13-11-27 PHOTOS: Thanksgiving Transfer

Every year on the day before thanksgiving I go out with Chuchubob for some area railfanning. This always includes at least an hour along Amtrak's NEC to catch whatever extra trains and expanded trainsets they are operating, but also includes trips to various SEPTA or NJT locations. Unlike previous years Thanksgiving Wednesday 2013 was marred by a constant drizzle so Bob and I figured we should hit up Bristol and West Trenton due to the guarantee of good action and passenger shelters to keep the rain off.

While this plan was somewhat successful two day later on Black Friday Bob found himself available and we set out again to check out Cove road and the newly opened Pennsauken Transportation Center so the two trips combined yielded a fairly descent photo set which you can find in its entirety right here

So we begin trying to locate the Bristol train station in the city's maze of one way streets. After making a wrong turn we happened to catch an outbound R7 train lead by Silverliner IV #417 passing under the 67 automatic signal.

Not to worry, with 30 minute headways another R7 showed up with SL-IV #387 in front and #406 on the rear.

A 5-car inbound R7 also went by with SL-IV #163 on the front and #407 on the back.

For the Amtrak stuff I stuck to video since still was going all blurry. We were there for a little over an hour and saw quite a few trains, but due to a service disruption on the Shore Line southbound Boston trains including T95 and an AX were no-shows. This montage includes:

Northbound Keystone with AEM-7 #952.
Northbound Silver Service train with HHP-8 #650, 3 sleepers and an extra baggage car on the rear.
Southbound Regional 1195 with AEM-7 #932.
Southbound Amtrak Pennsylvanian with AEM-7 #907.
Southbound Silver Service train with HHP-8 #657, 3 sleepers and 5 Amfleet II coaches.
Northbound Acela Express with power cars #2010 and #2015.
Northbound Keystone with AEM-7 #949.



We arrived in West Trenton in time to catch an R3 in the act of departing towards Philadelphia with SL-IV #309 on the rear.

The inbound was soon replaced by an outbound R3 with SL-IV #361.

The proper route under the tracks is long and cumbersome so the entire train of people just cross the tracks. While this might not look safe the train was facing a Restricting signal.

SL-IV #132 was on the rear as the train pulled into the yard.

After Bob, myself and a second friend ate lunch at Freddies, we noticed that the track #2 dwarf signal was lit up with a Clear indication for an approaching freight train which turned out to be a North Dakota special complete with BNSF runthrough power including C44-9W #5295.

Video of the DOT-111 tank cars making up the train which fortunately did not derail and explode.



Skip ahead to Black Friday when the sun was out and not a cloud was in the sky. Here we see a pair of original PATCO cars #224 and 223 at the Westmont Station.

The new SAUK interlocking built between the transfer station and the existing CP-JERSEY which encompasses the Delair movable bridge.

On the other side of the station is a rebuilt DIVIDE interlocking which was in place back in PRR days when the whole area was controlled by JERSEY tower. The 6-lamp dwarf signals may be temporary as footings for a 3-track signal gantry are in place. The siding track signal is displaying Medium Clear to get trains back onto the main track.

Atlantic City bound train with Comet V cab car #6062 crossing over at SAUK. When the station was first opened the old main track was about 6-12 inches lower than it needed to be for proper high level platform alignment. Crews have been working ever since to raise it.

Comet V #6062 in the new Pennsauken Station. Due to various issues with the NEC there is a good bit of padding time and outbound trains often wait here for several minutes before departing. For the ~noon AC train this creates a rather trivial meet between itself and a scheduled RiverLINE train.

Former ACES P40DC #4802 was providing power this day.

The RiverLINE folks didn't allow for much of a transfer window with only 2-3 minutes between departures. Here is Rutgers red wrapped RiverLINE LRV #3515.

Sitting at the Cove Road crossing were NS C40-9 #8792 and C40-9W #9915.

 Coupled ahead of UP SD70ACe #8747.

Finally we popped over to the brand new NJT JORDAN interlocking where Conrail freight trains access the Pemberton Industrial track. This was always a hand operated switch, even back in PRR days, but was recently upgraded as part of the Pennsauken TC project.

GP40PH-2C #4203 takes the Approach Limited signal at JORDAN enroue to Philadelphia. 

Comet V cab car #6011 was on the rear end.

Well that's it for this week. Next time expect some filler obtained from a couple of trips to museums.