17-06-29 PHOTOS: WIING

When it comes to documenting what is left of the Old PRR Main Line, I am burning the candle at both ends. From the east I have worked from Harrisburg to Huntington as this is all within day trip distance of me. However some friends I made in the Pittsburgh area has allowed me to open up a second front so to speak and since 2015 I have been systematically knocking off those signaling locations at last somewhat adjacent to the South Pennsylvania Railroad Pennsylvania Turnpike. In 2015 I visited CP-RADE at Radebaugh, PA, in 2016 CP-TRAFF in Trafford, PA and this year I swung by the next interlocking down the line, CP-WING in Wilmerding, PA. Formerly known as WG interlocking, it controls the west end of the PRR's one great Pitcarin Yard, now serving as an intermodal facility under NS and Conrail.

Today CP-WING consists of a 3-track full crossover with an extra yard lead on the east end. The northern two tracks belong to the NS Pittsburgh Line while the southern track runs out of Pitcarin Yard and straight through to become the Port Perry branch. This line bypasses downtown Pittsburgh along the southern banks of the Monongahela River. The interlocking features a full 3-track PRR signal bridge at the west end and two PRR position light masts on the main tracks along with a Unilens Dwarf and a target type color light mast for the yard tracks at the east end. All the switches are still pneumatically operated. If you are interested in the full set of photos, they can be found here.

So as I rolled up in the car I had to scramble to capture NS C44-9W #9945 and a 27xx series SD70ACe leading an eastbound doublestack trains past the westbound mast signals at CP-WING. This is a popular railfan location due to the ease of access and interesting background items.

WING tower was replaced by this double-wide relay hut in a ~1970's CTC project between CP-CONPIT and CP-HOME. Note the air line running out to supply the pneumatic switches.

The air compressor was located in this classic structure that pre-dated the CTC project. When I arrived at the site I found two people who appeared to be railroad workers in NS style high visibility yellow safety vests. After making some small talk I soon realized that they were actually municipal utility workers using their official vehicle to harvest scrap metal from the right of way. This sums up the situation for your Simpsons fans out there ;-)

It's such a shame that non-solid state technologies are becoming so rare these days. Here we see the air plant outside the compressor house at CP-WING. Although the pneumatic point machines here are likely to be retired in the near future, NS had to fabricate some new housings for the mechanisms since US&S stopped supporting the product around 10-15 years ago.

Shortly thereafter another eastbound doublestack train appeared off the Port Perry branch, crossing over to Pittsburgh Line track #1. NS ES44AC #8131 was in the head with C44-9W #9325 running behind.

Shortly thereafter an NS "helper pack" of two SD40E's (rebuilt SD50's #6332 and #6310) that had been waiting for the stack train to clear up, got it's signal and proceeded eastbound behind it. With the popularity of distributed power arrangements out west, the PRR main line is probably the most active helper districts left in the United States with pairs of SD40E's helping trains get up and down the Allegheny summit between Altoona and various points between Johnstown and Pittsburgh.

After a few minutes observing the local wildlife, a westbound showed up, passing under the classic PRR signal bridge with NS C44-9W #9904 and #9875 in the lead.

A fourth westbound movement soon materialized with another NS C44-9W (yawn) on point, but a significantly more interesting standard cab SD70 #2532, following behind.

Both the PRR and NY Central gave preference to their respective "on line" signal providers. By on line I mean the providers had facilities along their customers main lines. For the PRR this was Union Switch and Signal, a division of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company and like all things Westinghouse the many WABCO facilities were situated near PRR tracks in Pittsburgh. Here we see the Westinghouse products of the past posing before the Westinghouse facilities of the present.

Whle currently known as Wabtec, the corporate linage is clearly marked on the buildings.

Moving westward into downtown Pittsburgh, the Steel City was far more of a PRR Town than even Philadelphia, which of course had the Reading as a major competitor. The PRR blanketed the region with its routes with the B&o and P&LE only providing limited competition. The Pittsburgh Station, built in the 1950's to replace an earlier trainshed, was one of the last big station construction projects that the PRR undertook.

Around 1980's the Pittsburgh terminal complex was rationalized and re-signaled by Conrail to eliminate much of the passenger oriented trackage in the downtown area. The new CP-PITT was a shadow of the old PITT interlocking, which supposedly contained the largest US&S Model 14 interlocking machine ever installed. Here we see the 2W signal at CP-PITT displaying an Approach Slow for the westbound Amtrak Train 43 Pennsylvanian. Although the slow speed signals at CP-WEST PITT were removed along with that interlocking, the old Approach Slow remains to provide speed control approaching the slow speed downtown turn onto the Fort Wayne Bridge.

Here we see Amtrak P42DC #94 passing through CP-EAST PITT just minutes from completing its journey. Note the clear signal for an eastbound train on Track #2. Since the Pittsburgh platform only serves Track 1, the eastbound freight needs to run British style, at least until it can cross over.

Amtrak Train #43 about to take the Slow Approach signal at CP-PITT.

A few minutes later the eastbound turned up with NS C44-9W #9699, C44-10W #7713 and SD70M #2626 pulling a doublestacks and TOFC consist.

Once the Pennsylvanian arrives in Pittsburgh the crew is still not done with the day's work. To prepare the train for the following Morning's departure, the trainset is backed up about 4 miles to CP-HOME where it can be turned the wye track for the old PRR Brilliant Branch. Here we see the reverse running trainset passing CP-BLOOM, which connects the B&O Main Line to the PRR Main Line via CSX's FIELD interlocking.

I'll wrap things up with this river level view of the PRR's Fort Wayne bridge that marked the start of the Lines West high speed route to Chicago.

Tune in next week as we ride the Pennsylvanian back across the state to Philadelphia.