PORT CLINTON, Pa. — The Reading & Northern Railroad this week updated progress on its development of the former KME Fire Apparatus industrial complex in Nesquehoning Borough, which is being developed for a variety of uses by the railroad, including a new passenger station.
The nine-building, 10-acre facility was acquired by the railroad in 2022, and is near the center of the R&N system [see “Reading & Northern buys Nesquehoning, Pa., factory complex,” Trains News Wire, April 21, 2022].
Tracks are under construction to connect to some of the existing buildings, which will be used for serving of the R&N diesel fleet, now at 63 locomotives. Company automobiles and trucks are also serviced at the facility; other buildings house the maintenance-of-way, signals, real estate, and passenger departments.
The railroad plans to introduce the Nesquehoning Regional Railroad Station this year, operating two of its Iron Horse Rambles with T-1 class 4-8-4 No. 2102 from the facility: June 22 to Tunkhannock and Aug. 17 to Pittston. There will also be an Aug. 18 excursion from Nesquehoning to Pittston with the railroad’s F unit diesels. Plans currently call for a station platform as well as an additional main track to accommodate traffic. Passenger information is available here.
The railroad will also relaunch its Black Diamond Company Store, currently an online-only platform, at the Nesquehoning campus. The store will also have a display at the Jim Thorpe, Pa., station on peak weekends.
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