WK&S 1980 Photo Freight Special

On April 26, 1980 the WK&S hosted a charter event sponsored by the Pottstown Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. I don't know much about this event. I just happen to come by a great collection of old color slides. The photographers are unknown. This is perhaps the only major event to have prominently featured little Whitcomb #20. Number 20 was the railroad's first internal combustion power purchased in 1964. The locomotive received a new paint job in 1975 and it still looked pretty fresh in these pictures. LNE caboose #512 had also just been restored around 1979.

The freight train comprised Whitcomb #20 powering LNE gondola #729, LNE flat car #719, LNE gondola #10381 and LNE caboose #512. There are no pictures of #20 on the south end of the train. It appears to have been a push-pull round trip between Wanamaker and North Albany. Also on hand for the day's event was #65 powering Reading Company combine #408 and coaches #1492 & #1494.

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Northbound #20 and train take the siding for a meet at Wanamaker.

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Meet at Wanamaker.

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Meet at Wanamaker.

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Shoving southbound out of Kempton station toward downtown Kempton. The barn was the Kempton Farm Museum.

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Southbound into Kempton on the way to N. Albany.

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Freshly painted LNE caboose #512 stopped at N. Albany.

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Still stopped at N. Albany. This image is from a print, not a slide. Photo by John Hartman.

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Northbound returning to Kempton station.

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Returning to Kempton station.

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Great views from gondola #10831. The gondola appears to be in the midst of a repaint. Passenger access was by way of the caboose platform. Also note that LNE flat car #719 was marked "WK&S" at the time.

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Number 65 taking water at Kempton.

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Back at Wanamaker running around the train.

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Coupling up at Wanamaker.

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Running southbound from Wanamaker.

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Number 65 backs away from Steinsville after detraining passengers for a photo run by.

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Photo run by at Steinsville.

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Photo run by at Steinsville. The paint on #65 looks fresh.