Every year, RBMN’s maintenance teams, train crews, coordinators, logisticians, and management personnel attempt to improve every aspect of the railroad’s operation. It takes a significant amount of teamwork, coordination, and reflection for incremental, yet significant, progress to be made.
Within the fall 2024 edition of our quarterly magazine, our VP of Maintenance of Way (MOW), Chris Goetz, explains the process of revitalizing grade crossings. You may view the article here (p 13 - 17).
The final product, which is the creation from this extensive collaboration, is usually only visible to local residents who surround specific sections of our railroad. Despite RBMN being in public view since the early 80s, it is rare to receive thoughtful and kind acknowledgement for the quality of our work from a resident and in letter format. As such, we felt that it was appropriate to share the content of a recent letter which we received just before Christmas of this year.
To remain true to the wording, the correspondence has not been altered. Additionally, the name of the sender has been removed out of respect and for privacy…
“December 17th, 2024
To Whom It May Concern,
Late July the RR started a much needed repair I thought to fill in a couple of pot holes,
But to my amazement they tore up the whole crossing, I mean everything tracks, RR ties, everything.
When work was started there must have been 10 men or so, two back hoes, dump truck, skid loader, etc.
I’m a retired over the road truck driver, so I don’t have anything but time on my hands, so every morning at 7.00 I’m sitting on my swing watching your men work, I was given the name by one of you back hoe workers (the boss).
I thought for sure you would be all done by week’s end boy was I wrong, the work your guy’s did amazed me replacing the entire crossing everything. We got a smooth road, new lights if they can’t be seen you’re blind.
I was told we are even going to get gates. Then and only then will trucks, and other vehicles stop.
I also want to tell you that the two men on the back hoes were like surgeons, I’ve never seen two people word in unison like that, each must have been reading the others mind to do what they did.
Last but certainly not least I want to thank the crew while working in the hot sun not one foul word did I hear, I have two great grandchildren playing in my driveway and your guys were gentlemen.
Thank you again for the great job, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and get a bonus for a job well done; also I would like to thank Patrolman Ronald Mohl for all he’s done.
Respectfully,
[Name redacted]”
“East Mahanoy Junction” - Photo: Mike Thomas
We look forward to continuing to serve our communities in 2025 and beyond.
Thank you for your continued support and have a very Merry Christmas.
Reading & Northern Railroad, with its corporate headquarters in Port Clinton, is a privately held railroad company serving over 80 customers in nine eastern Pennsylvania counties (Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland, Schuylkill, and Wyoming). It has expanded its operations over the last 40 years; and now handles nearly 40,000 carloads of freight (which removes over 200,000 trucks from the highway), while its Passenger Department handles over 300,000 riders annually. Reading & Northern operates its freight and steam- and diesel-powered passenger excursions over 400 miles of track, owns over 2,000 freight cars, and employs over 350 dedicated people. Reading & Northern has been repeatedly honored as one of the premier railroads in the nation, including being named Regional Railroad of the Year in 2020 by Railway Age magazine.