Anyone know the story behind this?

[wm3798]

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/rdg5204b.jpg

Lee

[3rdrail]

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/rdg5204b.jpg

Lee

I don't know, Lee, but I can make an educamated guess. First, notice that the Alco behind RDG 5204 is in E-L livery but lettered for the Delaware-Lackawanna,current freight operator of ex-DL&W and D&H trackage around Scranton. So this is a current photo. RDG 5204 was evidently a Green Bay & Western lokey, as that's it current paint scheme, except for the "RDG" and the Reading logo. Stu Stutleen picked up Alco Centuries from a number of carriers when he was CMO at the GB&W, so he may well have acquired RDG 5204. D-L may have brought it back East when the GB&W was bought by the WC. Sounds logical, anyway. 

[wm3798]

That makes sense.

I couldn't tell if it was a current photo or not.  The RDG almost looks like it's pre or post Conrail... I thought maybe it was leased out and came home just in time to be a paint out.  Your take is a lot more plausible.

Thanks.
Lee

[lv4142003]

Looks like RDG 5204 is now on the D-L. It appears to be ex-GBW 322, ex-RDG 5204. Fallen flags has a few nice photos of it as both a RDG and a GBW engine. It is the only one on the GBW roster with 2 sand fillers on the nose. Wonder when they cut the rain gutters off the roof? <lv4142003>

[ReadingModeler]

The loco in the photograph is Reading C424 #5204,and is owned by the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society and is in storage at the future Reading Railroad Heritage Museum site in Hamburg PA (currently in the Reading & Northern's South Hamburg Yard).  It was originally a Reading locomotive, then went to the GBW after Conrail.  The unit was acquired by the Society from the GBW back in the mid-90s and has been used in excursion service.  It was on the D-L for a time having mechanical work done, but is now back home in "Reading territory" and will eventually be restored to the proper yellow and green livery alongside sister C-630 unit #5308.  For more info, visit www.readingrailroad.org.

Tom

[wm3798]

Thanks, Tom!
I think there's some RDG Alcos in my future...
Lee

[Bob Bufkin]

Lee - As the Frankenstein monster would say "Reading Alco's Good". But - don't forget that they had these also:

[wm3798]

Bob, just to let you know, I've right clicked that one into my personal archive.  I missed getting one of those for $65 at a shop in Seaford.  By the time I'd scraped together enough quarters, it was gone... :'(

I'll wait for the 424's... my layout's staging loop seems to prefer 4 axle power...
Lee