CSX 4317, a former Reading Co. GP39-2 shown at right, works at Yeoman Yard in Tampa, Fla., in March 2017. It now resides at the Reading museum in Hamburg, Pa.
Scott A. Hartley
HAMBURG, Pa. – A former Reading GP-39-2, one of the last new locomotives delivered to that railroad just months before the Conrail takeover, has arrived at the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum. CSX Transportation donated No. 4317, built as Reading’s No. 3412, which is in full CSX paint but will be repainted in the Reading green and yellow as soon as time and funds permit.
In reality, the locomotive, built in December 1974, was owned by CSX predecessor Chessie System and leased to the Reading. When Conrail came into existence, the 20 Reading locomotives were allocated to the Delaware & Hudson, which eventually purchased them from the Reading estate. When Canadian Pacific bought the D&H, the locomotives were returned to CSX, which held the financing paper.
The units were well-liked on the Reading. In addition to their usual freight duties, some were used in passenger service during transit strikes and snowstorms. They would pull SEPTA electric multiple unit trailers, with one or two with pantographs raised to provide lighting and heat to the train.
The Reading Railroad Heritage Museum is an activity of the Reading Co. Technical & Historical Society. The museum houses a comprehensive collection of Reading rolling stock and locomotives as well as an extensive archive of Reading photographs, corporate records, and technical drawings. For more information, go to www.readingrailroad.org.
Here it is in its D&H incarnation-actually operated by the NYSW at the time of these photos, since Guilford had given up the D&H, and the NYSW was running it as designated operator.
Second in consist, behind sister unit 7410, at Bainbridge NY
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4307500
Leading PYRP at Oneonta
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4305821
And in pusher service, cutting off PYRP at Belden Tunnel. How about that helper set??
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4290099
It too, would be nice if Larry’s Truck Electric of Lordstown, Ohio, would donate the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad’s LAST locomotive (an SD50, #8595) to the B&O Museum in Baltimore. It was an oversight on CSX’s part to not do this, as a previously-stenciled notice applied to that locomotive to send it upon retirement to the B&O Museum had been painted over.
Ironically the Hamburg location for the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum is on the northern end of a former PRR line, a Reading competitor. The old Reading line is across the river and still active as the Reading & Northern Railroad.
Nice to see another Geep finding another museum home, I wish BNSF would donate an old Santa Fe Dash 8-40CW to a railroad museum especially since they are slowly getting rid of them.
Dash 2s as museum pieces. Oy.