18-11-18 PHOTOS: Parkesburg Plymouth

When it rains, it pours. The general re-signaling trend is not only affecting old PRR position lights, but also the Morrisville Line with late Conrail era color lights and cab signals without wayside intermediate signals. While plotting a drive up to Philly I noticed I could avoid the Susquehanna River toll by using the Route 1/10/30 back road to drive to the King of Prussia area to document CP-PLYMOUTH, just off the Blue Route near Exit 25A on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. This route also had the advantage of passing through Parkesburg, PA where there is am Amtrak Harrisburg Line stop and a former Pennsylvania Railroad junction between the Main Line and the low grade Atglen and Susquehahha Branch.

In addition I have some photos of action on the NS Potomac River bridge in Shepherdstown, WV. You can find the full set of photos here (mirror).

The Shepherdstown bridge is actually part of NS's freight corridor between the Southern United States and the Northeast. If this seems a bit odd it is because the Southern Railways previous connections with the PRR and Conrail in Washington, DC were rendered defunct by Amtrak's stance against freight and CSX purchasing the Conrail Landover Line. Today NS freight will exit the Southern Main Line at Manassas, travel the Southern "B" Line to Front Royal then head north on the N&W "H" Line to Hagerstown in route to Harrisburg via the former Conrail Lurgan Branch. Here we see a southbound merchandise train entering onto the high level bridge while enroute to points south with a rainbow variety of power in front.

More specifically the power was NS C44-10W #7574, UP SD70M #7179, BN painted SD60M #6021 and ES44AC #8095.

Shortly there after another southbound merchandise train arrived with a former Conrail NS C40-8W #8459, leading a second C-40-8W and C44-9W #9484 in the number three slot.

Moving on to the Conowingo Dam, the bird watchers were out to catch the annual migration of bald eagles that are drawn to the disoriented fish being ejected from the power turbines.

Generally wet conditions required some floodgates to be opened.

The eagles were using the power infrastructure to perch between meals.

Vultures were also on hand with the potential to damage one's car.

The Amtrak Parkesburg Station is located just west of PARK interlocking where six tracks once served the heavy passenger and freight traffic up through World War 2. Today it is served by Amtrak's Keystone service as an extended distance commuter stop. 

After 1948, two main line tracks were removed leaving freight trains to take the center two, ducking under the main line to access the Atglen and Susquehanna low grade route to Columbia, PA and ultimately Enola Yard. Passenger trains would continue on the outer tracks, climbing towards the division summit at Gap, PA before reaching Lancaster and Harrisburg. In the 1980's Conrail shifted traffic to the Lehigh-Reading route straight east of New York City and the A&S was left as a power right of way for Amtrak's 25Hz transmission lines to reach the Safe Harbour dam. The remaining center track continues on about a mile to reach an industrial park.

Amtrak P42DC #120 passing the yet-to-be-activated 443 signal on track #1 with Train 44, the eastbound Pennsylvanian.

In 2010, the old PRR-era PARK interlocking was removed and replaced by a new PARK interlocking 2 miles to the west. The new interlocking was a simple double crossover and wayside distant signals were placed at Parkesburg station, the track #1 signal being bagged as both tracks #1 and #4 between PARK and PAOLI are still run under Rule 251 ABS. Note the grade marker on the signal and the corresponding incline on the tracks.

The two vintage bridges west of the station have both been closed to vehicular traffic.

Amtrak P42DC #97 heading west at Parkesburg with Pennsylvanian Train 43.

Conrail signals and replacements at CP-PLYMOUTH.

Due to low levels of traffic, Conrail rebuilt the Morrisville Line (aka PRR Trenton cutoff) as a 25 mile long single track with short sidings at each end. Here we can see the west end of the Plymouth siding at CP-KING from CP-PLYMOUTH. CP-KING was already re-signaled a number of years ago. To the left are the stubs of PRR catenary supports, partly scrapped in the Conrail era. They were left partly standing to support a 6.9kv signal power line that was eventually replaced by utility power.

That's it for today. Coming up we have Thanksgiving 2018 NEC action at Levittown.