24-08-10 PHOTOS: Columbia Ave

When Amtrak re-signaled the Connecting Railway between ZOO and NORTH PHILADELPHIA interlockings around 2005, the short block distances resulted in a split signal arrangement with brand new 4-track gantries erected at Columbia Ave (eastbound) and Susquehanna Ave (westbound). The Milepost 86.8 signal bridge at Columbia Ave in particular was less than a half mile away from MANTUA interlocking's westbound signal bridge creating a high quality viewing location from the Oxford Ave road bridge that sat between the two signal locations. It was this area that I set out to explore ( mirror ) in August of 2024.

First one has to get to Philly, which in this case involved catching an Amtrak Regional at BWI and then the SEPTA connection to suburban. Locomotives encountered include MARC SC44 #87, the class leading Acela trainset with power car #2000, Amtrak ACS-86 #634 and SEPTA Silverliner IV #435.

The Connecting Railway portion of the NEC hosts the standard list of Amtrak trains plus SEPTA R7 Trenton and R8 Chestnut Hill West service, NJT Atlantic City Line trains and Conrail freight trains to Frankford Jct and Pavonia Yard. Here an eastbound SEPTA R7 with Silverliner V equipment rolls by taking the Clear signal indication on track #1.

This was followed by northbound Regional with Veterans ACS-86 #642
and a northbound Silver Meteor Train 98 with ACS-86 #628.





Track #1 is also used for the Atlantic City trains like this southbound example with Comet V cab car #6019 and GP40PH-2B #4204.

A southbound Acela showed up with power cars #2024 and #2021.

As freight traffic on the NEC's center tracks was replaced by high speed passenger trains in the 1970's, Amtrak had to essentially undo many of the PRR era infrastructure optimizations that separated freight and passenger traffic. One of these was at ZOO interlocking where the center tracks would lead to the freight only High Line forcing high speed passenger trains on track #3 to make a 30mph diverging movement to track #4. Amtrak remedied this situation by re-aligning the track to make track #3 take a straight route towards 30th St station and the "local" track #4 the diverging route. This sort of realignment is known as a "poor man's high speed turnout".

The Acela action resulted in this southbound Amtrak Regional with ACS-86 #640 to run on track #4.

Up next was on track #3 was ACS-86 #611 at the head of another long southbound Regional.

This was followed by a northbound Acela with power cars #2019 and #2012.

As the Acela rolled past a CSX transfer run between Pavonia and South Philly showed up with ES44AH #728, ES44AH #957 and SD40-2 #8881.

Amtrak tends to run SEPTA R8 Hill West trains out on track #2 to reduce the number of route conflicts. Here SEPTA Silverliners IV #313 and #12 take the Approach Slow indication for the slow speed diverging route onto the Chestnut Hill West Line at LEHIGH interlocking.

The SEPTA R8 move forced an eastbound Keystone with ACS-86 #632 over to track #1 while the CSX manifest freight waited for a signal at CP-PARK.

I waited around a bit, but the CSX transfer run was stuck fast and I ended up needing to wrap things up.

I did have a friend with me on this trip and they were able to get video of most of the train movements which I have compiled into a short montage.



Heading home to New Jersey my eastbound PATCO train made an unscheduled employee stop at the yet-to-be-opened Franklin Square station.



I'll close things out with this cool reflection of 1 Liberty Place across from the old PRR Suburban Station building.

Make sure you tune in next week as we fire up Reading #2102 for a round trip ramble to the Pittston Tomatoe Festival.

23-04-04 PHOTOS: Reading Viaduct

In 2020, with transit on the ropes and outdoor activities all the rage due to the pandemic, I converted my usual SEPTA Mid-Winter transit trip into an all-day rail history walking tour. Part of this tour included abandoned Reading Company rights of way including the City Branch and the famous Reading Viaduct in and around the old Spring Garden St station. While on this excursion I discovered the secret entrance up onto the viaduct itself, but since I was unable to suddenly transition my event to one of urban exploration, I had to retreat from the viaduct with a plan to return at a future time. In September of 2021 I acted on this plan due to the impending demolition of the Reading Spring Garden Station platforms and northbound head house. Not only was I too late in terms of the demolition, but I found the summertime viaduct to be a to be completely overgrown with vegetation, blocking sight lines and hiding homeless persons who might not take kindly to having their living space intruded upon by a long explorer with camera gear. Again I made a plan to return during the winter months when the vegetation would be more see through and I could return with a buddy. A planned attempt to return in early 2022 fell through when an interested urbexer flaked out and once again I had to put off the trip. Finally, in the Spring of 2023 did I find someone with schedule availability and we were able to get up on the viaduct as the leaves were just starting to re-appear. You can find the photos from my exploration of the viaduct and related spring transit photos here ( mirror ).

We begin at the BWI Airport rail station with Amtrak ACS-86 #659 at the head of a southbound Regional.

Two views of SEPTA Silverliner V #829 at both 30th St Station and Market East.

Back down at BWI on a rather foggy March night.

Between NEC trips I managed to sneak down to Garrett Park, MD to catch the westbound Capitol Limited led by P42DC #83.

On the day before my planned Reading Viaduct expedition I was back at BWI to catch an Acela Express lead by power car #2006.

SEPTA Slverliners V #709 and IV #425 at 30th St station.

The Reading Viaduct was largely constructed in the 1890's in conjunction with the Reading Terminal we all know and love, replacing a previous station near Broad and Vine that had been accessed via a right of way along the Schuylkill River. The viaduct ran from the old Philadelphia and Germantown Railroad terminal near today's North Broad to the new Reading Terminal at 12th and Market. Construction is largely of steel, however there is a brief section of fill between Buttonwood and Hamilton Streets. Shown below is the structure as it crosses Noble St at Ridge Ave.

Reading Terminal served as an active railroad station until November 6th, 1984 when all service was rerouted to the new Center City Commuter tunnel and the replacement Market East station. After the closure of Reading Terminal both the train shed, the approaches and most of the related infrastructure south of the cutover point at Fairmount Ave were abandoned in place. This included overhead signaling infrastructure like the southbound home signal for RACE STREET interlocking seen here.

The reason most of the infrastructure was left intact was due to the continued use of the Reading Callowhill rail traction power substation at the southern apex of the old City Branch Wye at Callowhill St. The substation made use of the 12kv overhead catenary and 24kv feeders as well as the rails and also required SEPTA to generally maintain and secure the right of way. In 2010 the substation was retired and most maintenance activities ceased.

20-09-24 PHOTOS: Acela Express Half Price

In the fall of 2020 Amtrak sent its Rewards members a number of promotional offers in an attempt to rebuild ridership after the collapse in travel due to the COVID pandemic. One of these offers involves 50% off any Acela Express ride and since ticket prices were already pretty cheap due to low demand I took them up on there offer. I have consolidated the photos from these trips into this gallery ( mirror )with the interesting ones highlighted below.

Starting out at the Haddonfield PATCO station, rebuilt car #1026 dwells at the end of a Lindenwold bound train. Despite the rebuilds having been in service for over 2 years, the classic ATO station stop transponders were still in place.

Westbound train arriving with rebuild car #1065.

Due to hygene theatre PATCO had roped off the front pair of seats.

Pair of NS ex-Southern high-hood GP38-2's running lite on the Vineland Secondary at CP-MILL. #5241 had a very strange Frankenstein numberboard on the short hood with a more typically marked #5223 behind.

#1056 just after arriving at at 15th-16th and Locust. Due to COVID the SEPTA Regional Rail was runing too infrequently to reliably make connections to 30th St station from PATCO so I wound up just walking. The .7 mile trip would take about 15 minutes.

 


SEPTA Silverliner V #864 at BROAD interlocking near the 20th St portal.

SRPTA Silverliner IV #174 on the Suburban Station viaduct with the Comcast USB C building in the background.

SEPTA Silverliner IV #305 on the upper level at 30th St station.

Acela Express power car #2028 arriving at 30th St station lower level.

COVID snack box replacing the usual first class meal. Beverages of a refreshing nature were nevertheless being served in ample quantities.

The third track project to eliminate the bottleneck between YARD and RAGAN interlockings south of Wilmington was nearly complete as shown in this video from my AX train. This will allow additional SEPTA service to the upgraded Newark, DE station.



Acela Express power car #2002 at Baltimore Penn Station. Because not all AX trains stopped at BWI, I had to on occasion catch MARC to bridge the gap.

MARC bi-level cab cars #7847, #7845 and 7851 hiding out in the back.

MARC SC44 #83 pulling into Penn.

At the Halethorpe MARC station (which I can use as an alternative to BWI) an southbound consist with an interesting locomotive arrangement consisting of GP39H-2 #73 and MP36PH-3C #20 pulls in. The cab car is multi-level cab car #8047.

Northbound MARC set with MP36PH-3C #28 and a solid consist of 6 bi-levels also at Halethorpe.

 

Finally here is a clip of an Amtrak Acela Express trainset with power car #2007 Departing BWI at Night



That's it for this for now. Next time check back as I explore the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike.

19-09-09 PHOTOS: Acela Express First Class

Using upgrade coupons I had been able to partake in Acela Express First Class service before, however a general shift to their 2 for 1 deals, the last time I had been able to do so was back in 2008 and in 2019 I figured it was time to plunk down a little extra dough for an upgradable AX trip on my way back from Boston in early September.  Instead of traveling directly back to Baltimore I made a stop in Philly to do some stuff for my mom before completing my journey on a Regional the following day.  You can find the full set of photos here (mirror).

We start out in Rockingham, NH where the old Boston and Main station is undergoing restoration.  New Hampshire Route 108 used to cross the B&M Western Route Main Line at grade, but this had been replaced by an overhead bridge.

A few miles to the south is the active station at Exeter, where Amtrak 40th Aniversary F40PH cab car #406 that I had encountered the day before, was still on duty and would be leading my Downeaster train back to Boston.

Due to line work, my weekend Downeaster train returned to Boston via the MBTA Reading line instead of the Lowell Line via the Wildcat Branch.  Here we see a town fair in downtown Reading MA with the old northbound platform sitting unused after a track reconfiguration.

Heading into North Station my train passed by the old Boston and Maine Tower A that is situated north of the twin bascule drawbridges over the Charles River.

 At North Station MBTA HSP46's #2008 and #2006 lay over next to classic F40PHM-2C #1034, which was rebuilt in 2003-4.

At the station end #406 was standing across from  MBTA Comet cab cars #1643, #1641 and #1625.

Doing the crosstown shuffle, I encountered MBTA Green Line Type 7 #3689 and  Red Line #01836 at Park St.

My Acela Express trainset for the trip to Philly was bookended by power cars #2026 and #2029.

A few tracks over was newly rebuilt MBTA F40PH-3C #1054.

 On the AX I ordered the Beef Bulgogi for dinner and a plethora of Stone IPAs (7%) and Dogfishead 90 Minute IPAs (9%), all finished up with a glass of Bailey's for desert.