In 1997 SEPTA worked with DART First State to extend R2 Regional Rail service from Wilmington to Newark, DE. The project had an additional infrastructure component that constructed a new infill station at Churchman's Crossing and extended the stub end "A" track 2 miles northward from DAVIS interlocking in Newark to the new RUTHBY interlocking near milepost 36.4. Although reasonably accessible, the location is obscure enough to discourage most casual railfans. As a result I undertook a mission to see what RUTHBY was about.
The size and location of RUTHBY interlocking was dictated by the bridge over Old Ogletown Road being only three tracks wide and the existing Milepost 36.2 automatic signal location being just close enough for reuse with the new configuration. The northbound signal structure is modern style tubular aluminum cantilever governing tracks 1 and A. Here we see a southbound Regional train with ACS-86 #654 passing by the RUTHBY location on track #3.
RUTHBY's party piece is an 80mph high speed turnout that was intended to allow SEPTA trains to diverge out of the way of potential Amtrak traffic at near their top service speed. Compared to a more typical 45mph Amtrak turnout this has 3 M3 point machines instead of 2 and an additional 2 M3 machines driving the movable point diamond. Total length of the turnout is 600 feet.
Although the northbound signal is likely the first tubular aluminum signal structure employed by Amtrak on the NY to Washington NEC, it is also one of the last uses of US&S PL-3 position lights before the product was removed from the catalogue in the early 2000's. The 9N signal governing Track A supports the flashing Green | position for the "Cab Speed" cab signal, which in this case would be an 80mph code. The 9N lower head is a single / position for Medium Approach and the lunar white Stop and Proceed marker, which is also seen on the 1N signa.
This photo overlook is located behind a sod and gravel supply outfit. In addition to the Regional I was able to catch both Amtrak Crescents due to the northbound Train 20 running late. Train 19 was behind ACS-86 #658 and Train 2 was behind #605.
One of my perennial signaling missions has been trips to tidewater Virginia to get photos of legacy Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac signals that has so far survived CSX re-signaling efforts. The ones that remain are far off the beaten path, requiring mile plus walk-ins. For 2025 my target was the "Holly Hill" location which is two miles in the opposite direction from the "Rixley" location I visited in 2024. Both were actually served by the same state game land parking lot. After the signal outing I drove up to Fredericksburg for a retail shopping and brewery tour catching additional Amtrak and CSX trains along the way. You can find the full set of photos here.
First to appear was a southbound CSX manifest freight with ES44AC #743 leading and AC4400 #541 in the trailing DPU position.
Next up was Amtrak Regional Train 194 with P42DC #44 leading, briefly illuminating the Holly Hill signals while still in the block.
It's easy to forget that MARTA is a thing that exists. The last large heavy rail system to be stood up in North America, MARTA takes after the DC Metro with a bit more transit mojo. For my first ever trip to downtown Atlanta I wasn't about to pass up riding as much of MARTA as I could and I prioritized the east-west Blue/Green line over two mornings with a final trip to the airport on a third day. You can find the full set of photos here.
Starting service in 1979, MARTA currently operates with three batches of railcars. The initial batch of 120 cars from Société Franco-Belge in 1979, a follow-up batch of 120 cars from actual Hitachi in 1982 and a final batch of 100 cars from Breda in 1999. Here Hitachi car #257 arrives at Peachtree Center on the Red/Yellow line. Note the exposed bedrock which makes the area above suitable for building skyscrapers.
The four color services runs on two main trunk lines, Red/Yellow going North-South and Blue/Green going East-West. The two trunks meet at the Five Points station, which I think is a legacy title from referring to an unbuilt 5th MARTA line that would have also served the station.
With new vehicles from Stadler already on order, I was eager to ride the most vulnerable Société Franco-Belge cars. I got my wish with #188 on a Green Line routing. The interior has a style very similar to the contemporary Budd UTV seen in Baltimore and Miami. Most notable is the deep cab area that creates a tunnel effect when halfed mid-train.
Bankhead is the Green Line's only unique station with a two car platform that make it the limiting factor on Green Line operations. As one might suspect this was the remnant of a northwestern line that was never build with Bankhead itself opening in 1992 to make use of the junction and righto of way that was built in 1979. Today the Green Line provides supplementary service on the Blue Line between MLK and Bankhead. Here Franco-Belge married pair 188-187 is seen at the platform and reversing direction on the tail track.
The Blue Line's western terminus is the Hamilton E. Holmes Station, which is not named directly for the civil rights leader, but an adjacent arterial roadway named in honor of the civil rights leader after his death in 1995. Prior to that the station was named Hightower, I assume after the famed law enforcement officer. Here we see MARTA car, #699, adjacent to fellow Breda car #676 at the Hamilton E. Holmes Station platform in addition to the #699 departing eastbound.
Here is Hitatchi car #279 arriving at Hamilton E. Holmes. You can still see that hint of 1970's styling that would vanish with the 1999 Breda order.
More MARTA action in the form of Franco-Belge car #151 at Five Points and Hitachi car #219 at Peachtree.
The Hitachi cars, like #236 seen here, had a shallowed cab-end tunnel and a similar beige interior with explicitly 80's two tone plastic bucket seats.
The Avondale station was the East-West line's original 1979 terminus with the main tracks proceeding directly into the yard. When the line was extended to a park-n-ride on Atlanta's perimeter beltway the tracks has to be built on flyovers over the yard. Here we see the Breda trainset with #676 at the station platform with Franco-Belge car #147 on the yard lead with its ends open. Something may have been the matter with the #676 train as we crossed over the wrong railed to the Indian Creek terminal.
Opened in 1992 and seemingly refreshed somewhat recently, Indian Creek serves a function similar to the DC Metro's Greenbelt, a large Park-N-Ride with direct highway access. Here we see the gorgeous station concourse along with Hitachi car #286.
On my way back from Indian Creek I got this photo of part of the Avondale Yard. Avondale, GA is best known for being home to the first ever Waffle House restaurant.
As you may have noticed the car end views are all pretty reasonable. Here is a through-end photo of Hitachi car #265 near the Georgia State station.
The East-West line was built alongside the CSX Abbeville Sub with views of the now defunct Hulsey Intermodal Terminal. From the train I managed to catch CSX ET44AC #3265 and C40-10W #5435 with a manifest freight in the Hulsey Yard area.
Hitachi car #219 at Five Points and a Franco-Belge car from above at Peachtree.
Heading to the airport here is the cab and interior of penultimate Breda car #701. If you thought that #699 should have been the ultimate car on a 100-car order, the numbering started at #601 and pair 655/666 was skipped due to the association with Satan.
Hitachi car #276 arrived at the track opposite just before #701 departed.
Arguably the busiest airport in the world, the MARTA Hartsfield-Jackson Airport station features a staffed 4-bay ticket window to help travelers purchase a Breeze Card. Due to open payment and a general upgrade, the Breeze Card was to be phased out in 2026.
That concludes my first trip to downtown Atlanta. Next week I'll be heading back down to Tidewater Virginia, but I suspect I'll be returning to Atlanta again.
When presented with the need to travel to Atlanta with in May of 2025 I saw an opportunity to introduce a non-railfan fried to traveling via sleeping car on Amtrak's southbound Crescent Train 19. I am well versed on this route, traveling to see a friend in Gainesville most years, however this time I would be completing the full "northern" half of the Crescent by traveling all the way to Atlanta, a city I had only passed through on a northbound Crescent trip from New Orleans in 2010. This trip didn't present the opportunity for a large amount of photos, but you can see all the ones I did manage here.
The trip started off at the Odenton MARC station as the southbound Crescent did not stop at BWI and Odenton informally allows free overnight parking. Here MARC ML cab car #8049 leads a Penn Line train to Washington, DC.
Passing the VRE storage yard at Ivy City, MP36PH-3C's #V62 and V64 were waiting to head out on their evening return runs.
Our Penn Line train on the non-electrified track #7 next to a lineup of other MARC trains serving the Penn, Camden and Brunswick lines.
The call to Train 19 from the lounge was a bit late and by the time we got down to the platform the power change had already taken place with Amtrak P42DC #158 behind ALC-42 #348.
If you remember VRE #V66 from the yard, well here it is pulling into Track #23 to collect its passengers.
Although I had missed Train 19's power change, I was able to catch the train for northbound Palmetto Train 90. P42DC #114 was replaced by ACS-86 #641 while a classic Acela express, with power cars #2037 and #2006, arrived on upper level Track #20.
With #114 out of the way I was able to get a photo of Amtrak ALC-42s #314 and #365 on the head of Northwestbound Floridian train #40.
This was followed by Veterans ACS-86 #642 with aa southbound Regional train of some kind.
After departure on Train 19, my friend and I were offered an early dinner slot in the "new" Viewliner 2 dining car.
The Crescent isn't the most scenic of Amtrak's LD routes, especially with the 6pm departure out of DC so close to sunset and the 8am arrival in Atlanta so close to Sunrise. The only photo-op available to me was the smoke stop at Charlottesville.
Fast forward and here is Train 19 arriving at Atlanta's Peachtree station.
Formerly a small suburban stop, Peachtree Station is is 633 railroad miles from Washington, DC and became Atlanta's one and only station after the downtown Union Station was closed in 1971. To accommodate the Crescent, the Southern built a long island platform between the two main tracks with an elevator installed for baggage purposes. A two track storage yard is also present for the times when the Crescent needs to be short turned. The Crescent was turned over to Amtrak in 1979 and at 1100 miles is Amtrak's longest Eastern LD train route.
The Crescent essentially serves two markets, Atlanta to DC and Atlanta to New Orleans, with a large part of the ridership turning over at Atlanta. This high turnover creates quite a bit of crowding at Peachtree as the cramped station is not fit for the purpose of serving the passenger rail volumes generated by one of the country's largest metro areas.
Although small, the station's exterior retains its 1918 appearance.
The pointless arrow lives on a sign directing departing passengers to the parking lot. Those arriving in the city either have to make do with an Uber or walk about a half mile to the nearest MARTA station.
Since I had some discounts and credits I chose the Uber option. While we were waiting an southbound NS manifest freight rolled past with C40-10Wn #7605, AC44C6M #4133 and ET44AC #3603.
That's all for the first course. Next week I'll be back with some MARTA action.
