07-12-26 PHOTOS: SEPTA Mid-Winter Trip VII

SEPTA Mid-Winter Trip VII consisted of an R5 trip to Lansdale, photo layover at Lansdale, R5 to Fern Rock, BSS to Center City, lunch, Rt 11 to Darby CSX grade crossing, Rt 13 special through Darby TC and then back to 30th St, Rt 10 to Girard, Rt 15 to Richmond, photo layover and then Rt 15 back to the MFL.

I don't really think that this trip needs much more preamble so I'll just cut to the photos. Feel free to browse the full gallery at:

http://acm.jhu.edu/~sthurmovik/Railpics/07-12-26_SEPTA_MID-WINTER_TRIP_VII/-Thumbnails.html

Now its time for the ever popular photo tour. Hold onto your hats.

First we'll start with a little housekeeping to keep everyone up to date on the SEPTA RRD Reading Main Line. Here's the new layout at NEWTOWN JCT with an LED home signal displaying *G* for Cab Speed.

...and the same at JENKIN.

...and the recently rebuilt DALE.

Here are some videos of the new JENKIN and CARLMEL interlockings. At least SEPTA kept the Movable Point Diamond at CARMEL.





CSX Yard at Lansdale with GP38-2 #2813 and GP40-2 #6160.

Rude New York City trip participants hogging the mini-high in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 while Silverliner IV #139 stands by.

Train to Doylestown departing from the station track.

Silverliner II #909 laying over at Lansdale.

 S-II #9015 was also in the yard along with Silverliner III #225.

 The original 1930's substation at Lansdale. I have been told that this consists of auto-transformers to change 22kv distributor voltage to 11/12kv overhead catenary voltage. All 25Hz of course and all original. I wouldn't want to park next to that thing, those folks are probably tracking all sorts of PCB's home.

Builders place on one of the transformers. Made in Camden, NJ by a division of ABB.

Our train back to Center City with SL-IV #299.  Hey look, a little bit of blue sky.

SEPTA Trolley about to traverse the new "flange riding diamond" at the CSX Darby grade crossing.

SEPTA trolley traversing the crossing.  This new type of diamond is a lot easier on the rails when heavy CSX trains no longer have to pound the gap at 40mph.

Video of a SEPTA trolley traversing the crossing. Note the interesting noise the wheels make.



Close up of the crossing. Someone needs to alert the American Council for the Prevention of Metal Fatigue.

What happens to old Semaphore signals? They get recycled into pedestrian grade crossing arms.

Blasting past the old Darby Loop access track on the Rt 11/13 runthrough. We were damn lucky to get this trolley, no extra wait at the Darby TC.

Hey hey check it out...SEPTA for once isn't paving over trolley tracks.

Video of SEPTA Trolley moving into 37th St station at a proper speed.



...and negotiating the Rt 10 Junction.



Rt 15 trolley with its bustitutes at Richmond Loop.

PCC II #2329, up close and personal.

And again from the rear.

Anyway, I hoped you all enjoyed the photos and I hope to see many of you for the 8th Mid Winter trip. Let me know in advance if the 29th works well as a date. Due to the poor placement of Christmas I think its the best of all possible days.