As discussed in my previous post on Amtrak Thanksgiving Wednesday, despite the surge in post-COVID travel, Amtrak did little to increase post-Thanksgiving capacity on the Northeast Corridor with zero scheduled extra trains and little in the way of extra equipment. To make matters worse, weather on Thanksgiving Sunday was absolutely miserable with a cold drizzle disrupting photography in a myriad of ways. Nevertheless I was not about to end my streaks of Thanksgiving Sunday NEC photos and I therefore drove down to the Halethorpe MARC station to see what would show up in the early afternoon and the resulting set of photos can be found here ( mirror ).
The only real "surprise" of the day took place before I was even able to get trackside at Halethorpe with a westbound CSX freight train parked short of ST DENNIS interlocking with AC4400 #294 and ES44AH and #3189 leading.
Down at Halethorpe the first Amtrak train to appear was southbound Silver Star train 91 led by ACS-86 #660.
Following that was a northbound Regional pulled by ACS-86 #655.
Next it was time for a southbound MARC local led by cab car #8059 and propelled by MP36PH-3C #17.
Following the MARC local was northbound Crescent Train 20 with ACS-86 #648.
After Train 20 was the northbound MARC local with MP36PH-3C #11, Bike Car #7721 and Kawasaki cab car #7856.
Each year on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving I head out to Amtrak's Northeast Corridor to take photos on what is often Amtrak's second busiest day of the year. In the not so distant past, Amtrak management would put a great deal of effort into expanding capacity to transport as many people as possible to their destinations. More recently the new management realized that it was far more profitable to just use dynamic pricing to cap capacity and just charge higher prices and as a result there is very little by way of extra trains or special consists on Thanksgiving Wednesday. Still, with nothing much better to do I nevertheless set out to continue the tradition if for no other reason than to visit the Dog & Bull Brewpub adjacent to the Croydon SEPTA station and with outdoor seating in view of the tracks. You can view the full set of photos here ( mirror ).
Upon arriving at Croydon I was disappointed to discover the Dog and Bull was closed for a second year in a row due to renovations. However I was also in time to catch a simultaneous westbound push-pull Keystone service train propelled by Amtrak ACS's-86 #669 and #613.
Up next was a second doubleheader with ACS's-86 #609 and #654 pulling what I believe was a pitifully short Silver Meteor Train 98 with just 2 sleepers and 3 Amfleet II coaches. In 2019 this train was running with 4 sleepers and 5 coaches and in 2021 it still had 3 sleepers and 4 coaches.
To avoid taking the same set of photos again I relocated a short ways down US 13 to get some photos from the other side of the adjacent milepost 69 signal bridge. Once in position I was stunned by a third doubleheaded Amtrak train in a row with ACS's-86 #628 and #612 leading a southbound Regional!
The Amtrak parade was then interrupted by a pair of SEPTA R7 Trenton locals with four car trains of Silverliners IV heading outbound and Silverliners V headed inbound. In years past SEPTA used to run 6 car R7 trains on this day.
Next up was an eastbound Keystone with ACS-86 #667 leading and Metroliner Cab Car #9040 on the rear.
This was followed by a pair of northbound Regionals, the first with ACS-86 #618 and the second with #649. Since I wasn't recording video this year I neglected to write down the numbers of the regional trains, but I suspect one of this back-to-back pair was a Virginia service train, either from Lynchburg or Norfolk.
As the Reading the Northern continues to expand its use of CTC on former Reading and CNJ territory in the eastern PA anthracite coal region I am provided with the increasingly rare opportunity to get photos of new signals that have been recently installed as opposed to those that are on track for removal. Just before Thanksgiving 2022 I undertook a little road trip to document two of the four searchlight signal locations that were installed around 2018 in addition to an interlocking and controlled point I had spotted from the 2102 fantrip earlier in the year. While out on the road I ran into the usual mix of Reading and Northern motive power. You can find the full set of photos here ( mirror ).
On my way up to the Coal Region I stopped off at CP-CANNON on the former PRR Main Line just in time to catch the westbound Amtrak Pennsylvanian Train 43 with P42DC #125 leading and PRR Office Car #7503 on the rear.
I was able to spend the night with my rail buddy Phil who has a collection of vintage electric locomotive documentation.
The first stop the next morning was the Milepost 712 southbound distant signal for the CTC island on the former D&H Main Line to Sunbury near Nescopeck, PA. NS recently purchased the line and re-signaled both interlockings at either end of the passing siding, but the two automatic distants remain D&H era solid state Unilens searchlights.
Next stop was the Reading and Northern Milepost 108 (from Reading Terminal) traditional searchlight distant to HAUCKS interlocking. Located just about a mile north of the famous Hometown Viaduct, this signal marks the current northern extent of the R&N's CTC project between North Reading and Mach Chunk. The 20 mile gap of non-signaled DCS territory will likely be filled in the coming years as it is increasingly used by the railroad's popular excursion services. The road bridge just north of the signal location is popular with railfans photographing the R&N's steam trains.
The milepost 102 intermediate signals are located a few miles south of MAHANOY JCT interlocking that I was able to document on a previous trip . Here, the southbound searchlight mast is displaying a Clear indication for an approaching local freight.
The local consisted of two engines, SD40-2 #3068 and SD38 #2004, hauling 4 cars back to Tamaqua Yard. Never a popular model, #2004 is one of just a handful of non-dash 2 SD38's still in existence.
In July of 2014, the Washington DC Metro (WMATA) debuted the first phase of its Silver Line to Dulles Airport and Loudon County and I was on the first non-VIP westbound train to depart West Falls Church. Eight years later it was finally time to open the second phase and despite a poorly chosen schedule and awful weather I managed the same feat except I managed to get on the VIP train. To learn the story you can read on or check out the full gallery here ( mirror ).
In 2014, the first phase opening was scheduled for a weekend morning which made it pretty easy to attend. Unfortunately the phase 2 opening was set for the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, which required me having to leave work early and make and catch a train with 7k car #7694 at Greenbelt.
Pacing a CSX intermodal train on the adjacent Capitol Sub west of Greenbelt.
The on board maps had already been updated. The phase 2 segment would open a total of six stations between Wiehle-Reston and Ashburn including flagship stop at Dulles International Airport.
The other problem was the absolutely abysmal weather. Mid-November is always cool, but this day was outright cold with a miserable drizzle that never let up and blocked the waning late afternoon sun. Here we find 6k car #6120 that due to service cutbacks wound up leading the final "Phase 1" arrival at Wiehle-Reston.
The plan for a VIP train to depart Wiehle-Reston at the proscribed time and run express to Ashburn at which the first two revenue trains would begin their journeys. As you can see here the Ashburn express is showing on the track #2 departure board, however the "classic style" 6k trainset was occupying track #2.
Of course the Metro brass wasn't going to put the VIP's on a "classic" style train and I think the plan was to pull the 6k into the pocket and replace it with another 7k set, but then the VIP ceremony was delayed by about 20 minutes and the decision was made to use the 7k set led by #7646 on track 1 and cross it over via the Wiehle-Reston pocket track.
The VIP train, dubbed the Silver Ticket Express, was intended for both VIPs and a group of 50 regular riders chosen by lottery. I had been expecting a degree of access control, but when the ribbon-cutting participants finished up with their thing and marched down to the platform, the 7k train on track #1 was just sitting there with all of its doors open like any other. Being announced as "Ashburn express departing on track #1" I decided to just get on the front car that was only populated by a pair of "winning" railfans.
Although one of the two fans was able to finagle his GoPro up on the front window I did my best to document the express run zooming through both front windows. The results weren't great due to the rain, but I still managed to capture the express-ness. Unfortunately the train had to reduce speed through the stations and was held to 45mph to reach Ashburn on schedule.
Baltimore Penn Station is currently undergoing a revitalization project that will see the upper floors converted into some sort of commercial space, the tracks #1 and #3 platform re-opened and converted to high level and a new track #8 platform constructed with a connection to the current concourse. In the fall of 2022 I modified my travel plans to engineer a brief layover at Baltimore Penn and get some photos. Also included in the full set ( mirror ) are photos from Philly and around the Milepost 110 automatic signal in Severn, MD.
Waiting for a northbound MARC train at BWI, a peak period DC bound train was first to arrive on the far track with Kab Kar #7858 and HHP-8 #4911.
My MARC train was being hauled by MP36PH-3C #33. Note the smoke from heavy breaking.
At Baltimore Penn Station the cab car on my train was split lever Bomber #8058.
The low level track 1-3 platform had been completely removed in preparation for a high level conversion. Unfortunately this would mean the end of Baltimore's traditional brick paved platforms.
Departing Track #7 was a southbound MARC train with MP36PH-3C #17.
One discovery was the installation of a new southbound B&O style CPL dwarf signal on track #7 in CHARLES interlocking. This and an adjacent PRR style pedestal signal replaced a cantilever structure at the same location to make way for the new track #8 platform.
Although the exterior of the station was covered by scaffolding, the interior was pretty much the same as it always had been.
