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Reading 2124 is a preserved American class " T-1"
For the majority of its working life, the engine was used on freight trains, primarily coal trains throughout various parts of the Reading's network before being retired from active service in 1956.
The locomotive was brought back into service in May 1959 to pull a series of railfan excursions known as the "Iron Horse Rambles" alongside No. 2100. On October 22, 1961, the locomotive's flue time ran out, and the Reading replaced No. 2124 with No. 2102 in the rambles. It was subsequently sold to locomotive collector and the owner of Blount Seafood, F. Nelson Blount, for his Steamtown, U.S.A. museum in North Walpole, New Hampshire, later relocated across the Connecticut River to
4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and four trailing wheels on two axles. The type wa ...
" Northern" type steam locomotive that was built by the Reading Company in January 1947 using parts from "I-10sa" class 2-8-0 " Consolidation" type locomotive number 2024, which was originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1924.
History
The locomotive that became 2124 was originally built as Reading Company class "I-10sa" 2-8-0 " Consolidation" type locomotive number 2024 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1924. Starting in 1945, Reading began building a new class of4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and four trailing wheels on two axles. The type wa ...
" Northern" type locomotives using the boilers and fireboxes from the I-10sas, designating these new locomotives as the T-1 class. 2024 underwent this rebuild in late 1946 and emerged in January 1947 as the number 2124.
For the majority of its working life, the engine was used on freight trains, primarily coal trains throughout various parts of the Reading's network before being retired from active service in 1956.
The locomotive was brought back into service in May 1959 to pull a series of railfan excursions known as the "Iron Horse Rambles" alongside No. 2100. On October 22, 1961, the locomotive's flue time ran out, and the Reading replaced No. 2124 with No. 2102 in the rambles. It was subsequently sold to locomotive collector and the owner of Blount Seafood, F. Nelson Blount, for his Steamtown, U.S.A. museum in North Walpole, New Hampshire, later relocated across the Connecticut River to Bellows Falls, Vermont
Bellows Falls is an incorporated village located in the town of Rockingham in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,747 at the 2020 census. Bellows Falls is home to the Green Mountain Railroad, a heritage railroad; the ...
.
The engine was displayed in Vermont until Steamtown moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...
, during the winter of 1983–84. In 1986, Steamtown was taken over by the National Park Service and became Steamtown National Historic Site. The locomotive was placed on display near the entrance to the park and was one of the first things visitors would see upon entering the park.
As of 2022, the engine still remains on static display at the entrance to Steamtown.
There are no current plans to restore 2124 back to operating condition.
In popular culture
In December 1959, the locomotive was filmed at theCentral Railroad of New Jersey Terminal
The Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, also known as Communipaw Terminal and Jersey City Terminal, was the Central Railroad of New Jersey's waterfront passenger terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey. The terminal was built in 1889, replacing ...
for the 1960 Mark Robson film, ''From the Terrace
''From the Terrace'' is a 1960 American DeLuxe Color romantic drama film in CinemaScope directed by Mark Robson from a screenplay by Ernest Lehman, based on the 1958 novel of the same name by John O'Hara. The film stars Paul Newman, Joanne Woodw ...
'', starring Joanne Woodward
Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward (born February 27, 1930) is an American actress. A star since the Golden Age of Hollywood, Woodward made her career breakthrough in the 1950s and earned esteem and respect playing complex women with a charact ...
and Paul Newman.
References
{{Reflist Individual locomotives of the United States 4-8-4 locomotives 2124 Baldwin locomotives Philadelphia and Reading Railroad locomotives Freight locomotives Standard gauge locomotives of the United States Preserved steam locomotives of Pennsylvania Railway locomotives introduced in 1923