Back in 2004 the NEC was a lot more interesting than it has become so it
wasn't hard to be able to fill a full set of photos with just what I
was able to take on the Amtrak trip to/from my northeast destination.
Having coach access to the rear facing window also helped a lot. This
set of photos was taken over the July 4th holiday and includes a New
Haven power change for what I assume is Amtrak's Train 56 Vermonter.
The full set of photos can be found here ( mirror ).
Starting off in Baltimore, the MARC HHP-8's were still pretty new and,
despite prevailing trends, examples like #4912 here would still be in
service far after the Amtrak fleet was put in storage.
Bi-level Kab Kars like #7849 would also remain a MARC mainstay even after the delivery of newer Bombardier split-level stock.
Passing through Philadelphia, SHORE tower still looks to be in reasonably good condition with the wooden staircase still intact. SHORE would continued to see neglect and suffered a fire in 2021.
FAIR tower in Trenton had recently had a passenger friendly sign added to it.
For the NEC's last two active main line towers, UNION would close in 2009 followed by DOCK in 2017.
Speaking of DOCK, I also captured some of the interesting components that make electrification work across the drawspan of it's 3-track movable bridge.
At Manhattan Transfer we find the since sold-on NJT GP40FH-2 #4144 coupled to a Comarrow coach in the Hudson yard likely part of a Raritan Valley Line trainset.
