The East Penn Flyer (H47)

[dschlegel]

I stopped in Mertztown, PA over lunch to visit my pop, but he wasn't around.

Luckily the H47 was with these two good looking and sounding EMD's.

The 5303 is with the rest of the train on Main1 while the 3423 has just spotted a tank car at Atlas and is pulling across the plant parking lot to head back to the main and the rest of the train.

The H47 is the local out of Reading Yard the serves industry on the Reading Line, formerly the East Penn Branch of the Reading Railroad. Going back to the Reading days this train has traditionally run on a Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday schedule and continues to do so for the most part.

Occasionally it will also run on the Evansville Secondary which is the ex Reading Schuykill and Lehigh branch.

Enjoy!
Dan

[steveiez]

Years ago I haule cottonseed to a mushroom plant. Is the palnt still ther, and does it use rail srevice? Also did some work out of the Aleentown cement plant.

[dschlegel]

There are a lot of mushroom farms on the west end of the Reading line and even a few up on the Evansville, although I've never known of them to use rail. Allentown Cement is now Lehigh Portland I believe in Evansville and seems to do a lot of their shipping by truck, but does use rail periodically.