Jersey Mike's Rail Adventures: 18-07-05 PHOTOS: PRR Main Line Requiem Part 1

As I mentioned in the attached video post, I was looking to complete another PRR Main Line Survey from the rear of a Pennsylvanian service train in order to better document the PRR and Conrail signaling before it was all removed. An attempt at an eastbound trip in 2018 was ruined by a private car so I had to settle for a repeat westbound trip. While I did bring my DSLR camera, I didn't quite have the carte blanche to stand in the rear vestibule that I did on my National Train Day trip in 2009. This resulted in some loss of quality in the photos. Also stormy weather forestalled the survey session at Latrobe just in time for my Train 43 to also get caught in some freight train congestion.

As this set of photos also includes some general stuff around Pittsburgh I am going to split it into two parts, Part 1 east of Altoona and Part 2 west of Altoona. You can find the full gallery of photos right here or on Google Photos.

We pick things off with the power for my Train 43. Amtrak P42DC #92 seen here at 30th St Station. Business Class was the first car of the train so I had to spend most of the journey standing at the back.

Passing the active Amtrak OVERBROOK tower.

SEPTA Silverliner IV's #277 and 316 at Thorndale.

Horsepower near Gap.

The Lancaster, PA station and now closed CORK interlocking tower.

Amtrak #92 along side Metroliner Cab Car #9642 at Harrisburg.

Amtrak ACS-86 #619 on a keystone trainset at Harrisburg.

Amtrak protect equipment at Harrisburg including P42DC #124.

Departing Harrisburg past the preserved HARRIS tower.

Conrail era budget signal gantry from 1992 when HARRIS tower was closed and the slow speed interlocking plant rationalized to provide normal speed operation.

NS freight engines at the Harrisburg engine terminal and fuel pad.

Modern style 4-track PRR PL signal bridge facing replacement at CP-ROCKVILLE.

NS C44-9W #9844 with an eastbound intermodal train as it passes the eastbound mast signals at CP-ROCKVILLE.

Signal crews with a merchandise freight on the siding at CP-BANKS.

TOFC (Tractors on Flat Cars) near Milepost 125.

PRR signal bridge at CP-PORT. The real shame is that the replacement cantilever has been built within the former 4-track right of way which would interfere with any possible restoration :-(

Milepost 157 signal bridge about 4 miles west of Mifflin.

NS GP38-2 #5626 working a local freight out of the Lewistown yard.

Long lashup of 5 NS locos and 1 UP loco at the head of an eastbound doublestack train near Granville.

Crews maintaining the sliding wheel detector just east of the MP 198 signals.

Preserved HUNT tower in Huntingdon, PA.

original builder's plate was preserved.

NS SD60E #7000 and ET44AC #3610 at the head of a coal train waiting at CP-ANTIS.

Here we see how most signal replacement is driven by testing costs, not any real issues with the signals themselves. NS is not altering the signaling in the Altoona terminal so only the eastbound cantilever at CP-ANTIS needs modification to display Clear to Next Interlocking. To perform this change, instead of just adding the 'C' boards to the existing signals, a whole new cantilever is being erected as this will allow testing to be carried out without disrupting main line traffic. At the appropiate time the new signals will simply be turned into place.

BN SD70MAC #9563 behind NS C44-10W #7630 west of CP-ANTIS.

NS AC44C6M #4143 at CP-HOMER. These units were rebuilt from C44-9W's.

NS SD40E helper pack with #6327 and #6311 and remote capable GP38-2 #5258 behind at Rose yard.

Former Indiana Railroad SD90MAC's being rebuilt into SD70ACU's at the Altoona shoppes. NS has been buying up all the SD90's it can for rebuild as most of the parts are still good and they are still covered by more realistic 1990's emissions regulations.