20-01-31 PHOTOS: Schodak

Every year I head up to New York's capitol region for winter activities and 2020 was no different. This year I had targeted some signal locations near the end of the Schodak branch on the former Conrail Hudson Line in addition to the usual fare of Amtrak's Empire Service. Not much more to say except you can find all of the photos here ( mirror ).

As I had caught a very early Amtrak train in darkness, the first thing of note were a bunch of Metro North Shoreliner I cab cars along with P32AC-DM #208 at Croton Harmon.

A southbound tanker meets northbound barge traffic on the Hudson River.

Amtrak P32AC-DM #702 passes under the southbound Conrail vintage signal bridge at CP-124. Today just a simple crossover, this location was once the junction for the northbound leg of the Schodak Branch flying junction with the Hudson Line. Built as part of a 1920's New York Central capacity expansion that included Selkirk Yard and the Alfred H Smith bridge, the Schodak Branch allowed Hudson Line freight trains to climb up to the level of the Smith bridge to cross the Hudson and enter Selkirk Yard.

The northbound leg of the Schodak Branch is now abandoned, but the right of way is still intact with a Central marked railroad bridge crossing NY State Route 91.

The remaining active track of the Schodak branch crosses Route 91 about a mile north of the first bridge.

At the Amtrak Albany-Rensselaer rail station, P42DC power, including #95, had collected on the CP-142 stub track after having been pulled off various through trains. Due to the limited number of P32AC-DMs that are needed to run through Penn Station, certain long distance trains on this route undergo a power change at Albany.

When I was there the eastbound Lake Shore Limited was sitting on the new Track #3 with P42DC's #108 and #110 ready to pull Boston section Train 448 off the front of the train and head down the Post Road Branch towards Boston. The New York section behind it would be handled by a P32AC-DM from the pool.

20-01-16 PHOTOS: Palmetto

So my dad's side of the family is pretty blasé about getting together and by 2020, despite absolutely no animosity, it had been over 25 years since I had last seen my dad's older brother face to face. Spending half of his year on a retirement island in South Carolina, I had always considered taking the train down to see him, but I figured the station would be too much of a drive. However upon actually asking my Uncle if it was possible, I learned that the Yenassee, SC station was only about a 30 minute drive from his house and he had no issues picking me up. My chosen mode of transportation would be Amtrak's Palmetto, Train 89 and 90, which traveled between New York and Savanah, GA in daylight via the CSX A-Line south of Richmond. While I was no stranger to the northern end of the A-Line traveled by Carolinian trains 79 and 80, this would be my first time south of Selma, NC. Although a rear mounted baggage car prevented any sort of line survey, I was able to get a full compliment of photos at the various stops. You can see all these photos here (mirror).

While waiting for Train 89 at the BWi Airport Rail Station a northbound MARC train with doubleheaded SC44's, #85 and #83, pulled up on the opposite track.

My Train 89 was going to be hauled to Washington by ACS-86 #643.

At Washington Union Station I caught ACS-86 #654 swapping with P42DC #96 from a northbound Regional.

#643 was swapped with P42DC #135.

 

The next available photo location was Richmond where I had some great light on #135.

CSX power in Acca yard with ES44AC #774, SD40-2 #8463 and a new ET44AC.

Passing Rocky Mount SD70MAC #4814 and C40-10W #5357 standing by to take a manifest freight south.

Still being the middle of winter, the sun was setting by the time my train reached Florence, SC. The old Florence station building is not home to a human resources outfit, while the current station is an updated take on the Amshack concept. The seat of one of CSX's divisional HQs, the Florence station once had 6 platforms and 7 tracks.

The sun had long ago set by the time Train 89 arrived at Charleston, SC. The station had been recently rebuilt with a brightly lit, extended length platform.

Train 89 departing Yenassee shortly before 9pm at night.

20-01-12 PHOTOS: HOOK

Amtrak's HOOK interlocking and the adjacent Marcus Hook SEPTA station, sit just north of the border with Delaware and therefore represents the last stop for more than a few trains on SEPTA's R2 Wilmington line. Situated between a large petroleum facility on one side and a downtrodden neighborhood on the other, the location does not attract as much rail enthusiasm as other NEC locations, but just minutes from I-95 I decided to give it a try on a bright sunny day in January of 2020. It's a pretty simple premise so you can check out the full set of photos here (mirror) and enjoy some highlights below.

Although the station is little more than a trailer attached to a small parking lot, it has had outsized important on the SEPTA Line running on the NEC south of Philly. In 1983 when Conrail contract operation of the Philadelphia suburban services was shifted to SEPTA, all service to stations in Delaware was cut. Trains from Philly would then cross over at HOOK interlocking and then turn back at the Marcus Hook station. A new funding arrangement that took effect in 1989 restored service to Wilmington, but most trains continued to turn back at Marcus Hook including all trains on Sunday. It wasn't until the 21st Century that most trains would travel to The First State, reducing the importance of Marcus Hook.

By 2020, Marcus Hook was in track for some improvements with the crumbling depression era PA Route 452/Market St bridge being replaced and a new passenger overpass under constructio.

 Marcus Hook has never been an Amtrak stop with trains like this southbound Regional hauled by ACS-86 #650 barreling through at 110mph.

Although not seeking it out, I was extraordinary lucky to encounter Amtrak ACS-86 #606 in its bright red Coca Cola wrap at the head of southbound Silver Meteor Train 97, just a week or so before the promotion ended and the wrap was removed.

The winter consist Train 97 sported a new Viewliner bag-dorm car on the rear.

This was followed by a northbound Regional with ACS-86 #604.

HOOK interlocking and its associated interlocking tower are located about a quarter mile north of the Marcus Hook station. it is a 5-track full crossover with the 5th track supporting freight service to local industry.

Here a southbound R2 local, sandwiched by Silverliner's V #802 and #837, passes under HOOK's northbound signal bridge with Clear signals displayed on tracks #1 and 2.