Reading No. 2102 is a T-1 class 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive operationally preserved on the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad. 2102 was originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in March 1925 as a class I-10-sa 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type numbered 2044 and was rebuilt by the Reading Company in September 1945 as a T-1 4-8-4 and renumbered 2102.
2102 was used for freight service on the Reading Railroad until 1956 and stored by Reading Company after full dieselisation.
2102 was sold to Steam Tours of Akron, OH in 1967 and spent the next eight years running on various fan trips in the Midwest and made a brief appearance on the Greenbrier Scenic Railroad running between Durban and Cass, WV.
Reading 2102, June 1991
In 1985, 2102 was moved to Reading, PA for its 40th birthday and later purchased that same year by Andrew Muller for his Blue Mountain & Reading tourist railroad in Hamburg, PA, where it spent the next six years pulling tourist trains, as well as occasional off-line trips until its flue time expired in October 1991.
In 1995, 2102 was moved to Steamtown National Historic Site for a restoration, which ultimately never occurred. She was then moved to Port Clinton, PA in 1997 and placed in indoor storage at the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam shops, usually out of public view. Evaluations were conducted starting 2016 by the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern, with the goal of restoring the locomotive to operation; funds were raised through ticket sales and out of pocket by Andy Muller, CEO of the railroad.
Refurbishment of the boiler was near completion by end-2020; on 10 January 2021, 2102 was fired up for the first time in the 21st century for a test. Restoration was completed on April 6, 2022, with the locomotive back in operational condition to haul four scheduled Iron Horse Ramble excursion trips on May 28, which was the very first excursion without flags, and July 2, which was the very first one to have flags and two more, which was on August 13 and September 3. On the August 13th excursion, 2102 doubleheaded with Reading Blue Mountain & Northern No. 425 for the first time since 1988.
Trivia[]
- In the fall of 1960, the Carpenter Steel plant suffered a catastrophic fire, badly damaging their steam generator. After that, the 2102 was sold back by the Reading Company, who one year prior, decided to spare a few of their T-1s from the scrapper's torch for use on their final excursion fan trips between Wayne Junction in Philadelphia to Shamokin, known as the "Iron Horse Rambles".
- On October 1962, she double-headed a passenger train with Reading No. 2100 for the Reading Iron Horse Rambles.
- In May 1973, 2102 powered a passenger excursion on the Erie Lackawanna from New Jersey to New York and back again; for this trip, it masqueraded as Delaware and Hudson 302 - with smoke deflectors, Hancock long bell 3-chime, bell, headlight, etc. installed.
- In January 2016, the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern started a mechanical evaluation on the locomotive to see if it is restorable, and on January 21, 2016 announced the locomotive would be returned to service in mid-2017. but that deadline was not met. In February 2020, the RBM&N's newsletter gave an update on the project, and slated that 2102 should be fully operational by the third quarter of 2021.
- By the end of 2020, the boiler was almost completely refurbished, and on January 10, 2021, 2102 was fired up for the very first time in almost 30 years at its 240 PSI working pressure. All components, including the boiler, injectors, feedwater heater, and stoker tested fine. However, a few leaks were discovered, and they would be repaired after the locomotive cooled down. The 4-8-4 still wasn't quite ready to run yet, as the cab still needs to be reinstalled, and the tender is still being rebuilt, albeit the 2102 was using 425's tender for the test fire. The muilti-year project has cost more than $1 million so far and Muller says that he expects to spend another $100,000 for completion.
- The steam crew and management gathered on January 12, 2021, for a small ceremony to blow the whistle.
- 2102 has a "two-valve" steam pressure valve for two whistles, one is a Reading 6-chime and a Reading freight hooter, both were used for freight service and passenger service. However, the 6 chime had been changed a few times during the 1980s when it first ran on the BM&R. Firstly it was a B&M 6 chime, then it was an ATSF 5 chime, then a Hancock 3 chime and finally a B&O 3 chime.
- On August 13, 2022, 2102 doubleheaded an excursion with Reading Blue Mountain & Northern No. 425 for the first time since 1988.