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Last Updated: 19 August 2022

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Photo posted to FaceBook by Marty Biniasz.

The James E. Strates Shows

By the 1920’s the Warren Tank Car Company of Warren, Pennsylvania, and the Mt. Vernon Car Manufacturing Company of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, were the principle providers of the steel circus flat cars.  In 1926, both these companies were competing heavily to get circuses to convert from the 60 foot cars to their new 70 and 72 foot flats.

The 70 foot Mount Vernon flat cars can be distinguished by the pot belly sides with  ribs. The 72 foot Warren flat car had no ribs and gently arcing sides on both top and bottom. In the image at right, a Warren flat is in the foreground and the next flat is a Mount Vernon.

The JES acquired numerous truss-rod heavyweight passenger cars in 1948 from the Ringling Brothers. [Smith]

Read more: The James E. Strates Shows: Train Car Roster

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Last Updated: 17 August 2022

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Timeline:

• 1977: SP/Sea-Land well car begins testing.
• 1981: First SP double-stacks enter service.
• 1983: First Budd/Thrall well cars without bulkheads delivered.
• 1999: First production 53-foot well cars are delivered.
• 2003: TTX begins program for shortening 45- and 48-foot wells.
• 2010: TTX roster almost entirely 40- or 53-foot well platforms.

Notes:

• Thrall merged with Trinity in 2001. Thereafter, Thrall designs were marketed through Trinity Rail Group.
• Gunderson is owned by Greenbrier.
• All TTX well cars carry the reporting marks DTTX.

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Last Updated: 10 August 2022

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The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad (reporting mark RBMN), sometimes shortened to Reading and Northern Railroad, is a regional railroad in eastern Pennsylvania. Its headquarters is in Port Clinton. The RBMN provides freight service on 300 miles of track. Its mainline consists of the Reading Division between Reading and Packerton and the Lehigh Division between Lehighton and Dupont. Its main freight cargo is anthracite coal.

Passenger excursions also run on RBMN tracks. The RBMN itself operates excursion service from Reading and Port Clinton to Jim Thorpe, while the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway (LGSR) offers service between Jim Thorpe and Lehigh Gorge State Park. [Wikipedia]

Read more: Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad

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Last Updated: 06 August 2022

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JES Winter Quarters in Florida.

The James E. Strates Shows

One thing that can be said about the JES paint schemes was that... they were flexible!

There were always deviations from the norm.

In addition, the names of the cars were typically changed each year to represent the towns where the carnival was scheduled. 

Read more: The James E. Strates Shows: Train Car Paint Schemes

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Last Updated: 04 August 2022

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Nope, no Pennsy content here! I've always been a closet Auto Train fan, ever since it was first featured in Model Railroader in December 1972 and January 1973. I had the privilege of riding the train later in 1973.

Auto-Train Corporation (reporting mark AUT) was a privately owned railroad which used its own rolling stock, and traveled on rails leased from major railroads along the route of its trains, serving central Florida from points in the Mid-Atlantic region near Washington, DC, and the Midwest near Louisville, Kentucky, during the 1970s. Despite the popularity of the service on its primary route, which parallels busy Interstate 95 along much of the eastern coast of the United States in five states, the company failed financially after operating for almost 10 years. After a hiatus, a similarly named and operated service (Auto Train) was begun under the government-financed Amtrak in 1983, which became one of the railroad's most popular services.

Read more: Auto-Train

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Last Updated: 04 August 2022

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Strates Shows, America's only railroad carnival, travels the United States during a seven-month season, transporting personnel and equipment with 61 rail cars and 34 trucks. Traveling with the show are some 400 employees and families who operate the many rides, games and concessions.

Strates Shows has a history dating back to 1923 when James E. Strates, a Greek immigrant, began his first show. Mr. Strates came to America in 1909 and, like many immigrants, worked at a number of odd jobs. In 1919, he joined a carnival athletic show as a wrestler taking on all challengers. In 1923, James E. Strates acquired Southern Tier Shows and in 1932 changed its name to James E. Strates Shows. Mr. Strates continued to build and manage the carnival until his death in 1959. At that time his son, E. James Strates, assumed responsibility for the carnival and still operates it today.

Strates Shows are known to have ridden the rails of the Pennsy during the era being modeled.

Read more: The James E. Strates Shows

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Last Updated: 06 July 2022

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The following 1915 era valuation maps were contributed by Brian Angevine via FaceBook. Thank you, Brian!

 1914 Map #0 Main Line and Branches

 1918 map 1 Main Line Milepost 0-2 Mount Dallas, Everett,
connection with PRR at Mount Dallas

 1914 Map-2 Main Line Milepost 2-4

 1914 Map 3 Main Line Milepost 4-6 Tatesville, Brallier , Tatesville shelter
shown without label, name from Index map. Abandoned right-of-way to south
between Tatesville & Brallier

 1914 Map 4 Main Line Milepost 6-8

 1914 Map 5 Main Line Milepost 8-10

 1914 Map 6 Main Line Milepost 10-12

 1914 Map 7 Main Line Milepost 12-14 Hopewell

 1914 Map 8 Main Line Milepost 14-16 Riddlesburg, Colonial Iron Company spur.
716.9 Junction with Six Mile Run Branch.

 1914 Map 9 Main Line Milepost 16-18 Clark

 1914 Map 10 Mainline Milepost 18-20 Saxton

 1914 Map 11 Mainline Milepost 20-22 Saxton Furnace

 1914 Map 12 Mainline Milepost 22-24

 1914 Map 13 Mainline Milepost 24-26 Cove

 1914 Map 14 Mainline Milepost 26-28 Hummel

 1914 Map 15 Mainline Milepost 28-30 Entriken

 1914 Map 16 Mainline Milepost 30-32

 1914 Map 17 Mainline Milepost 32-34 Maklesburg ,
Junction with Juniata & Southern RR (dismantled 1917)

 1914 Map 18 Mainline Milepost 34-36 Brumbaugh

 1914 Map 19 Brumbaugh Br. Mainline Milepost 36-38 Grafton

 1914 Map 20 Brumbaugh Br. Mainline Milpost 38-40 McConnelstown

 1914 Map 21 McConnelstown Br. Mainline Milepost 40-42

 1914 Map 22 McConnelstown Br. Mainline Milepost 42-44
Huntingdon, South Huntingdon, connection with PRR

 1914 Map 23 Shoups Run Br. Milepost 0-2 Saxton ,
0.00 = 1037.46 Junction with main line H&BTM.v1.PA-10

 1914 Map 24 Shoups Run Br. Milepost 2-4 Coalmont,
(handwritten note on multiple maps including H&BTM.v1.PA-33
to see map "SL24-25". Not indicated on Index Map.)

 1914 Map 25 Shoups Run Br. Milepost 4-6 Dudley, Hillside, Midlothian,
Martha Slope, Miller Mine, Benedict Mine, Martha Mine.

 1914 Map 26 Shoups Run Br. Milepost 6-9 Broad Top City , Fisher Mine,
Blacks Colliery, Ocean No. 2, 4, 5 Collieries, Carbon No. 4 Colliery.

 1914 Map 27 Six Mile Run Br. Milepost 0-2 Defiance, 0.00 = 716.9.00
Main Line H&BTM.v1.PA-8. Mt. Equity Colliery, Rock Bar Colliery, Judith Colliery, Louise No. 2.

 1914 Map 28 Six Mile Run Br. Milepost 2-4 Coaldale, Kenmar Colliery,
Ladysmith Colliery No. 1 & 2, Crescent Colliery No. 5, Bacon Colliery No. 1,
Cresson Colliery No. 7, Shreeves Run No. 7, Delaware Colliery No.1.

 1914 Map 29 Six Mile Run Br. Milepost 4 North Point, Highland Colliery,
Delaware Colliery No. 2. End of track was 261.66

 1914 Map 30 Sandy Run Br. Milepost 1-2 Sandy Run, Reichley , 0.00 = 46.7175 Junction with
Sandy Run & Longs Run Branch southwest of Atlas. Cambria No. 2 Slope,
Chevington No. 2, 4, & 5, Cambria Colliery No. 1, Glendale Colliery No. 1 & 3.
Originally connected to main line at 646.735.

 1914 Map 31 Sandy Run & Long Run Br. Milepost 0-2 Atlas, Langdondale , 0.00 = 646.735
Junction with main line H&BTM.v1.PA-7 south of Hopewell. Sandy Run Branch continues
with new engineering station numbering 46.7175 = 0.00 H&BTM.v1.PA-30.
Longs Run Branch begins at ES46.7175. Atlas No. 1, Cambria Colliery No. 3.

 1914 Map 32 Longs Run Br. Milepost 2-3 Kearney , Coal Tipple.

 1914 Map 33 Millers Run Br. Milepost 0-1 0.00 = 192.46 Junction with
H&BTM.v1.PA-24 Shoups Run Branch near Melrose.

 1914 Map 34 Shreeves Run Br. Milepost 0-1 Finleyville , 0.00 = 188.61
Junction with Six Mile Run. Bacon No. 2, Shreeves Run Colliery.

 1914 Map 35 Boalmont Br Milepost 0-2 0.00 = 169.61 Junction with H&BTM.v1.PA-24
Shoups Run Branch northeast of Coalmont heading south. Shows track extending
to 117.07. Hicks Mine, Coalmont Coal Company Tipple.

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Last Updated: 06 July 2022

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Huntingdon & Broad Top Mountain Railroad (H&BTM) (reporting mark HBTM) is a former short line railroad company operating passenger and freight service on standard gauge track in south central Pennsylvania.

Operational headquarters were in Huntingdon, and Saxton, with financial and business offices located in Philadelphia. The primary shop facilities were located in Saxton; auxiliary car shop facilities were at Huntington. Turntables were located at Huntingdon, Saxton, and Mount Dallas, Pennsylvania.

Read more: Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad

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Last Updated: 11 June 2022

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The Bellefonte Central Railroad (reporting mark BFC) was a shortline connecting Bellefonte and State College, Pennsylvania. Constructed in the late 19th century to haul local iron ore to furnaces in the Bellefonte region, it later hauled freight traffic to Penn State and lime for steelmaking from local quarries. The line to State College was abandoned in 1974, and most of the remaining railroad in 1984, but a small portion is still used by the Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad.

Read more: Bellefonte Central Railroad

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Last Updated: 08 June 2022

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and on alphabetroute.com

The Pennsy Modeler is a celebration and collection of information about railroads of Pennsylvania.

The majority of the site pertains to the Pennsylvania Railroad and represents a sequel to the Keystone Crossings web site which was retired several years ago. Under the Pennsylvania Railroad menu, you will find access to blogs of articles, downloads, databases, and an index.

Under the Other Railroads of Pa menu you will find information about Amtrak, Norfolk Southern, Trailer Train Company, and other railroads of Pennsylvania. Within the blogs you will also find information about fallen flags from Pennsylvania.

Please refer to our sister site -- AlphabetRoute.com -- for information on the Central Railroad of New Jersey, Nickel Plate Road, Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway, Reading Company, Western Maryland Railway, and Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway.​