By Mark Abramowicz, NT3V
A radio club in eastern Pennsylvania plans to make some history of its own as it celebrates a very special centennial involving an iconic name recognized by railroad buffs around the world.
The Reading Radio Club is preparing to honor the 100th anniversary of the historic Reading Railroad with two special event stations on Saturday, Sept. 21.
For the first time in its long history, the group will activate club call signs W3BN and W3CCH simultaneously in two separate operations 25 miles apart.
It’s scheduled to be a big, daylong celebration that will see club members use W3CCH on two separate HF stations set up inside two retired passenger railroad cars parked outside the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg, PA.
A separate group of club operators and friends will use W3BN on two HF stations of long-time contester Steve Dobbs NE3F in Spring Township, Berks County, PA.
Regrettably, Steve – who was extensively involved in the planning for the celebration using his station and array of towers, beams and wire antennas – passed away Aug. 30 following a short illness.
It was his family’s wishes that the event still proceed from NE3F’s QTH.
Activity on all four HF radios will be on 10, 15, 20, 40 and 80 meters with frequent spots on the DX clusters.
The Reading Railroad actually earned its place in history starting in the 1830s as the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. Its network of tracks and trains was established to carry anthracite coal from the mines in northeastern Pennsylvania to the port in Philadelphia.
Over the years, the railroad expanded operations to carry freight and passengers. The railroad’s reach and pursuit of other railroad and related assets drew the attention of the federal government. Congress passed legislation at the turn of the 20th century to break up what it considered monopolies and the Philadelphia and Reading was one of its targets.
The Philadelphia and Reading was dissolved in 1924 and a smaller Reading Railroad, formally incorporated as the Reading Company, survived.
The Reading Railroad became a business and cultural icon for southeastern Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia region. Its story has been documented in books, drawings, photographs and films and videos widely circulated here and around the world.
The makers of the Monopoly board game adopted the Reading Railroad as one of its properties when it was first released in 1934. It remains on the game board to this day.
For more on this special celebration, check out details at either W3BN or W3CCH on QRZ-dot.com.
