02-11-27 CLASSIC PHOTOS: Thanksgiving Outing

While returning home from school for the Thanksgiving holiday in 2003 I managed to take some nice rear vestibule shots from the back of my southbound Amtrak Regional train on Metro-North territory and later followed that up with a trip around the west coast of New Jersey checking out progress on the yet-to-be-completed RiverLINE light rail line. In that case the stops amounted to the Delair bridge area and the light rail complex in Bordentown, NJ.

Not much more to it than that, but most of the photos contains something that's not there anymore so check them out.

At the Amtrak Meriden, CT station the H-5 searchlights at the MP 18 automatic signals were still up and displaying a Clear indication for the northbound Vermonter.

Due to the holiday crush Amtrak had to empty out the basement in terms of rolling stock so here we see two Metroliner cab cars including #9640 in the Vermonter consist running behind P40DC #830. Despite the two cab cars in front behind the lead ending a second P40DC, #827, was also applied to the rear.

My train, which may have been the southbound Vermonter, gets its own P40DC #804 pulled off the rear at New Haven during the power change.

Classic New Haven "Flying Beam" style catenary on the 3-track section between Woodmont and New Haven. Can anyone honestly say that the new stuff looks nicer or more elegant?

SS73 WOODMONT eastbound.

Ok, here's one that can use a little explanation. East of the SS71 DEVON movable bridge I caught this light Amtrak P42 looking like it was wyeing on the Devon wye. Does anyone know if this was some sort of common practice? Perhaps because the loop track at New Haven was out of service due to the yard re-configuration work? Anyway I think this is a P42 in Phase IV as in a higher resolution I think I could make it out as #67.

MNRR GP35 #105 running lite east of Bridgeport.

The venerable New Haven diamond catenary, another victim of Metro-North's wasteful capitol spending.

The open gap in the catenary at the SS29 Cos Cob movable bridge. 

MNRR M-2 #8735 at the Rye phase break.

Not-yet-in-service RiverLINE diamond at HATCH with the original bargain type derails in place. These were later replaced due to problems derailing things.

Catenary mast mounted PRR position light at CP-JERSEY which was a victim of re-signaling about 5 or so years ago.

Position light dwarf signal at CP-JERSEY. This has also been a victim of re-signaling.

New RiverLINE bridge at Crosswicks Creek.

The PRR heritage of the line in evidence in the Bordentown station area.

Camden and Amboy alignment cutting through the high ground Bordentown town was built on.

Bordentown RiverLINE station under construction.