This may seem like an elementary question, but it is sincere.

I always assumed the Reading ran unit trains of coal hoppers, but then as I learned more about the anthracite market I wondered.

Can anyone illuminate for me?

If unit trains did exist, when were they common, where did they originate and terminate and what kind of equipment was used.

Thanks for any help.

Dave Owens
West Hartford, Conn.

Not sure if the term "unit" train was in vogue yet, however there were certainly trains dedicated service.

The Joanna Turn/Grace Mine/RB20 was captive to the almost daily run, right down to the locomotives There are plenty of stories of ore trains and so forth on the Bethlehem Branch.

The Bethlehem Star as I recall was nothing but hoppers loaded with Bituminous coal in B&O hoppers bound for the Bethlehem Steel Mill.
The were many coal extras that were just hoppers, which although probably not in captive service were Unit trains by the nature of them being strictly one commodity be it anthracite on the main line or bituminous on the cross line.

Could one argue that even the "Bee Line Service" trains were unit trains as they went direct from client to client and carried only loads for that one specific run.

just some food for thought.
Rob

Thanks Rob.

That all makes perfect sense.

The reason I asked is I like to run long cuts of Stewart fishbellies, etc., pulled by GP7s and RS3s.

I was hoping I was close to being accurate.

Dave Owens

To refine Rob's comments, the Reading did run the 1960's equivalent of the Unit Coal train for Anthracite loads. Some Railroad employees referred to the as CD extras. By the 70's however, pure trains of Anthracite were rare. Back when St. Clair was the gathering point for coal it certainly would have originated trains. The other primary point of origin was probably Tamaqua. Power would have been primarily Baldwin in the early to mid 60's and Alco or EMD (or mixed) in the late 60's. In the 70's, St. Clair and the Frackville grade were no longer used, coal from Shamokin and Tamaqua areas was handled in Road freights.

The trains form West Cressona were known as "Snappers" with most of the consist being coal. But, there wasn't enough mixed freight or coal for solid coal trains every trip.

Thanks Bill. Great information.

Dave

Joanna Bill's comments make even better sense...... When I was a kid watching those trains the hopper cars seemed to go on forever.....