21-10-30 PHOTOS: Harristober

No, this is not a rerun of a previous post. Due to having had two years off thanks to the Covid pandemic, I decided to double my number of visits to HARRIS tower with an early season visit added to my more typical final weekend visit. Will my initiative be rewarded? Read ahead and find out. Also included are some additional photos taken on my frequent Amtrak trips to and from Philly. You can find the full set of photos here ( mirror ).

Most times I get many photos of signals with few trains. At HARRIS the opposite is true as upwards of 50 NS and Amtrak train movements passing through this critical rail chokepoint by every day. This day would be no different with NS SD70ACe #1030 and ES44AC #8062 being first on the scene with a westbound intermodal train.

Although the days weather was rather crummy I was sheltered from the elements inside HARRIS tower with its restored and fully operational Union Switch and Signal Model 14 interlocking machine.

Some of the recent changes help visitors see how the mechanical interlocking works.



The next train to pass by was an eastbound intermodal with NS C44's-10W #7577 and #7532 sandwiching C44-9W #9973.

My luck did ultimately hold up as I was treated to N&W heritage ES44AC #8103 running ahead of sister ES44AC #8003.

At some point NS GP40-2 #3032 split the signals at CP-HARRIS with an eastbound cut of intermodal cars being transferred from the Harrisburg intermodal facility to the Rutherford intermodal facility.

Next up was Amtrak's eastbound Pennsylvanian Train 42 with P42DC #92.

The westbound Pennsylvanian Train 43 was headed by P42DC #94, seen here posing next to PRR GG-1 #4859 under the Harrisburg train shed before departure.

The next eastbound intermodal train on track #1 was headed up by NS C's44-9W #9868 and #9563.

The next train had a total of four engines including NS C44-9W #9974, AC44C6M #4124, C44-10W #7683 and C44-9W #9626.

At some point GP40-2 #3032 returned from its transfer move with a Restricting signal into the yard at CP-HARRIS.

All throughout the day I was able to compile a series of videos of trains knocking down various signal indications.



That will wrap things up at HARRIS for the 2021 season.

However I would have to make a round trip to Philly via Amtrak slightly later in the week. I booked an Acela Express, which arrived in time to meet a southbound Regional with ACS-86 #633.

SEPTA Silverliner V #827 heading northbound at Market East.

The lights were on in the PATCO tunnels at 8th and Market.

A trio of PATCO rebuild cars at Haddonfield, #1023, #1011 and #1068.

Acela Express power car #2004 back at BWI.

Hope you all enjoyed the photos Next week we'll take a short walk along the Allegheny River Valley.