09-11-23 PHOTOS: Middletown and Lancaster

One easy way to earn Amtrak Guest Rewards points it to take a number of short trips on the low cost, unreserved Amtrak Keystone Line. To this end I partnered with the Xen Master of AGR points, Chuchubob to take a milti-part trip on the Keystone line over last year's Thanksgiving Week. The trip would check in on what was up at the Middletown and Hummlestown's Middletown yard and then travel to Lancaster to check out the recent re-signaling of CORK interlocking.

It's a pretty simple concept so I might as well get started. You can find the entire set of photos here.

http://acm.jhu.edu/~sthurmovik/Railpics/09-11-23_NEW_CORK/-Thumbnails.html

We start with our first westbound Keystone trainset as it departs Middletown with Metroliner cab car #9638 on the rear.

 A few minutes later an arrived with cab car # 9646 also on the rear. Here we see it getting under way after its station stop.



Here we see it from a distance as it takes the signal at ROY interlocking.

The M&H still has its stock of SEPTA PCCs.

Western Maryland #151 was hanging out next to some old coaches.

I believe that this old double ended PCC #605 used to operate in Toronto due to its destination sign. 

I was unfamilliar with the original of this old steeple cab freighter.

Former CTA Rt 100 car #476.

Alco switcher #1016 painted in actual M&H colors.

Cab car #9636 returned to us for our short hop back to Lancaster...earning another set of AGR points ;-)

At Lancaster the new colourized position light signals at CONESTOGA interlocking greeted our train. Formerly part of CORK interlocking the tower's territory has been split into 4 new interlockings, LITITZ, CORK, CONESTOGA and HOLLAND.

Here we see the train departing the station and taking the 1E signal at CONESTOGA. Amtrak AEM-7 #194 is pushing on the rear.



The HBG Line wire train was hanging out on the MoW storage track.

CORK tower with the new interlocking hut in front of it. The re-signaling project did not involve closing the tower which now controls its territory on modern panel machines.

The westbound signals had their 'C' boards deployed for the Rule 562 operation then in service west of CORK. Amtrak is also having problems installing the properly shaped lower PRR signal heads.

Rear view of CORK tower.

 Closeup view of the Safetran supplied signal equipment and the odd use of US&S low profile M3 machines normally only seen on rapid transit systems.

Poking around for a good photo vantage point we were rewarded by an NS, New Holland branch freight train lead by matched GP38 set 5652 and 5653.

The eastbound Pennsylvanian soon arrived hauled by P42 #122.

Eventually the westbound Pennsylvanian pulled in with P42 #25 on the head end.

It then departed through the reconstructed CORK interlocking which now supports concrete tied palette switches with movable point frogs.

With the Amtrak traffic out of the way Chuchubob and I embarked on a walking tour of the NS Dillerville freight yard and engine terminal. Here is a view from a pedestrian overpass over the yard.

The yard still boasts an old time ramp track for unloading bottom dump hopper cars.

On the ancillary engine track were SD40 based slug pair 6197 and 872.

The engine tracks contained another matched pair of GP38s in the form of 5659 and 5658. 5656 was paired with 5660, but one could claim it's number was paired with itself.

I took this picture to appease our new Tea Party masters. YEAH RUMSFELD!!!

Well that's it for this week. I will be taking an Amtrak trip to New Orleans this week, but I should have a set of New York City subway photos up next.