It appears that the Blue Mountain and Reading is planning to upgrade the former PRR Schuylkill division track they own along route 61 (between Temple and Hamburg). Residents of Shoemakersville who live along the track were told in a meeting that the BM&R will be doing track work and may add a second line. Apparently the meeting was necessary because some residents were “claiming” railroad property for their own use. The BM&R has requested that all items like fences and sheds be removed from their property.

As many of you know, this line was a semi-active freight and tourist line in the 80s and early 90s. Since the great recession, it’s primary function was to server as storage for excess cover hoppers. The last time I traveled along route 61 to Hamburg, it appeared that those cars are gone (hopefully a good sign that the economy has improved enough to justify their return to service).

My wife’s nephew lives in Shoemakersville and attended the meeting. He and other residents have already begun the removal of items that encroached on BM&R property.

Does anyone have more information on the plans for this line? I don’t believe any new industries have cropped up along the line that require rail service, so this must be a move to return tourist train runs.

Having an active tourist line to and from Hamburg would be a nice added attraction for those visiting the RCT&HS museum.

Thanks, Mark

It all sounds good to me perhaps 2100 when done may have a place to tromp if visiting PA. Wouldn't the prospect of doubleheaded T-1's be a dream of the future! But for now I will settle for tech fan trips of reading equipment on the temple-Hamburg line.

Its hard for me to get excited about any possibility of tourist related activity when the line is being used to store empty tank cars. A venture that the railroad is making a pretty penny on. There are 2 customers on the line that have gotten service in the last year, Cambridge Lee (Reading Tube) in Ontelaunee Towship and Grow-Mark in Leesport. I wouldn't read anything more into the meeting in Shoey than the fact that the public sometimes needs to be reminded that the BM&R is private property and shouldn't be encroached on. I would be glad to be proven wrong in my opinion.

they might be adding extra trackage for more car storage, the almighty dollar always wins out. they are making money on the car storage business.

Oh, I completely agree that the move could be nothing more than to increase storage capacity along the line. That, and the meeting may have been just a friendly “hand slap” to residents that have gotten accustom to using BM&R land.

Still any time news comes out than an old line may get upgraded is welcomed over news that it’s getting ripped up. At least this way the “potential” for tourist train runs remains.

I haven’t been on 61 in a while (at least 4 to 6 months, so I’m guessing they are storing more cars there again.

Thanks, Mark

someone on the R&N facebook page was asking why they had stored some of the newer tank cars with the protective barriers on the ends. because they saw them along the Temple - Hamburg line,and figured that the older tanks would be in storage and not the newer ones for the Battic crude oil.