
multiple operators would be involved and a crew change would be necessary. Negotiations with the operating Brotherhoods for through crews would be difficult at best.
I see comparatively little issue with implementing things as a 'crew change' as you'd be essentially eliminating overlap with crews on the separate trains that the runthroughs are replacing/supplanting. It might be necessary to have better 'just-in-time' calling to schedule the exchange tightly at minimum expense (and crew wasted time and frustration) but that's not likely to be an issue. I think negotiation for runthrough arrangements is not nearly as significant an issue as liability concerns or training/qualification; some of the trackage involved is VERY intricate and 'special-needs' and it might be difficult to give relatively large numbers of pool crews "The Knowledge" for it all (perhaps including the new Gateway construction by then).
There is also the concern of breakdowns, abuse or accident involving one operating entity's trains that are operating on the facilities of another's. That includes potential consequential damages. We've already seen the relative horror of this in connection with extending the #7 subway under the Hudson, and that's a far more 'controlled environment' than sending, say, Hudson Line trains via the Empire Connection out to someplace like Montauk.
Just as a note: The situation with the CCCC (or whatever it was called in Philadelphia; it had far too much cute alliteration for me) was greatly simplified because both the Reading and PRR used basically compatible overhead electrification. It would be interesting to me to see an account of the problems and issues that were encountered in making the two systems 'harmonize' -- including the politics involved when one historic railroad's approach had to be chosen over the other's.
A couple of minor problems with the suggestions for Penn Station. Metro North goes to GCT, not Penn Station. The hardware changes would not be cheap and the suggested operation would require dedicated equipment or re-equipping all equipment whether they would operate in such service or not.
Lastly, multiple operators would be involved and a crew change would be necessary. Negotiations with the operating Brotherhoods for through crews would be difficult at best.
About ten years ago we took the SEPTA ex-Reading line from Norristown into the Reading Terminal replacement, then called Market East, now Jefferson station. It was simply platforms on the 4 track tunnel line toward Suburban station. Connecting the two former stub ended terminals into thru stations made a very efficient commuter operation. As an ex-Reading line train came into downtown, it became an outgoing ex-PRR line train, and vice versa. Eliminates terminating downtown trains on both lines, and also does away with terminal coach yards.
schlimm... I am going to assume (quite possibly in error) that most patrons in the past were commuters to Center City strictly using one SEPTA line from their suburb and return.
I think your assumption is right, with the codicil that we're referring to Reading services, commuters choosing to use their service for whatever reason, and including more widespread passenger service (notably the New York Line via West Trenton), and continuing to use the same lines once they were taken over into SEPTA just as you said. This is much the same sort of 'star topography' seen in the ex-PRR lines, or for that matter much of the commuter service ultimately going into GCT in the New York area, where commuters coming from a disparate number of places were funnelled into a central 'terminal' and not so much connecting through that terminal to go out to a different branch. There would be exceptions, of course (Temple University probably being one) but there is still the assumption that it is Reading-only connections, not transfers between routes. (Interestingly, the most famous of the named Reading passenger trains were Jersey City - Harrisburg and ran north of the Philadelphia terminal, perhaps reminiscent of the PRR trains that went via North Philadelphia)
I recall a great Trains article about how quickly service was restored after the Reading fire. Doubtless that was another lost skill.
Bet a hat you mean the Broad Street fire of June 1923. The only Reading fire I have heard of happened around 1960, and I don't think it was particularly catastrophic.
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