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Saturday, September 29, 2007

07-09-29 PHOTOS: Harrisburg Line Trip

Last September I went with Chuchubob out to Harrisburg to visit the preserved HARRIS tower. I also wanted to check out how Amtrak was ruining the Harrisburg Line with its slow motion re-signaling project.

Unfortunately HARRIS tower was closed that weekend and the Amtrak crew kept the cab car closed on both trips so no railfan view :-(

I didn't get to take many photos but you can see the ones I did at:

http://acm.jhu.edu/~sthurmovik/Railpics/07-09-29_HARRISBURG_LINE_TRIP/-Thumbnails.html

Short photo tour here.

P42 #57 with AEM-7 #941 at Harrisburg Station.



AEM-7 #941 and the Harrisburg station train shed.


 AEM-7 #925 waiting on an adjacent track with a Keystone trainset.


Metroliner cab car #9650 next to preserved GG-1 #4859.


Old HARRIS tower now fully restored and turned into a Museum.


Saturday, September 1, 2007

07-09-01 PHOTOS: Abandoned South Jersey

Last Labour Day I spent some quality time roving around South Jersey checking out a number of interesting "Forgotten" locations interspersed with more standard Railfan locations. So the photos here will include something for everyone.

First off is the old Dydee Service building in Westmont. For years cloth diapers were cleaned there and delivered back to peoples houses. Shuttered by the advent of disposable diapers the building stood vacant for decades before being razed for a new development. I sort of regret not getting in there for a look around before it was demolished.

Next is SOUTH RACE interlocking at Utica Ave in Westmont. Despite being the closest interlocking to my house I had never bothered to go out and take a complete photo set.

After SOUTH RACE I popped over to the adjacent abandoned Westmont sewage treatment plant. This was actually the first of two Sweage treatment plants in this area before things were centralized with the CCMUA. The old plant only had primary treatment, while the second plant had secondary treatment. Today it sits decaying in the woods.

After the jaunt around Westmont I took a jump to the the legendary Haddonfield Waterfall. This is located on the Cooper River deep in the bowls of the Crows Woods recreation area. The river drops over about an 18" clay pan creating a little waterfall. Over the years the fall has retreated some 150 feet.

Next I ventured a little farther afield to the Winslow Junction area. After a bit of railfanning I took off down the RoW to a tip I had on something called Ancora Village. This was a community of assisted living houses for low-risk patients of the Ancora Psychiatric Hospital. Closed probably due to cost reasons the houses stood for several years before all being demolished. Now the site is left to be reclaimed by nature.

Finally, I walked back to Winslow Jct in time to catch an unannounced employee special labour day train as well as the new Alco C420 in its NYO&W Paint.

That was a little whirlwind summary and you can find the full set of pics at:

http://acm.jhu.edu/~sthurmovik/Railpics/07-09-01_FORGOTTEN_SOUTH_JERSEY/-Thumbnails.html

And more of a guided tour below in the same order as described above.

Here is the landmark Dydee Service building with the demolition fence already erected. This building has literally stood vacant here for 20 years or more.




In the forest next to SOUTH RACE interlocking the original Westmont sewage plant. Probably in service until the 1950's. Here is the primary settling tank.


Here's the input channel. Hard to believe this setup managed to "treat" anything at all.


Moving on to the Haddonfield Waterfall. Cute ain't it.


Here's where it used to be 10 years ago.



Also saw this on my way out. Nasty surprise for any lineman.


Finally some railfan stuff. WINSLOW Tower 2008. The bay windows have finally been boarded up from the inside.