I’ve been spending some time going through the slides that I’ve inherited from the late Ron Findley. In doing so, I finally realized that the images I posted last week of the bridges in Vicksburg, Mississippi were taken during a trip he and I had made back in May of 1989. We stopped at several places, both in Louisiana and Arkansas, as we worked our way up to Reader to visit the “new” Reader Railroad.

This photograph is of Reader’s 2-6-0 steamer #2. She would be on duty that Sunday for our trip. The little Mogul was once owned by the W.T. Carter operation. She was built by Baldwin in 1907, but has been backdated considerably in appearance since.

The engineer and fireman can be (barely) seen as the locomotive is being prepared for the run that day. The journey through the woods is quite leisurely and it terminates at an Armstrong turntable. The crew issued a request for volunteers to help spin the locomotive for the return trip. Naturally Ron and I assisted.