17-08-31 PHOTOS: Rearview NEC - Part 2

Not surprisingly the NEC is a busy place so I had to split my survey trip up over two parts. This one will start from Trenton and continue on through Penn Station and over the Hellgate Line to New Rochelle. All of this was part of my annual summer trip to Boston where I used an upgrade coupon to gain access to the rear facing window and a DSLR to properly document the NEC. Covered in this set is the NEC upgrade project between Trenton and New Brunswick and the East Side Access project in Sunnyside, NY. Also covered is DOCK tower and interlocking before the tower's closure.

You can find the full gallery of photos here. Another NJT Corridor train with ALP-46 #4661 was following closely behind just past the old MILLHAM Tower

The NEC was running with 3 active tracks between New Brunswick and Trenton due to ongoing catenary work that will result in the spending of some $400 million Federal dollars in the Garden State (and little else). Here we see some wire cars spread out through MIDWAY interlocking in sight of the 1940's vintage interlocking tower.

Part of the upgrade included two new high speed crossovers south of COUNTY interlocking to support the NJT zone service pattern with Princeton express trains crossing from the express to local track at 80mph instead of 45mph. Here we see the eastbound crossover within the new ADAMS interlocking on tracks 1 and 2.

And here we see the new DELCO interlocking and it's high speed turnout on tracks 3 and 4 while my Regional passes a train of single level Comet cars headed by Comet V cab car #6019.

Passing another eastbound NJT Northeast Corridor Line train with multi-level equipment at New Brunswick with ALP-46 #4633 pushing on the rear.

LINCOLN tower in Metutchen, NJ.

Getting passed by an westbound Acela Express trainset with power car #2019 at MetroPark.

Another westbound NJT NEC train with single level Comets and ALP-46 #4606 just east of MetroPark.

The now shuttered UNION tower at Rahway.

Westbound signal gantry for ELMORA interlocking with a Clear signal displayed for Track 3. This is located just west of the famous Elizabeth S-curve.

Getting passed by Amtrak ACS-86 #633 with a Keystone at the Newark Airport Station.

PATH cars lay over on various stub tracks as our train crosses from Track 1 to Track 2 over the 139 switch at DOCK interlocking.

The still open DOCK tower and the PATH flyovers looking westbound through the triple vertical lift bridges east of Newark Penn Station.

Money shot of DOCK tower, the flyovers and the Passaic River drawbridges.

Passing by an westbound NJT train with ALP-46 #4659 at the old Manhattan Transfer location.

Looking through the impressivly rugged PORTAl swing bridge over the Hackensack River.

Southbound Regional with Amtrak ACS-86 #619 at Secaucas.

I didn't really bother with any photos within Penn Station, but here are two shots entering and exiting the North and East River tunnels respectively.

Heading east on Line 1 there was an eastbound LIRR train on Line 3 with M7 #7782.

MoW crews working on the new LIRR Main Line track 1 alignment for the East Side Access project as my Regional crosses over HAROLD interlocking switch #845.

The old HAROLD tower has likely closed for good as an interlocking station, having been available on an emergency basic for many years.

The southern westbound PRR signal bridge at HAROLD interlocking. These were re-signaled in the 1980's and are now being replaced by modern type color light signal gantries after the Position Light lobby at LIRR lost power after the VALLEY and QUEENS interlocking rebuilding projects.

Across the Hellgate Bridge we encounter former New Haven Railroad Signaling Station 3, aka OAK along with the 1918 vintage overhead catenary anchor span that also mounted cat section breakers.

A smattering of CSX power was hanging out in the Oak Point yard. CSX serves the yard via the former NY Central Hudson Line.

One more drawbridge, this one over Pellham Bay.

Finally stopped at New Rochelle, a train of Metro North M8 cars approaches on track 2.

Well that is the end of this part of the tour. Next time we switch to video as I continue on my journey to Boston over Metro North's New Haven Line.