23-07-03 PHOTOS: Main Line 562

In 2018, as the former PRR Main Line between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh was in the midst of a major re-signaling project, I was blocked in my efforts to get westbound facing photos from the rear of eastbound Amtrak Pennsylvanian Train 42 by a private car. In 2023, 5 years after the re-signaling project was completed, I was in the position to try again even if the route was now devoid of interesting signaling. Although cloudy weather and wildfire haze impacted the photos, I accomplished my mission of documenting the now diminished PRR Main Line between Pittsburgh and Tyrone, where the rain made additional coverage impractical. You can view the full gallery here.

Amtrak lets passengers board pretty early for the 8am departure of Train 42 from Pittsburgh Penn Station stub track #3. Power for the day was P42DC #94.

Departing the station, Train 42 passed by the old Conrail era helper base at he Pittsburgh station. Trains needing helpers over the entire west slope would have them attached here. In the mid-2000's the base was closed with the crews moved to either Cresson or Johnstown and helpers cutting off at various points along the Pittsburgh Line depending on operational expediency.

After moving to the rear of the train the first point of interest was a KCS AC4400 in the number 2 position leading a westbound train of empty oil tank cars near Manor, PA.

NS C44-9W #9700 along with a C40-10W leading a westbound intermodal near Radebaugh.

Greensburg, PA is the only station on the route with active platforms serving all main line tracks. With only a single round trip to worry about, current practice is to run both Pennsylvanians on the nominally "westbound" #2 track. Stations like Latrobe that has the capacity for a second platform, has allowed it to decay as it removes the need to correctly pre-position passengers on the correct track.

Overtaking NS ES44AC #8012 at CP-PACK.

The sun briefly peeking out as Train 42 crosses the old stone bridge at Johnstown. This structure survived the great Johnstown Flood in 1889 and continues in service to this day.

Johnstown Station's island platform only serves Track 2 and 3, although Track 3 is rarely utilized by The Pennsylvanian due to it running on a different alignment between Johnstown and CP-CONPIT that adds about 15 minutes to the trip.

Clear westbound signal on track #3 at CP-C(onemaugh). This location has far less going on than it did just 20 years ago with an complete absence of local freight/coal and helper pairs. Coal trains were some of the most in need of temporary assistance and the collapse of coal power combined with increased use of distributed power has virtually eliminated much of the hustle and bustle around helper districts.

NS SD70ACU's like #7248 here have displaced most of the SD40E pairs in Pittsburgh Line helper service. Built as SD90/43MAC's, 100 were purchased from UP in the mid-2010's and rebuilt as SD70ACU's to help with a surge in oil traffic. Unfortunately the rebuild omitted the near 20 year old EMD 710 prime mover and by 2020 most of the fleet were pulled from service due to engine failure with many of those being resold or scrapped. As overall freight volumes began to climb in the 2020's, NS moved the remaining ACU's into Altoona helper service as they would be close to the Juniata shoppes when their diesel engines failed.

Railfans spotted by CP-SO in South Fork.

NS C44-9W #9968 and AC44C6M #4421 with local traffic at Cresson.

Eastern portal of the Allegheny and Gallitzin Tunnels at the PRR's summit in Gallitzin, PA. In 1994/5 the Allegheny was enlarged for doublestack clearances and the Gallitzin tunnel was closed.

Slated for demolition, the old MG tower was spared when asbestos contamination was discovered to be worse than anticipated. This tower was closed along with SO, MO and AR in 1995 when the heavily graded segment between Altoona and Johnstown was placed under dispatcher control.

Horseshoe Curve with PRR GP9 #7048,

ALTO tower is hanging in there, but apparently efforts to preserve it have stalled due to its structural integrity.

I spotted Erie Lackawanna SD70ACe #1071 sitting on one of the Altoona Shoppes storage tracks. The NS heritage series have been getting refreshed paint schemes as they go in for mid-life mechanical overhauls.

Full extent of the storage track adjacent to CP-WORKS including SC70ACe #1018 along with a westbound municipal waste train and some vintage Conrail Trailvans.

More units on a different Altoona Shoppes storage track. Many of the 9000 series C44-9W's are waiting for an in-house AC44C^M rebuild.

Two more SD70ACU helper pairs east of Altoona with #7249 assisting a trash train at the old CP-ROSE and #7229 attached to the rear of a manifest freight near Fostoria, PA. CP-ROSE is one of the more popular locations for trains to stop on the main line and have helpers attached.

Part of the re-signaling project involved the removal of intermediate wayside automatic block signals in favor of cab signals. While wayside signals were spaced about every 2 miles, new "Signal Indication Points" were placed about 1 mile apart to ensure that there is at least 1 full (1-mile) block to between a train and an obstruction in which to display a Restricting cab signal indication. Note in the background a state highway truss bridge is being fumigated for bedbugs.

At this point I returned to my seat and waited for the train to get close enough to Harrisburg for things to get interesting again. During this phase of the trip I saw these passengers waiting to board the train at Lewistown.

I proceeded to the rear in time to snag the former PRR station at Duncannon, PA.

Crossing the Susquehanna River on the Rockville Bridge.

NS C44-9W #9603, AC44C6M #4091, ES44AC's #8116 and #8074 and BNSF ES44AC #4271 at or around the Harrisburg Fast Fuel Pad.

Approaching the end of the former Conrail Pittsburgh Line at Harrisburg we pass by an eastbound manifest freight with AC44C6M #4542 and SD70ACe #1003.

Upon reaching CP-HARRIS and the old HARRIS tower, Train 42 was back on home rails at Harrisburg Pennsylvania Station. Our departure from the former Conrail Pittsburgh Line allowed the NS dispatcher to light up a westbound intermodal train with SD70ACe #1184 and C44-9W's #9726 and #9592.

A rebuild a few years ago has resulted in Harrisburg Station having two wide high level platforms and one infrequently used low level platform.

Amtrak P42DC #94 at Harrisburg. The unit's job isn't over as the power change is in Philly 107 miles to the easy.

Inbound Keystone train with ACS-86 #638 followed by Train 42 getting a Medium Clear lineup east from track #7.

Passing one last empty NS oil train on the way out with C44-9W #9845 leading and AC44C6M #4172 behind.

Doing the SEPTA PATCO shuffle to South Jersey with Silverliner IV #337 and PATCO car #1032.

Time for an Acela back to Baltimore. This set had power cars #2014 and #2019.

Clean looking NS AC44C6M's #4546 and #4149 at Baltimore's Bayview yard. These would have come from Harrisburg via the Port Road Branch.

Trip complete at the BWI Airport Rail Station.

Thanks for riding along with me, but stay tuned for a special video post that accompany the stills!