During a beautiful summer weekend of 2021, we once again find ourselves at the Lehigh Gorge to watch as Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern's famed light pacific No. 425 leads excursions departing from Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. These trips would pass through the many natural wonders of the Lehigh Gorge as she makes her way to Old Penn Haven on the 7 mile round trip. As the beat of her deafening exhaust echoed off the walls of the gorge, the blue pacific put on quite the show for passengers aboard the train and railfans alike that gathered trackside to see her. We spot her along many well known locations in the gorge, crossing over bridges, navigating through rock cuts, and speeding around sweeping curves. The whistle 425 proudly touted during these trips would be a six inch Powell 3 chime, and its mournful yet melodic sound was a treat to hear as she makes her way through the gorge. As always, enjoy as the famous pacific thunders up through the Lehigh Gorge by Keystone Rail Productions!
Reading and Northern 425 is a Baldwin Locomotive Works 4-6-2 "Light Pacific" classified as a G-1 that was built in January of 1928. The 425 was originally built for the Gulf, Mobile & Northern Railroad and she became 580 while in passenger service on the GM&O Railroad. She also served as Louisiana Eastern 4 after being sold to Paulson Spence in 1950. In 1962, she was acquired by Pennsylvania's Valley Forge Scenic Railway where she was renumbered back to her original number, 425. After spending time at the Wilmington and Western Railroad in storage, the locomotive was acquired by Andy Muller along with Reading T1 4-8-4 No. 2102 and was put back into tourist service, hauling passenger trains along the newly formed "Blue Mountain and Northern" Railroad. Later, the railroad became the Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad, as the 425 would pull many excursions until an overhaul in 1996. Nearly 11 years later the iconic 425 would return to service sporting a blue paint scheme that was implemented in 1992. The locomotive would be repainted in 2015 to the striking colors we see today. Today, 425 with her unique colors and earsplitting stack talk 425 is a locomotive to see for any rail enthusiast.
Locations:
0:00 Jim Thorpe
1:56 Lehigh River Bridge
3:44 C.P. Coal
4:48 Glen Onoko
5:50 Near Milepost 126
6:49 Glen Onoko
7:51 C.P. Coal
9:06 C.P. Coal (Signal Bridge)
- I-Trooper089 Productions:
/ @itrooper089productions
Filmed on Saturday, July 10, 2021
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