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Re: the Reading

Posted by JeffK on February 19, 2008 at 19:53:04:

In Reply to: the reading posted by reddsreddie@Yahoo.com on February 19, 2008 at 14:28:33:

While I can't find a lot of information, as a resident of the Philadelphia area and a rail buff (as well as a coin collector), I can tell you that it is from the Philadelphia and Reading Railway. That was one of the earlier names of the company that after 1923 was known simply as the Reading Railroad.

I did locate a picture of what is probably the same (or similar) item; the link is below, but its poster is also unable to provide more information.

My (admittedly somewhat limited) knowledge of the Reading's fare payment practices would agree that it's probably not a fare token. One possibility is that it is a so-called "passing token" that would be handed off from one driver to another when two trains going opposite directions needed to share a stretch single track. The principle was that one train was not allowed to enter a single track until its operator received a token either from the operator of an oncoming train or from the switchmaster, thus ensuring that only one train would be in the block at one time. Passing tokens were commonly used before the introduction of CTC (electrical Centralized Traffic Control) systems and on lines that were too lightly used to justify the cost of installing CTC.

: i have a token that is cir. on one side has in a dim.shape The Reading on back has P&R RWY. Co. copper in color can not find in atwood and coffee catalogue 6 edition does anyone know about this token?

• Phila and Reading token

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• Re: the Reading JeffK 21:02:25 02/19/08 (0)

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Comments:
: While I can't find a lot of information, as a resident of the Philadelphia area and a rail buff (as well as a coin collector), I can tell you that it is from the Philadelphia and Reading Railway. That was one of the earlier names of the company that after 1923 was known simply as the Reading Railroad.

: I did locate a picture of what is probably the same (or similar) item; the link is below, but its poster is also unable to provide more information.

: My (admittedly somewhat limited) knowledge of the Reading's fare payment practices would agree that it's probably not a fare token. One possibility is that it is a so-called "passing token" that would be handed off from one driver to another when two trains going opposite directions needed to share a stretch single track. The principle was that one train was not allowed to enter a single track until its operator received a token either from the operator of an oncoming train or from the switchmaster, thus ensuring that only one train would be in the block at one time. Passing tokens were commonly used before the introduction of CTC (electrical Centralized Traffic Control) systems and on lines that were too lightly used to justify the cost of installing CTC.

: : i have a token that is cir. on one side has in a dim.shape  The Reading  on back has P&R RWY. Co. copper in color can not find in atwood and coffee catalogue 6 edition does anyone know about this token?



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