The Reading Coal Transfer and WY843/WY842

Evidently Reading got the contract to deliver coal to the Atlantic City Electric Company power plant in Deepwater, NJ (Penns Grove branch). From what I can tell the coal transfer from Pennsylvania was usually delivered by 3 Reading RS3s. Whether they changed engines or not and whether they returned with empties from Camden or Deepwater I do not know.

I believe the PRSL train designation was WY843 southbound from Camden (and the northbound return WY842 from Deepwater/Penns Grove). (The Penns Grove local was WY841/WY840.) Until I know more, and lacking Reading RS3s, I will run this train from staging with a pair of Life-Like Reading F7s, switch to a pair of Atlas Pennsy RS3s in the Pavonia (Camden) yard and run as a non-stop coal drag through Woodbury and down the Penns Grove branch.

The WY designation was for trains from Camden through Woodbury (to Millville, Salem, or the Penns Grove branches). This distinguished the trains from Camden to Burlington ("CB") and to Haddonfield/Atlantic City ("CA"). The origin of the "WY" designation is still in dispute. One PRSL member suggested it stood for the trains originating in the West Yard portion of the Camden yard. Other members sent an avalanche of exceptions which seemed to rule out that theory. A long time engineer and the source of the bulk of the PRSLHS information said it stood for West Jersey. That seems to be the popular choice, but I see no other designations using the last letter of a split name. I tend to lean towards Bert Pennypacker's (Pennsy Steam Years, volume 3, p. 30) explanation of it representing trains running through Woodbury's yard as all trains for the Millville, Salem, and Penns Grove branches did. (Where else can you get all this trivia?)

Leaving staging

Through Philadelphia & Manayunk, PA

Arriving in Pavonia (Camden, NJ) yard

Removing the Reading "caboose" and adding a PRSL "cabin"

WY843 Highballing through Westville

Covering the Woodbury commuters with swirling coal dust 

The triple deuce is bringing up the rear

Taking the crossovers to get onto the Penns Grove branch

And heading out of town!