Passenger Railyard: (Satellite, between Fairmount Ave. and Green Street.)
I learned from a topo map for the coaling tower in Reading, PA, that the empty black rectangle to the west of the roundhouse was probably the location of the coaling tower. But I can't reconcile the buildings in Gerry's photo with the topo maps. Because of all of the tracks to the left of the coaling tower in the photo, I think we are looking north. So why don't we see a roundhouse instead of some backshop buildings on the right side of the photo?
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| Pomah Zapk posted Railroad Name! Reading Railroad. Subject! Steam locomotive. Description Camelback Engine with spoked wheels at Reading Terminal, Philadelphia, PA Location! Philadelphia, PA. From the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Ed Johnson shared |
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| Gerry Meyle Sr. posted Erie Avenue on the Reading in Philadelphia, Pa. May 2, 1964, New GP30s, RS3s, FP7s (904), GP7s and more. From my collection. |
I learned from a topo map for the coaling tower in Reading, PA, that the empty black rectangle to the west of the roundhouse was probably the location of the coaling tower. But I can't reconcile the buildings in Gerry's photo with the topo maps. Because of all of the tracks to the left of the coaling tower in the photo, I think we are looking north. So why don't we see a roundhouse instead of some backshop buildings on the right side of the photo?
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| 1952 Germantown Quad @ 24,000 I included part of the New Cathedral Cemetery because cemeteries tend to be a fixed point in time. The 1967 map looks basically the same. That is, it also shows a roundhouse to the east of the coaling tower. |
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| Tim Starr posted Floor plan for the Reading Railroad roundhouse with attached machine shop at Philadelphia, soon after it was constructed in 1919. (Railway Review) Bob Wolters: What was the streets location's? |
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| Tim commented on his post Overview of the facilities at Philadelphia. |
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| Dennis DeBruler answered Bob's question southwest quadrant of Luzerne and 2nd Streets, 1952 Germantown Quad @ 24,000 |
I tried finding an old aerial photo to confirm the roundhouse location, but the oldest I could find was a 1973 photo. The yard had already been converted to a road freight operation.
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| EarthExplorer: Sep 11, 1973 @ 23,200, ARD022704040037, rotated |
Passenger Service (Depot and Railyard)
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| Robert Wanner posted Reading Terminal in Philadelphia, Pa 1960-70's. Photo by Howard Pincus with my thanks and respect. Howard Pincus: I recognize that photo- I took it in 1970, with a 4x5 camera. This was probably copied from a book or magazine, where it was originally published. |
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| Robert Wanner posted Headhouse at the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia, Pa. 1960-70's. |
Robert Wanner posted two photos with the comment: "Train time at the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia when things were humming there in the 1970's. From the Headhouse to outside along the platforms people arrive and exit to and from downtown before the SEPTA tunnel. Just a reminder of good times gone by. Photos from collection."
Bev Smith: The 13-track train shed is the largest single-span train shed remaining in North America.
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| Robert Wanner posted Reading Company, Reading, Pa. Outer Station. Main Line train from Reading Terminal in Philadelphia drifting on to Platform #1-2 with a Class G-2 4-6-2 locomotive for motive power. Long afternoon shadows would place this as either Train 95 or 35 in late 1951. Standing on a baggage cart for this photo by Robert Wanner. |
The Reading headquarters were in the upper stories of the headhouse.
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| Street View, Mar 2023 |
The trainshed still has its arched roof.
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| Street View, Nov 2020 |
I didn't look at all 54,363 photos, but every interior shot I saw showed a low ceiling. And you don't need those big green rivited steel columns to support a free-standing shed. So I'm confused. If I every go to Philadelphia again, this shed gets priority over the Liberty Bell.
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| Danny 동명 Sin, Apr 2021 |
There was a railyard a little north of the station that had three turntables.
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| 1949 Philadelphia Quad @ 24,000 |
Now the tracks use the length of that passenger yard to go from an overpass of Fairmount Avenue to a tunnel. This must be the SEPTA tunnel. As implied by some comments, this tunnel takes commuter trains on the former-Reading Route to the Suburban Station. Since commuter trains have a lot of horsepower so that they can accelerate quickly from their station stops, they can handle the grade of going from an overpass to a underpass in just a couple of blocks.
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| Satellite |
When I tried to figure out how these tracks connected with the tracks that go through the Erie Street Railyard, I discovered that they don't connect. This excerpt has the Erie Street Railyard at the top and the passenger terminal at the bottom. The freight yard supported industries west of American Street and docks on the Delaware river.
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| 1949 Philadelphia, 1949 Camden and 1952 Germantown Quads @ 24,000 |
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