06-12-27 PHOTOS: SEPTA Mid-Winter Trip VI

You know I could make a lot of excuses why it took me 4 months to get these pics processed, but the one I choose was that it took some extra time to get used to processing the pics from my new digital camera...yeah, that's it d.d b.b. Um, also, I posted this somewhere else and forgot to post it here. Anyway, here it goes.

I am sure that most of you know the story or were actually present for the trip, but for the benefit of those who will read this on my blog, the SEPTA Mid-Winder trip is an annual railfan trip which I put on in the week b/t Christmas and New Years. This was the 6th trip and drew around 18 participants...a new record!

The trip started at ye olde Ayn Rand Transportation center in Camden and proceeded via RiverDOGGLE to its Trenton terminus. From there we battled our way through the partially deconstructed Trenton train station to get to the platform where the NYC division of SubChatters would arrive. We had some time before our ::shudders:: Bus would arrive so we used the time to photograph some Amtrak trains.

After a short bus ride and a walk we arrive at the West Trenton station in time to catch a CSX local freight depart from the Trenton industrial track. After that we had a little less than an hour before our R3 train would depart. We went to a local eating establishment and they were able to seat and serve 13 of us in about 35 minutes. We got out of there just in time to catch our train and I even had some time to photograph TRENT tower.

From West Trenton I got a taste of the horrible new signaling system SEPTA has been installing. They have gone for a Metro North style Rule 562 operation without wayside signals. Due to the lack of real home signals SEPTA trains have to crawl at 30 mph for at least the 2000 feet and sometimes the entire block before the diverging movement. We got to experience this crawl both at NESH interlocking and then later at JENKIN. At least when we got to WAYNE we were once again treated to original Reading signals upgraded with new LED's.

After having to deal with an asshole engineer on the second leg of the R3 trip to Media, we disembarked and began the short walk to the Rt 101 trolley stop. After a group photo it was off on the Rt 101 to 69th St Terminal, and after a bathroom break it was off on the MFL through downtown to the Girard station. This station is special because it is the place where one can transfer to the old Rt 15 trolley and its PCC 2 cars. A PCC 2 arrived within 5 minutes and from there we took it to Broad St.

The last official part of the trip was a traditional jaunt on a Broad St Subway express train up to Fern Rock, around the loop then back down to Walnut-Locust. After the remaining members of the trip transfered to PATCO we had an unfortunate incident where 3 of our party were pulled off the train by the cops due to the complaint of an
unknown PATCO employee. The cop was cool tho and after some brief questions let the Subchatters go.

Anyway, enough description, you can find the pics here and please click on the link because my new camera took a lot of very good ones.

http://acm.jhu.edu/~sthurmovik/Railpics/06-12-27_SEPTA_MID-WINTER_TRIP_VI/-Thumbnails.html

Here comes the first component of the trip..a RiverLINE train at the Ayn Rand transportation center.

 Once at Trenton I snagged this photo of a westbound Regional behind AEM-7 #928.

 Here is the train that most of the NYC based trip participants arrived on hauled by ALP-44 #4404.

The 10x optical zoom on my camera in unbelievable! Here is FAIR tower from the platform.

The 4AE signal on the end of the S/B platform.

The famous 2AW and 3AW signals mounted on the concourse. When these babies go CLEAR you know an Aclea Express is about to power through the station at 110 mph.

Here is the CSX local departing the Trenton Industrial track and onto the Trenton Line at TRENT interlocking with GP38-2 #2767.

That front engine had a little steam envy putting out a bit of exhaust.

The reconfigured JENKIN interlocking. No more diamond with movable point frogs. I guess the new layout has more flexibility...but its far less elegant.

I am still learning to use my camera as I am not used to its auto-focus. Still, even when it goes wrong I get some interesting effects like this... 

and this... 

Here our Rt 101 trolley at Media.

And our Rt 15 trolley at Girard.

Last, but not least, here is the official SEPTA Mid-Winter VI group photo.