| A Reading wreck train or "relief train" as Reading called them sits in a siding in Skillman. Reading No. 1588 was built as a Class I-8b 2-8-0 by the Reading itself in 1912. As built, it was configured pretty much as shown in the photos, with center cab, piston valves and Walschaerts valve gear. It was saturated as built, but was converted to superheat in 1919 and reclassified as an I-8sb. It was off the roster by 1948. To the right are two non-revenue cars. The further one from camera is rebuilt from a gondola while the closer is an old truss-rod coach. |