Hey guys,
I was just wondering if anyone had any pictures of Belmont yard on the Reading. Also, did the B&O trains coming through Park jct terminate there, or continue up to West Falls yard?

Belmont Yard, per se, was more used as interchange to/from the PRR which operated a connecting track from there to Zoo tower, if we're talking about the location on the west side of the Columbia bridge, along I-76, below West Falls. B&O freights operated from Park Jct (originating in East Side) through to Jersey City, and later E-port on the CNJ. After CR, freights operated via the Belmont branch thru to Allentown, etc, and ore trains from the ex-PC side at Greenwich operated thru Belmont to Bethlehem. It was nasty piece of RR with better than 1 percent grade either side of where it ducked under the east side of all the converging lines at Zoo.

I agree with Mitch, all B&O interchanging was done at East Side. the interchange track with the PRR/PC was used very little right before Conrail. that is why it was in rough shape when Conrail took over, until they could work on upgrading it. the yard itself shut down sometime in the late 1960's, when Reading was consolidating their facilities.

Thanks for helping back up my theory! I checked my old hardcover Rdg Power Pictorial and nothing-one shot of a still-4 track Columbia Bridge in the early 60's. The entire City Br, from Callowhill St thru Park Jct and West Falls shows as yard limits in the 1969 ETT (as 2 tracks). T1nut may remember before I76 was widened a while back you could see a few glimpses down to what I believe was about a 4-track wide "yard" ending about halfway between the bridge and West Falls...I'd like to see something of the old West Falls yard between city Ave and the Roosevelt Blvd exits.. still active a good ways into Conrail, IIRC! While slightly "OT" Rdg-wise, I attached a shot of an ore train on the "Belmont" from Zoo Tower around 1980, heading down the tunnel, northbound. The early CR WA6/AW5 from Pot Yard to Allentown which became POAL/ALPO was a "regular" on the Belmont thru Zoo on 3rd trick.

I believe it was 2 main tracks and 2 "passing" tracks. I remember in Conrail days, strings of cars parked along I-76 just west of the yard area. there are community gardens where most of the yard was.hard to railfan there now, RR cops kick you out.

that sounds familiar.. prob'ly not much different back to late 60's..glad to have another Rdg modeler that is more Philly than "upstate"! We're outnumbered, I'm afraid...Woodlane Yard, up by the I76 Gladwyne exit was another treasure trove of stored cars, plus a nice photo location by the crossing!