Greetings: Found out today (Friday 9-4-2009) that the Reading & Northern has taken a distinct and scary tactic from the NJ Transit/ Amtrak playbook against photographers. No more will photographers be allowed access to yards terminals or even anywhere on line!!! According to Sgt Johnson of the R&N police force...(Who threatened me with arrest after asking him if it would be ok to hike in to take a picture)..."We can't allow photographers access to our property. There have been too many cases of vandalism to the railroad.....AND I KNOW IT IS ALL THESE DAMN RAILFANS"!!! After obtaining permission from a LGSR (Lehigh Gorge Senic Railway) officer, he reluctantly allowed me to hike up to the engine house and photograph the unit. So another formerly friendly railroad goes into the murky depths of "HOMELAND SECURITY". So I guess I will not make any effort to support these people as long as they maintain such an anal philosophy.
From there I went to Steamtown to cover the set-up for Lackawanna RailFest 2009. The friendly attitude by Park Employees and their law enforcement was a welcome breath of understanding and openness as opposed to the R&N.
R&N 425 & LGSR 426 at Jim Thorpe, PA
Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway 426 at Jim Thorpe, PA
Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway lettering
Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway logo