23-12-23 PHOTOS: Woodstown Central

For many years South Jersey's SMS Lines (which I have to assume stands for Switching Management Service) has been playing the part of a smaller "Class 3" version of the larger Reading and Northern right down to the Reading theming. Run by railfans and for railfans, SMS Lines is best known for being the last home of Baldwin locomotives in daily service, going as far as to raid museums for parts donors to keep its fleet operational. SMS has expanded to handle the switching at an industrial park near Albany and, most recently, took over the contract to run the Salem County portion of the old PRSL Salem Branch between Swedesboro and Salem, after the line was substantially reconstructed. With the line in good condition, SMS decided to jump into the tourist train market with 2024 being the first year in full operation running between stations in Woodstown and Swedesboro under the name "Woodstown Central". Seeing as I would be driving in that general vicinity on my way home for the holidays, I got a ticket to see what all the fuss was about ( mirror ).

With its 0-6-0 steam locomotive #9 still under construction, GP38-3 #2003 was the star of the show. About a decade ago SMS purchased the unit and sent it to Albany before realizing it was actually one of the 10 GP38's purchased by the PRSL in its final years in operation. By 2024 SMS was finally able to get #2003 back to home rails and put it to work on the new tourist service.

The service consisted of a caboose, a coach and a table car, all of of which were former Reading in origin.

A station, passing siding and parking lot were constructed from scratch in a farm field south of Woodstown proper.

When I purchased the ticket only table car seating was left. The service features reserved tables and food service. I unfortunately failed to fully grasp that a special holiday train actually meant a Santa train oriented towards the kids.

Fortunately the staff was nice enough to offer me the chance to get photos and video of the #2003 run-around at Swedesboro. While there is technically a station at Swedesboro, it currently consists of a set of stairs to serve the brewery train service running to Swedesboro Brewing, which I would have much preferred.

21-12-26 PHOTOS: R32 Holiday Tribute

As the concept of the NYC Transit Museum sponsored holiday trains enters their second decade they have had to do some innovation as running a set of R1/9's between 2nd Ave and Queens Plaza started getting a bit repetitive. The first set of changes involved different routes such as going up Central Park West to 135th or 145th Streets, but as the ultimate retirement of the R32 cars approached, the powers that be decided to give the "obviously vintage" R1/9 cars a year off and substitute in the R32's for holiday duty running on the 2nd Ave to 145th St CPW routing. Of course a change to the itinerary meant I felt required to make the trek up from South Jersey to ride them and you can find the full set of photos here ( mirror ).

My day started early at Hamilton where I passed on an NJT Corridor Line local pushed by ALP-46 #4635 in favor of an express led by split level cab car #7013.

PATH's long headways now makes it quicker to just go directly to Penn Station wher I caught an R46 A train to West 4th Street.

While waiting for an F to 2nd Ave I noted that W 4TH ST tower has closed since my last visit in December 2019.

I also caught the R32 holiday train heading north on the lower level, likely having traveled from Coney Island and needing to make a reverse move to get to 2nd Ave.

An R160 F Train soon arrived on the local track and transported me to 2nd Ave where the r32 holiday train soon arrived with southward leading car #3360 modified by the transit museum to resemble its as-delivered 1964 condition.

Northward leading car #3894 was equipped with a wreath and signed as a "D" train for the day's service.

Austere half cab of #3894.

19-12-06 PHOTOS: Milwaukee West Line

The Milwaukee West Line was the target of my 2019 METRA video project. With significant portions of three track running the MILW-West line offers a robust express service during the peak periods between the town of Schaumburg and Union Station. My plan was to take a North Central train from where I was staying to the town of River Grove where I would then transfer to a reverse peak local out to Schaumburg. Trains on the Milwaukee district are operated by METRA and it is their policy to run with the front cars closed on non-peak trains, so the deadhead portion of the trip would be pretty much useless. However my express run would present me with a front facing window to capture an express run all the way into Union Station with only two stops at Franklin Park and Western Ave. For those and other videos from this trip check out my accompanying video post.

After arriving at Union Station I performed the traditional walk out to Roosevelt Ave and took a few more photos on the CTA both that day and on the way to Midway airport for the flight back east. You can see the entire set of photos here ( mirror ).

I pick up on my journey getting dropped off at River Grove by the North Central Service train. The MILW-West line here has three tracks with a Clear signal displayed for #2 track on the MP 11.4 signal bridge.

Even at dark-o-clock in the morning there was plenty of eastbound commuter traffic at the River Grove station. This inbound local was being propelled by METRA F40PH-3 #104.

My outbound train arrived with MP36PH-3C #414.

At Schaumburg I arrived in time to meet an inbound train with MP36PH-3S #411, ex-Amtrak Surfliner F59PHI #81 and a carbon steel Pullman gallery coach. The double heading was likely due to #81 still being under evaluation for reliability. My outbound train was equipped with gallery cab car #8582.

Before my express, a short local headed by gallery cab car #8510 arrived. The short length indicates the relative popularity of the express runs.

On the express, we encountered an outbound MILW-West train with F40PH-3 #102 just prior to the run's only major station stop at Franklin Park.

17-12-24 PHOTOS: Second Ave Nostalgia

This holiday photo set has a little bit of everything! Of course the headline content, continued from last week's video post, covers my trip to NYC to ride the Holiday Nostalgia Train on it's new (and long delayed) routing up the 2nd Ave Subway to 96th St. From there I take a holiday road trip to the Easton, PA area where I was alas too late to photograph some former Lehigh Valley searchlight signals on the former Conrail Lehigh Line. Instead of grabbed some photos of the new signals at some area interlockings. Finally I grabbed a few more holiday photos from the Baltimore Streetcar Museum.

You can find the full set of still content right here!

I took NJT to NYC, but earlier in the month I was in 30th St station on other business where I caught a snow covered Metroliner Cab Car #9644 in Keystone service.

NJT ALP-46 #4606 at Newark Penn Station. Catching the Nostalgia Trains at the 2nd Ave terminal is best accomplished through taking the PATH and then catching an (A) train at World Trade Center.

The new World Train Center PATH station is quite pretty, but not at all worth the cost. I dearly miss the old rabbit warren mall as it gave an advantage to savvy commuters over the tourists in terms of speedy navication.

The Nostalgia Train parked on the 2nd Ave center stub tracks that I believe were built to support the original Second Ave Subway plan, which today only runs between 63rd St and 96th St. The leading and training R1/9 cars were #1802 and #381.

With interest from the 1950's vintage cosplay set, the Holiday Nostalgia trains are more popular than ever, even on the "early" morning 10am run. A GoPro window mount or selfie stick are easy ways to avoid the crush of kids at the Railfan Window.

#381 at 96th St.

15-12-20 PHOTOS: BSM Annual

Every year as Christmas begins to roll around I make a point to visit Ye Olde Baltimore Streetcar Museum as their seasonal Santa runs provide an extra dose of photographic subject matter. Although the content of museums tends to change slowly over time, in recent years the BSM's collection has been expanding at a rapid clip as it acquired a number cast offs from SEPTA's back lot so at the very least I wouldn't be photographing the exact same equipment in the exact same places.

Unfortunately it was during this visit that I learned that Dan Lawrence had passed away in October of 2015. I hadn't been able to run into Dan at the BSM for the better part of a decade, but I always asked if he was around. Whatever issues people had with his personally this is a huge loss to the community, although I suspect his grandson will be able to step into Dan's role if he wants. You can find all the photos here.

The BSM sweeper C-145 sits adjacent to former NSC PCC #26. The weather was great for a mid-December afternoon.

I could not recall seeing #26 out and about the last time I had visited. Maybe we'll get to see it in operation sometime soon.

PCC #7404, a BTC survivor, is of course the BSM's original PCC car.

Funny how 5 120v light bulbs, wired in series, equals the 600 volts of most trolley systems. Coincidence? 

SEPTA PCC #2168 was once again performing the task of shuttling young children to their meeting with Santa at the 28th St loop.

BTC #6119 was providing the non-Santa service.

13-12-14 PHOTOS: A BSM Christmas

As we face what looks to be the final major snowstorm of the season, looking back three months winter was just getting under way and a good coating of the white stuff was cause to fire up the old point heater and roast marshmallows. Every year during the month of December the Baltimore Streetcar Museum attempts to attract some visitors under the age of 65 by offering a special Santa car to the "North Pole" with all the related holiday pomp and circumstance.

Since there's not much else for me to railfan during the dark days of December I have made it a habit to go on down and ride the trolleys, even if I had been there only a few weeks earlier for the 50th Anniversary of the end of Baltimore's streetcar service.  You can see all the Holiday streetcar photos in addition to some shots of N&W signals here.

As always car #264 was working for the non-Santa crowds. Not the asymmetric trucks which only contained one motor each.

PCC #7407 was sitting out, but went unused as Philly car #2168 was flying the PCC flag that day.

Here we see a PA Streetcar gauge truck awaiting the 1" shims that will expand it to the 5'4.5" Baltimore Streetcar Gauge.

The repainted Philly work car #2187.

1930's car #6119 sitting on the loop in direct sunshine.

On my trip on #264 I grabbed some video of the operator's movements on the inbound trip.



PCC #2168 was being used for the Santa trips and was signed specially for them.

Heading out on the Santa run we waited for #6119 to clear the section of single track.

Oldest operating electric streetcar in the world #417 was in the mix, but for testing purposes only.

#264 soon departed again on another non-Santa run.



As the day wore on it was time to put everything away. Here is #264 again having its poles changed before reversing into the barn.

Cars #417 and #6119 didn't bother with a pole change and just backed in to the barn pushing their poles ahead of them.


That's all for now. Tune in next week for trip back to New York City to rise the Holiday Nostalgia Train.