#2352
Reading electric multiple units
🇺🇸 United States ·built by Bethlehem Steel· from 1931· electric locomotive fleet
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1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Reading 9124 arriving at Norristown, PA on November 30, 1968 (23898699335): Roger Puta· Public domain
what is it?
The Reading electric multiple units were a fleet of electric multiple units operated by the Reading Company on its Philadelphia commuter rail lines. The majority were constructed by Bethlehem Steel in 1931–1933; American Car and Foundry delivered additional cars in 1949. Some cars, rebuilt in 1964–1965 and christened "Blueliners", remained in service with Conrail and later the SEPTA until 1990.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 95 years ago, in 1931.
- 820 kW is about 10 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 10 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 22 m long: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 59 years (1931–1990).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1931
- in service from
- 1931
- retired
- 1990
- status
- retired
- number built
- 100
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- builders
- Bethlehem Steel, American Car and Foundry Company
- operators
- Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Reading Company
- top speed
- 113 km/h
- power
- 820 kW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- electric system
- 12 kV 25 Hz
- length
- 22 m
- weight
- 57.6 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q28126702, Wikipedia: Reading electric multiple units (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.