Hello all,

I am new to The Reading Modeler and I look forward to participating in such a great site.

I'm interested in the Reading's marine operations on the Delaware River, and I wonder whether anyone can direct me to good references on the subject, preferably with some photos of the tugs and carfloats that the Reading used. I've found one photo of the tug Brandywine on line, but no info about the car floats other than a reference to a three-track float in a legal document.

My particular interest is the float operation at Pigeon Point near Wilmington, Delaware. This float apparently served the DuPont Company Chambers Works chemical plant I across the river in Deepwater, NJ., and possibly another DuPont plant upriver at Thompson Point.

If anyone can provide more info about the Pigeon Point operation or photos of the float bridge, I would appreciate it. I'd also be interested to learn more about the "Millside Line" that connected Pigeon Point to the Wilmington and Northern line.

The remains of the Pigeon Point float bridge apparently still exist. I may try to document it by boat next spring when the weather warms up. If I do, I'll post some photos. Attached is a recent image from Bing Maps.

Thanks,

Charlie

Here are some better aerials of the Pigeon Point float bridge.

Charlie

there are a few pix in Morning Sun's Reading In Color volume 1, but not much else.. This enabled them to bypass the predominantly-PRR/PC controlled PRSL line that served the plant. Even though the Rdg owned one-third, revenue division was also only one-third. It also took 3 days off transit time from Chambers Works (Carneys Point)

Thanks for the reference, Mitch. I'll order the Morning Sun book, which is evidently still in print.

Do you happen to know whether Reading had any tug and/or carfloat servicing facilities in Wilmington, or was all of that handled out of Philly? I know memory has its limits, but when I was a kid, I spent many afternoons with my dad watching trains, ships, birds and airplanes from the PRR Bellevue commuter station a few miles south of Clatmont, Delaware (on the River route between Philadelphia and Pigeon Point). I have no recollection of any Reading tugs, with or without a carfloat along side.

Current Bing Maps photo of the Bellevue station location attached. The foundation of the northbound shelter where my dad and I hung out is still visible between the tracks, but the southbound foundation has been removed, apparently to make way for a track realignment. Hard to imagine a more exciting place to watch trains.



Also, one on-line source indicated that the Millside Line that served Pigeon Point was jointly owned by the Reading and the Pennsy. If that is true, it would seem to reduce some of the financial advantage for the Reading to operate the Pigeon Point facility.

Regards,

Charlie