Here is a view of the scalehouse that existed at Spruce Street Yard, along with some Reading boxcars in storage. Note the yellow "Close Side Clearance" sign on the building. The RCT&HS has acquired a similar scalehouse that was located in Reading Yard.

Another view of the scalehouse, this time looking south toward the Bingaman Street Bridge. The building to the right with the large smokestack is Hopper Paper/Georgia Pacific (today Sealed Air Corporation). The Consumers' Gas/UGI storage tank can be seen above the boxcars.

Ah, the joys of urban renewal. This view is looking west toward the Schuylkill River; the yard has been abandoned with the exception of the boxcars either in storage or awaiting the torch. The Spruce Street Freight House is long gone, though the dock and platform still remain (as they do to the present day). The track in the foreground is the remains of the Second Street Branch, which ran north up Second Street to serve Merritt Lumber on the other side of Spruce Street. Second Street can be seen at the extreme left of the photo, and the white building in the background is BJ Saylor Foods. Reading Car Wheel Corporation was located in that area as well.

This view looks southeast toward Neversink Mountain. The Bingaman Street Bridge is visible at the far right. The brick building appears to have been either a yard office or a maintainer's building, note the classic Reading cream-and-brown trim on the doors and windows, even though it's a brick building. The empty space in the background was at one time filled with industry and residential buildings, all casualties of Hurricane Agnes and the city's subsequent redevelopment of the riverfront area.

Another view of the building, this time looking northeast in the opposite direction. The building is actually situated in between the yard's body tracks, rather than adjacent to the main or running track as it would appear at first glance. Again, note the "Close Clearance" sign, tucked up under the eaves of the roof, we're not sure how visible it would have been to a passing switcher crew...

Here we see a view of the PRR yard in Reading, around the freight house and passenger station at the foot of Penn Street. The freight house is visible to the left, and Wertz Warehouse is visible in the right of the photograph. An interesting mix of rolling stock is in evidence, including an outside-braced boxcar and some yellow MOW hoppers. Motive power appears to be a mix of Alco and Baldwin (There's an Alco RS-type unit immediately adjacent to the freight house). The Pennsy had a yard further south along the line in addition to the trackage here. It's interesting to note that there's a block of row homes very close to the tracks; these are long gone.

Here is a view of the Pennsy freight house from the other side, with a PC Baldwin idling by the deteriorating building. The Reading was the dominant railroad in its namesake city; PRR/PC trackage never rose above secondary status, and was some of the first to be removed as superfluous in the Conrail era.

This photo was taken facing east, apparently from the north side of the Penn Street Bridge. The large building in the right of the photo is the PRR passenger station; Stichter Hardware's warehouse buildings are in the center of the photo. The large square brick building in the left background is Willson Safety Products, makers of protective goggles. The building is now home to the GoggleWorks art center.

PRR/PC Baldwin switcher #7841 idles in the yard. The Wertz Warehouse building is in the background.