Jersey Mike's Rail Adventures: 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.

The signals are mounted in an uncommon fashion, used briefly after the introduction of position lights, with the lower head on their own post, forward of the upper head.

Here we see one of the few sequential Acela Express trainsets passing HOOK tower with power cars #2012 and #2013. Built before 1931 and closed prior to 1992, HOOK tower continues to see use by Amtrak maintenance forces and is surprisingly accessible via a public right of way running behind a block of row homes.

Back in the day, zoning wasn't much of a thing and it was possible for someone's back alley to stand within spitting distance of railroad infrastructure.