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A tunnel under the railroad at Penobscot (Soloman's Gap) that was once part of the Ashley Plane. The Ashley Plane was an inclined railway that carried coal down the mountain to the Lehigh River at White Haven. It was built in 1843 and closed in 1948.

Freshly repainted #5049 decided to take a day off. We couldn't get it started that morning so we had to leave half the train and double the mountain (take two trips). 07/24/02
We met the B-Team at the top of the mountain and they took our train from us. That's engineer Jason Andreas out on the platform of #8082

One week later #5049 is sitting at Haucks waiting for permission to proceed south to Tamaqua.

And again #5049 pooped out (it's behind the #3200). This time we were heading out of Hazleton with 35 cars of coal and it fried two traction motors. This day we sat from 3:20-7:30 waiting for a crew to bring another locomotive to get us moving again.

This was hanging on the back wall of the cab of #8082. We have a "Don't ask- don't tell- just assume" policy.

The Nesquehoning to Jeddo empty CULM train at the Panther Creek/Nesquehoning power plant. This train runs once a week and brings culm to the power plant. Culm is "leftover" coal that is poor quality and not normally burnable. A few plants can burn this stuff though.
Looking from the nose of the locomotive into the empty cars.

Ex Union Pacific #B3550 being primered to be repainted into Reading and Northern #3050.

After being unused for several years, the yard at Gilberton is now holding storage cars. These cars are held here out of the way until the company that owns them needs them again.
This unusual little tank cart held oil for locomotives that were serviced here up until the mid-90's. When the nearby coal breaker shut down (see below), the yard was sold by Conrail to the Reading and Northern.
A side view. Maybe some museum will save this little odd piece of railroad history.

This is the old breaker at Gilberton. It was closed in the mid 1990's.
Big place.
An old truck I found nearby.

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