11-09-05 PHOTOS: Search for the Silverliner II's

After returning from Boston I reserved a Saturday to help Phil scout some locations for his Silverliner II 16mm film. We were hoping to spot some II's in action, but as it was a weekend we would be lucky enough to see SEPTA trains at all let alone the old stuff. Like I said the primary goal was scouting out some locations that Phil would need in his film and once found he could come back on a weekday and stake them out for II trainsets.

Specifically we were looking for a station next to a grade crossing with good sight lines. By the end of the day we ended up making stops at Prospect Park, Secane, Morton, Primos, North Wales, Lansdale and Warminster. You can see the entire set of photos including all of those locations here.

We begin at the SEPTA Prospect Park station where we just stayed long enough for a double headed northbound Regional train to round the curve and pass under the 94 automatic signal.

Next up was Secane where we caught a single Silverliner IV pait with #444 and 443 heading westbound.

 Next up was Primos where the old low level station was being upgraded with high level platforms.

 I also had a chance to document the 82 automatic signals which are the westbound distants to CANE interlocking.  Note the Reading RR style lower heads.

 Next up was the Morton station which features a station building which is quite an upgrade from Primos' trailer.

Morton features the westbound 101 automatic distant signals to CANE interlocking which we see Silverliner IV #443 splitting as it returns from Elwyn.

Also at Morton we have one of two classic PRR substations on the line, still equipped with its original 1930's hardware. The 132kv 25Hz power is provided by Amtrak, but SEPTA is responsible for maintaining the overhead wires and substations.

Not much going on at either North Wales or Pennbrook, except a suspicious person armed with a Bolex. 

At Lansdale we a Northbound Doylestown train with S-IV #304 in the lead.

The 4 car train pulls onto the outbound D-Town branch platform at Lansdale with #284 on the rear.

Lansdale is also the site of an authentic 1930's Substation, however this one was built by the reading using ABB equipment instead of Westinghouse. I've taken pictures of the Lansdale substation before, but since I was there last it appears that SEPTA is trying to do something about the leaking transformer oil.

I was pretty certain we'd find some II's parked in Lansdale Yard, but instead it was just 3 full tracks of IV's.

Finally we get to Warminster where at last, sitting in the middle of the storage track was a pair of Silverliner II's, #252 and #9013. However parked in front of it was another pair of IV's with 173 and 174.

Waiting at the high level Warminster platform was Silverliner IV #276 waiting for the next inbound departure with 9013 hanging out behind it.

PRR II #256 was a little harder to take a picture of as it was coupled up with #114.

The #113/114 set seemed strangely clean, especially compared to #406 waiting at the station.

Hanging out past the new WARM interlocking

Anyway, walking back around we find #9013 waiting around for the next call to duty.

View of 256's 1960's vintage numberplate font. #256 seemed to have developed a bit of a rattle in its propulsion system blower unit.

Cabs galore with #144's also looking oddly clean.

Anyway, that's it for today. Next week we take a rather wet trip out to Altoona to document ALTO tower before it is closed and ripped up.