WWW.JOHNPMEDIA.COM - He's also got a really good DVD titled "Railfanning the Reading" that is well worth a look.

Actually, the usage of the "Turkey Path" depends on which time period you are talking about. When the Reading Belt was first completed in 1902 and throughout the steam era, the W&N between Cumru Jct and Birdsboro was considered an extension of the Reading Belt and operated as a main track for eastbound trains. The never-completed plans of the early 20th Century for a 4-track main track system the entire distance between Philadelphia and Reading envisioned a three-track Main Line between Birdsboro and Klapperthal, with the W&N serving as the 4th main track. However, in the RDG diesel era, with the decline of traffic and fewer trains, usage of the Turkey Path was de-emphasized until Conrail upgraded the track. In fact, in the early 1980s after passenger service ended, Conrail considered single-tracking the Main Line between Klapperthal and Birdsboro.

After the P&R gained control of the W&N, 1900-1905, did the trains off the W&N terminate at Birdsboro or did they come into Reading? P&R timetables into the 1920's show the freight schedules on the W&N ending at Birdsboro, with no times beyond there, and no times on the Main Line schedule pages for freight. Passenger trains did show on the Main Line timetable schedule pages (as well as trains off other connecting branches).

I can only assume the freight trains terminated there and either "P&R" trains picked up the business off the W&N at Birdsboro or they ran "transfer" runs as extras between Birdsboro and Reading. Any ideas on how the traffic got between Birdsboro and Reading?