Anthracite Railroad Ramble

SIA Members - please enter your promo code using “Enter Promo Code” link on the ticketing page

The National Museum of Industrial History is proud to work with the Reading & Northern Railroad to host this special train ride one day before the start of the Society for Industrial Archeology's 49th Annual Conference. The day-long trip will depart Outer Station in Reading, PA, with guests riding aboard a pair of open window Budd RDCs (self-propelled Rail Diesel Cars).

The train will make its first stop at a facility rarely seen by the public, the Reading & Northern Railroad steam shop in Port Clinton, PA. Attendees will get an up-close look at the operational restoration currently underway on steam locomotive 2102. This 4-8-4 type locomotive weighs 441,300 pounds and was built to operate in the anthracite region served by the Reading Company.

Further north, passengers will again disembark in Tamaqua, PA to see a variety of sites including the Tamaqua Tunnel Railway, a privately owned two-foot gauge railroad with approximately 250 feet of track. Inspired by the Chicago Tunnel Company freight tunnels, the operation features two electric mine locomotives and several cars which lead from a back yard to a short stretch of track under the owner's home. Additional guided tours will showcase the Tamaqua Historical Society, Hegarty Blacksmith Shop, and the railroad equipment displayed outside the 1874 train station,

Back on board, the trip will diverge from the main line and travel rare mileage through the 3,411-foot-long, 159 year old Buck Mountain Tunnel where coal seams pierced by the tunnel will be seen with bright lights shined through the open train windows. A photo run by will occur at the ventilating fan houses at the east end of the tunnel. The train will continue past Reading Anthracite coal mining operations before stopping at Girardville, PA. A ten-minute walk will bring visitors to the Hibernian House where Joe Wayne will show visitors artifacts related to his great-grandfather and former owner of the tavern, Jack Kehoe. Wayne helped clear Kehoe's name a century after he was hanged for being the alleged ringleader of the Molly Maguires, a secret society that used murder, explosions, and assaults to fight against coal companies for Irish-American mine workers.

Guests can bring their own lunch or purchase a box lunch to eat on the train. Light snacks and drinks will also be available for sale on the train. Seating is limited and expected to sell out. Guests must arrange their own transportation to and from Outer Station, Reading, PA. We would like to thank Durdach Brothers, Inc. and Guinness for helping set up the final leg of your journey to the Hibernian House.

ALL TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE ON A FIRST COME - FIRST SERVED BASIS. SEATING IS LIMITED. NO SALES DAY OF THE TRIP. SALES END ONE WEEK BEFORE THE TRIP. THE RAILROAD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SUBSTITUTE MOTIVE POWER AS CONDITIONS REQUIRE. ITINERARY SUBJECT TO CHANGE.