In this video, we'll follow the Reading and Northern's "Mountain Job" on a fall November day of the return trip from Mt. Carmel, PA to Tamaqua, PA, pulled by two refurbished Santa Fe GP30's, now R&N GP39RN's 2530 and 2531, in a sharp paint scheme that resembles the Reading Railroad's GP40-2's. The last time we chased this train in June 2014, the locomotives were still in fresh Santa Fe livery, seemingly out of place on an Anthracite Railroad in the mountains of eastern Pennsylvania. If you have not seen that video, you should check it out these first:
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The four Santa Fe GP30u's being delivered by Norfolk Southern to the R&N:
• Santa Fe GP30's Find a...
Still in ATSF livery, the GP30u's on the Mountain Job, featuring different locations than in this video:
• Santa Fe on the Readin...
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November 11, 2014: The R&N Mountain Job train MCQA (Mt. Carmel - TamaQuA) returns from Mt. Carmel after shifting cars at International Paper, picking up addition cars along the way on the former Reading Mahanoy & Shamokin Branch, including plastics covered hoppers from the North Shore interchange at Mt. Carmel, empty lumber centerbeams at Gordon, and additional covered hoppers at Girardville. The weather is always changing in the mountains at this time of year, as we started out sunny, then hit clouds, to dense fog and mist at times.
0:00 - MCQA departs International Paper, which is the end of the line for the trains morning trip, and beginning the return to Tamaqua.
1:00 - The train drops down hill through the small town of Locust Gap. This was once a busy line for coal trains, but now this is the only train to run these rails.
3:15 - While the Mahanoy & Shamokin branch connected Eastern Schuylkill County to Northumberland County, the curve through Locustdale cuts through the bottom right corner of Columbia County, making it one of the few active Railroads in this County.
4:20 - The sun comes out briefly as MCQA drops through the curves at Tielman Road, outside of Gordon. Rather than the railroad running straight from Locustdale to Ashland, it makes a giant "horseshoe" around the mountain, passing through Gordon.
5:50 - After picking up 3 empty centerbeams at Gordon, the train crosses Route 61 just south of Ashland. The late fall scene is at it's best here, and at the next location.
7:45 - Heading along the snug hillside through the small town of Girardville, the scenes of a late fall in November is at its finest here. NOTE: In the video I incorrectly label this location as Gilberton, which is actually a couple miles to the east, before St. Nicholas. Sorry for any confusion.
8:45 - After picking up more cars at Gilberton, MCQA passes a private crossing at Blaschak Coal, which is an active Anthracite Mine.
10:00 - MCQA emerges through the Southern portal of the 3500' Mahanoy Tunnel through Buck Mountain, which is one of the oldest tunnels in the region, dating back to completion in 1862. This side of the tunnel contains the now defunct fan house, which forced fresh air into the tunnel during the era of Steam Locomotives.
11:15 - The train eases for a short pause at East Mahanoy Junction, where it will enter the "main line" to Tamaqua, formerly the Reading's Little Schuylkill Branch. The Catawissa Branch ran to the north.
13:45 - Just north of Tamaqua, MCQA passes the "new" 99N signal.
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