complexes, with their easily rec- ognizable breaker building, con- tributed millions of tons annual- ly, allowing the Reading to claim the title as “America’s Largest An- thracite Carrier.” Additionally, the railroad served dozens of smaller processing facilities and truck dumps scattered throughout the region.


Although I grew up along the Reading’s busy East Penn main- line in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, pictures and stories about the coal regions and its communities always captivated me. Anthracite mining reached its apex during the 1940s and was in a steady decline throughout the 1950s. The mine structures, grungy coal towns, severe mountain grades, and essential helper service all contributed to my decision to model the Reading in the coal- fields. Although I enjoyed witness- ing the Reading’s colorful second- generation operations during the late 1960s and up through Con-


rail, it was the thought of recreat- ing the steam-to-diesel transition era in HO scale that really inter- ested me. For 16 years, I modeled a smaller regional anthracite hauler — Lehigh & New England (LNE). A move to a new house (with a larger basement) in 1996 provid- ed the impetus to sever ties with the LNE and design my “dream” Reading-based layout. Having gained experience with the Digital Command Control (DCC) method of controlling trains back in 1993 at the Valley Forge NMRA Conven- tion, the helper operations I had envisioned became considerably easier to replicate. I could also include several coal mining vi- gnettes, key junction points, and important rail yards — all oper- ating independently from each other. During the 1950s, as more and more diesels entered service, the coal regions became the final domination for steam operations. I could also continue using my


Diesel Local GP7 634 drills the mine lead at the North Line Coal Company, as east- bound freight NT-4 de- parts Shamokin yard en route to Tamaqua with a class K-1 2-10-2 shoving on the rear. Not all coal was shipped in hopper cars as the RDG gondola exhibits.


AUGUST 2015 49


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