This isn’t really a model train question but I thought I’d ask anyway. What would the term “clocker” refer to on the Reading Railroad? A friend asked & although I know a lot about the Reading, I’m lost for an answer on this. Thanks.
There was once a CTT article about the O Gauge Santa Fe layout in the Spike Lee movie “Clockers”.
The term Clocker originated with the Pennsylvania Railroad which had hourly train service between Penn Station in New York and Broad Street Station in Philadelphia. Other railroads including the Reading also ran Clockers but I can’t find much info on them.
Are the K-Line Reading ‘Interurbans’ supposed to represent Clockers?
The Pennsylvania Railroad ran ‘clockers’ - hourly trains (22 per day, over 150 per week) between Philadelphia and New York - single GG1 electric locomotives carrying eight to ten passenger cars.
Carl
Doug,
Not 100% sure but I know that the Reading Interurbans were run a lot between Reading and Philadelphia for daily passenger service. The interurbans were more of a commuter style train, very few luxuries, possible electric heating in the winter. For a sure answer go to either the Reading Company Techical & Historical site or visit the Pennsy Railroad museum at Strasburg PA.
Lee F.
Thanks Lee. I looked up photos online and they were confusing about what ran where. Personally, I was more enamored of the CSS&SB interurbans by K-Line but they were all part of the same ‘family’ -
The thing about finding information about Reading Railroad is that it had two seperate companies; Reading Lines was the freight division and Reading Company was the passenger division. Another fact about Reading Lines is that during the 1950’s Reading Lines was the fifth largest freight hauler in the USA. Most likely all Reading equipment shared the same repair facilities, the main repair shop being in Reading on what would have been north 7th street, as it occupied area between 6th st. & 8th st.
About the K-Line model of Reading Interurbans, the model may not have been the exact replica of a Reading Company’s electrical set-up for getting the electric to the interurban car. Reading used third rail electric pick-up in the north side of Reading on the line going out through Leesport to Hamburg PA. I used to live on the north side of Reading in Riverveiw Park, so I have seen what the tracks used to look like when the Reading Railroad was operating.
The model I have of the Reading Interurban is the K-Line # 2703, it is the 18 inch version, and I have added an undecorated heavyweight passenger in the center of the two interurban cars to make it look better in my opion[2c].
Lee F.