#2102 Fall Foliage Excursion — Reading & Northern

The Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad, which operates as the Reading & Northern, sells a dedicated fall foliage excursion from Reading, Pennsylvania, to the historic town of Jim Thorpe, led by steam locomotive No. 2102. The operator's ticketing calendar lists it as the Reading to Jim Thorpe #2102 Fall Foliage Excursion, separate from its F-unit diesel fall foliage train over the same line.

No. 2102 is a Reading Company T-1 4-8-4 built in the railroad's Reading shops in 1945. The operator says it is the only operating survivor of the four remaining T-1s, and that it was rebuilt from the ground up by the railroad and returned to service after a long overhaul.

The operator sells Standard Coach, Crown Class Coach, Lounge Car, Parlor Car and Vista Class Dome seats, plus Pullman rooms booked by phone. Standard Coach boards at Reading Outer Station or Port Clinton; every other class boards at Reading Outer Station only.

The operator says it has only two steam engines and no backup: if something unforeseen happens, a trip advertised behind steam runs behind diesel instead.

A day trip from Reading to Jim Thorpe and back. Boarding at Reading begins by 8:00 am, the train leaves Reading Outer Station at 9:00 am and Port Clinton at 9:45 am, and arrives in Jim Thorpe by about 12:05 pm. Passengers have a layover of about four hours to explore the town, with the train leaving Jim Thorpe at 4:20 pm and returning to Port Clinton by about 6:20 pm and Reading by about 7:10 pm. The operator also lists an optional 45-minute Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway ride in Jim Thorpe, subject to availability.

Boarding: Reading Outer Station, 3501 Pottsville Pike, Reading, Pennsylvania 19605 (all classes), or Port Clinton Station (Standard Coach only). Board only at the station named on your ticket. The operator asks passengers to arrive at their boarding station at least one hour before departure; free parking is available at Reading Outer Station and Port Clinton Station. Bring your email confirmation; tickets are ready to pick up at the station before boarding. All riders, regardless of age, must have a ticket, and tickets are sold as round trips. Pullman room tickets must be booked by phone at 610-562-2102 (8:30 am to 5:00 pm daily).