It's been a good while since my last Reading and Northern update and although there's been nothing earth shattering I was recently tipped off to a cheat code when it comes to exploring the generally less accessible northern division between Scranton and Jim Thorpe. With the general collapse of any other interesting signaling in the region I have been been putting additional time and effort into getting photos of the R&N's newly installed CTC signaling between Reading and Jim Thorpe. However while the R&N inherited some interesting bits of signaling from the Conrail era, most of it reachable either by boat or long hikes along 20 miles of inaccessible right of way in the Lehigh River Gorge. My Plan A was to try and grab a seat on one of the many R&N passenger excursions however the summer 2020 one was cancelled by Covid and the recently announced one in May 2023 quickly sold out.
However one of my fantastic readers linked me to a speeder enthusiast's Youtube channel that included a 2022 speeder trip from Reading all the way to Pitson Yard north of Scranton, which is pretty much the entire R&N CTC'd main line. This basically provided all the signal status information you need for either fact of existence or for planning more involved photo trips. Part 1 covers Tamaqua through White Haven in a very respectable 90 minutes with part 2 White Haven to Pitson.
If you don't want to spend 3 hours watching the videos the TLDR is between CP-COAL and CP-WHITE HAVEN the LVRR signaling has been replaced by square Safetran CL-10 modules in a target/tri-light configuration. Between White Haven and Glenn Summit is where the LVRR searchlights appear and finally between Glenn Summit and CP-DUPONT is the land of 1980's non-modular GRS traffic lights.
Aside from closing the gap between the Hometown viaduct and Jim Thorpe, I'm not sure how much more the R&N is planning to expand its CTC, but whatever they do I'll be sure to report on it here. Meanwhile I will continue to gather R&N signal photos for additional less current events type posts.
Currently there is a short gap in Port Clinton as well, soon to be closed. It stretches from the south signal bridge, to just north of the Steam Shop. For now the two power switches there operate as "Yard Switch machines". As well as the gap between Hometown and Nesquehoning. The later gap is first to be filled, and a new controlled siding may be added here. Its a long gap between Tamaqua and Crestwood with no where to pass. Freight schedules have to be adjusted when the RBMN runs a lot of tourist trains. (R&N can't access the NS #2 main in the gorge now). One thing the video misses is the interlocking on the inside of the wye where the two lines come together towards Jim Thorpe.
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