| Reading and Northern 2102 |
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| Type and origin |
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| Power type | Steam |
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| Builder | Baldwin Locomotive Works |
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| Serial number | 58329 |
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| Build date | March 1925 (as Class I-10sa 2-8-0 Consolidation No. 2044) |
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| Rebuilder | Reading Company |
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| Rebuild date | September 1945 (Rebuilt as: T1 4-8-4 Northern No. 2102) |
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| Specifications |
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Configuration:
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| • Whyte | New: 2-8-0
Rebuilt: 4-8-4 |
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| • UIC | New: 1'D
Rebuilt: 2'D'2 |
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| Gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
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| Leading dia. | 36 in (914 mm) |
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| Driver dia. | 70 in (1,778 mm) |
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| Trailing dia. | 44 in (1,118 mm) |
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| Length | 110 ft 6 in (33.68 m) |
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| Height | 15 ft 2 in (4.62 m) |
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| Axle load | 69,550 lb (34.78 short tons) |
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| Adhesive weight | 278,200 lb (139.1 short tons) |
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| Loco weight | 441,300 lb (220.7 short tons) |
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| Tender weight | 367,700 lb (183.9 short tons) |
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| Total weight | 809,000 lb (404 short tons) |
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| Fuel type | Anthracite / Bituminous coal mix |
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| Fuel capacity | 52,000 lb (26 short tons) |
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| Water cap. | 19,000 US gallons (72,000 L; 16,000 imp gal) |
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| Firebox: | |
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| • Grate area | 94.5 sq ft (8.78 m2) |
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| Boiler | 96 in (2,438 mm) |
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| Boiler pressure | 240 lbf/in2 (1.65 MPa) |
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| Cylinders | Two, outside |
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| Cylinder size | 27 in × 32 in (686 mm × 813 mm) |
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| Performance figures |
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| Maximum speed | 80 mph |
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| Power output | 5,500 hp (4,100 kW) |
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| Tractive effort | Loco: 68,000 lbf (302.5 kN)
Booster: 11,100 lbf (49.4 kN)
Total: 79,100 lbf (351.9 kN) |
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| Factor of adh. | Loco: 4.09
Booster: 4.33 |
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| Career |
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| Operators | Reading Company
Steam Tours Inc.
Allegheny Group
Rail Diversified
Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad |
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| Class | New: I-10sa
Rebuilt: T-1 |
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| Numbers | RDG 2044
RDG 2102
D&H 302
Allegheny 2102
RBM&NR 2102
R&N 2102 |
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| Retired | 1956 (revenue service)
October 27, 1991 (1st excursion service) |
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| Restored | April 29, 1962 (1st restoration)
April 5, 2022 (2nd restoration) |
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| Current owner | Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad |
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| Disposition | Operational |
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| References: |
Reading Blue Mountain and Northern 2102 (historically known as Reading 2102) is a preserved T-1 class 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive. Originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in March 1925 as an "I-10sa" 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotive for the Reading Company (RDG), No. 2102 was rebuilt by RDG's own locomotive shops as a 4-8-4 "Northern" in September 1945, and it was used for pulling heavy coal trains for the RDG until being retired from revenue service in 1956.
Between 1962 and 1964, No. 2102 was used to haul the Iron Horse Rambles excursion trains. After the Rambles ended in 1964, No. 2102 was sold to Steam Tours Inc. of Akron, Ohio, and it spent the next several years pulling various fan trips in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. In 1985, it was sold again to Andy Muller to operate on his Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad (RBMN) alongside 4-6-2 No. 425, until its flue time expired, on October 27, 1991.
In February 2016, the locomotive began to be restored back to operating condition, and then it returned to service, in April 2022, pulling RBMN's excursions between Reading and Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. Since the summer of 2024, No. 2102 pulled excursions through the Lehigh River Gorge from Nesquehoning to Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania in June and Pittston, Pennsylvania in August.
