19-07-02 PHOTOS: Pittsburgh Intermediates

By the summer of 2019 the age of vintage signaling on the old PRR Main Line was winding down and over the July 4th holiday I went out for what would be my last, successful, expedition to document "the good stuff" before it vanished forever.  As I had already visited all of the interlockings in the Pittsburgh area, it was time to do a little cleanup on the intermediate signals, checking the Milepost 330, 332 and 334 locations off my list.  In addition I was able to get out to CP-PENN on the north shore of Pittsburgh and perform some cleanup work there after my previous visit in 2015.  The full set of photos can be seen here (mirror).

We start out at the Milepost 332 signal at Irwin, PA, know for being the original western terminus of the Pennsylvania turnpike in 1937.  First up at that location was a westbound train of empty oil cars led by NS ES44AC #8147 and NS C44-9W #9680. 

This is the former location of the PRR's CP Tower, which served to reconfigure the 4 main line tracks for westbound trains approaching Pitcairn yard so that through traffic in both directions would use the two tracks to the north and trains using the yard would use the two tracks to the south.  After the Penn Central merger, Pitcairn yard was effectivly closed and CP interlocking was removed in early 1970.  The former westbound signal bridge, seen below, was reconfigured into the milepost 332 automatic signal location 

 Next up was an eastbound train of empty garbage containers headed up by NS AC44C6M #4117 and C44-9W #9708.

Moving onto the MP 334 location in Ardara, PA, I caught NS tax engine SD70ACe #1040 and ES44AC #8160 with a westbound doublestack intermodal train, taking the clear signal on the PRR signal bridge.

 

 No trains were present of at the MP 330 location, but here we can see the Signal Indication Point signs are up on the new signal hut all in the shadow of the Pennsylvania turnpike with two Conrail era masts having replaced the PRR signals back in the 1990s.

Taken from the adjacent Port Authority parking garage, we see the old CP-WEST PITT location at the west end of the Pittsburgh Passenger station.  The old PRR office building headhouse has since been converted into condos. 

Walking out to CP-PENN I arrived to find an eastbound TOFC train led by NS SD70ACe #1103 and a brand new SD70ACC #1817 passing under the 8-track PRR signal bridge.

 I was not found wanting for traffic this morning as an eastbound oil train soon appeared with NS SD70M #2605 leading another brand new unit, Ac44C6M #4232 past the foundation of the old PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE tower.

Next up we have some local action as NS GP22ECO #5901 leads a cut of gondola cars eastbound with GETEB slug #601 with NS GP59ECO #4665 and RP-M4C slug #622 behind.  #5901 is one of two GP22ECOs rebuilt from GP38AC by NS, each served by a GETEB slug. 

An NS MoW welding truck was sitting on top of CP-PENN's #5 performing maintenance on the switch frog as #5901 et al passed by and headed for the Conemaugh Line.

 Not long after a westbound train of oil cars came off the Pittsburgh Line with ES4AC #8085 and C40-10W #7570.

View of CP-PENN facing west with the welding truck on track #2 and the end of the oil train clearing the plant on track #4.

More westbound traffic on track #4 was indicated by the fleeted 8W signal on the westbound position light signal bridge 

And I was not disappointed as class leader NS SD80MAC #7200 leading SD60E #7030.

 

 After that I walked back to the PAT light rail's Allegheny station where LRV set 4214/4213 arrived to take me back downtown.

Later that week I caught  Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad GP38-2 #3501 leading Allegheny Valley Railroad SD40-2's #3002 and #3003 turning onto the Fort Wayne bridge at the Milepost 353 intermediates that replaced CP-WEST PITT.  This is division point between PRR lines east and lines west with the milepost resetting to 0 and counting up towards Chicago.

A later hike out to CP-PITT did not result in any freight traffic, but I did catch an NS high rail pickup turning around on an inspection run.

View of the Pittsburgh passenger station through CP-PITT with the new mast signals already in place.  The position lights date from a Conrail era re-signaling project around 1980.

I'll wrap things up with an eastbound NS merchandise freight crossing the Fort Waye Bridge with C44-9W's #9579 and #9649.

That all she wrote both for this trip and for the classic signaling on the PRR Main Line.  If you are interested in the summary of my documentation efforts spanning 10 years and 14,000 photos, you can find them here.