03-08-29 CLASSIC PHOTOS: NEC Vestibule Ride

Back before Amtrak made all of its seating "reserved", many peak period Regional trains would run standing room only. While most travelers probably found this sub-optimal, I saw a distinct silver lining in having an excuse to ride in the rear vestibule. While normally frowned upon, crews would let it slide, if they could even get back there, if the train was sufficiently SRO. During one such occasion in 2003 I wound up with a pretty good set of photos running between Baltimore and Philadelphia.

We'll kick things off exiting the Union Tunnels north of Baltimore Penn Station. Unlike the problematic B&P tunnels, the "old" two track tunnel was supplemented by a new one in the 1930's as
part of the electrification project.

BAY interlocking was no longer is service on main tracks #2 and #3, however the old tower still stands behind the Milepost 91 intermediate signals.

Two former Conrail GP38-2's at Bayview Yard, #5304 still wearing Conrail colors.

Passing an AEM-7 hauled southbound Regional near milepost 79 north of the Gunpowder River bridge.

Closed WOOD tower at Edgewood, MD.

Bush River Movable Bridge. Unlike the bridge over the Gunpowder River this span still opens once each in the morning and afternoon on summer weekends. However it requires an MoW crew to un-bolt the rails.

Some sort of MoW vehicle on the center track near Aberdeen.

Movable span on the Susquehanna River bridge and adjacent PERRY tower in Perryville, MD.

Kicking up dust passing the closed Elkton. MD station.

03-08-17 CLASSIC PHOTOS: Springfield Trip

I'm going to mix things up and throw up some classic photos of a trip I took through Springfield, MA back in 2003. This was part of a larger MBTA trip I was taking and involved a return trip to Middletown, CT via the Amtrak Inland Route, as opposed to the Shore Line connecting to an inland shuttle. I caught the early morning inland Regional train (I think it was #142) and then layed over for a headway at Springfield Union Station in order to take some pictures of the terminal complex.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to repeat the trip and just this past year a redevelopment project demolished much of the old Union Station including the classic B&A interlocking tower. You can find all the photos here.

We begin with a still new Acela Express power car #2003 waiting for its departure at South Station.

On and adjacent track was MTBA bi-level K-cab car #1717.

Former Conrail fainted C40-8W #7335 somewhere around Worcester. 

The full length inland route Regional train was unable to fully platform at Springfield Union Station with the two P42 engines and three cars hanging out in SPRING interlocking.

Amtrak Phase IV heritage painted P42 #105 sitting on one of the Springfield station tracks.

B&A Tower 96 with most of its copper roof and fittings still intact. Excluding this structure from the redevelopment plan was a colossal failure of imagination. A similar tower at Cincinnati's Union Station was turned into museum space. 

Hosing down Metroliner Cab Car #9640.

LMS C40-8W #7924 blasting westbound on B&A Main Track #2 with a merchandise freight. LMS stood for Locomotive Management Service and was a joint venture by Conrail and GE to operate a lease fleet of C40-8W locomotives although they were essentially normal Conrail power.

03-08-16 CLASSIC PHOTOS: Boston MBTA Trip

Thanks to various personal contacts, Boston has been a perennial railfanning destination of mine going way back. During the summer of 2003 I had was taking advantage of a break in schooling to stuff as many railfan trips in as I could manage and a couple of these involved the original "Bay Area". The showpiece of this journey was a trip out to the end of the MBTA Fitchburg line and back as it is basically the Port Jervis Line of the (T). I also managed to capture the waning days of the Green Line elevated section before the opening of the North Station Superstation. I should probably have explored that more, but at the time digital media storage was still limited so I still had to conserve my shots. You can find the full set of photos here.

We begin with a close up of the upper floor of the PT&TRR's 'F' interlocking tower, located in Sunnyside, Queens. Not long after the tower was demolished for reasons unknown.

Speaking of Sunnyside, on this day, surviving Phase III Amtrak AEM-7's #949 and #950 were laying over attached to various trains. Additional things that aren't there anymore includes MHC express cars and a Phase III 4-door baggage car.

Former New Haven RR SS119, later renamed GROTON, standing on the east end of the Thames River in Groton, CT. This tower is still standing as of 2016.

SS165 at Attleboto is a rare surviving wooden tower and also contains a mechanical interlocking machine. It also still stands and will hopefully be preserved.

MBTA F40PH-2C #1066 passing the TOWER 1 signal gantry on an outbound run.

Yes, there was a time when Boston was home to elevated trains and trolleys. The last elevated segment was part of the Green Line as it snaked off the Charles River bridge, crossed in front of North Station and then went underground to Haymarket. Here are some photos of the Green Line North Station structure.

Here are a couple of Type 7 LRV's negotiating the El.

If you were wondering why the El was torn down, it had kind of been left to decay past the point of no return as seen here with Type 7 #3645.

Here we see the iconic North Station Charles River drawbridges with Tower A and some temporary "Big Dig" I-93 ramps in the background. Yeah, remember when the Big Dig was this thing that wouldn't end? XD

MBTA GP40MC's #1139 and #1131.

03-08-11 CLASSIC PHOTOS: 2003 SEPTA Mid-Summer Trip

In honor of the 16th SEPTA Mid-Winter Trip taking place this Tuesday, I wanted to post some classic photos from the first and so far only SEPTA Mid-Summer trip. At the time, many of the SubCHAT regulars were still in school and summer presented an opportunity to come on down and experience some weekday SEPTA service. The itinerary worked in typical Mid-Winter fashion with a mix of SEPTA transportation modes including the MFL, Rt 100 and Regional Rail. Chuchubob was along for the ride as the only "senior" member of the excursion, which actually became an important plot point that I'll let you discover below.

All of the photos can be found here

The first stop was the newly reconstructed Frankford Terminal. The old Bridge-Pratt station had only been retired about a month earlier and the NYC area fans were interested in the results. Here SEPTA M-IV car #1087 departs the new terminal as we approach from the south.

M-IV car #1139 sitting at the new terminal platform.

The 1918 Elevated structure was still in the process of being demolished.

While the east headhouse was demolished, the west headhouse was being rebuilt for future use. The entire Frankford Transportation Center concept, including new trackless trolley and bus terminals, was still under construction.

SEPTA Comet cab car #2402 laying over at Suburban Station for its afternoon run back to the Suburbs. 

SEPTA M-IV car #1036 pulling out of 69th St terminal to head up and around the loop for a return trip to Frankford Terminal.

M-IV car #1056 arrives at the head of another 69th St train (making all stops).

03-08-10 CLASSIC PHOTOS: Main Line from City Line

In the late summer of 2003 I had the opportunity to take front facing photos from SEPTA R5 trains in both directions between Center City and City Line Ave, aka Overbrook Station. 20 years later I figured I would take the opportunity to look back and comment on some of the changes made to the old PRR Main Line within the Philadelphia City Limits.

Perhaps the biggest change to Philly area Amtrak operations has been the disappearance of Amtrak's mail and express services that were increased in the late 90's to attempt to replace declining passenger revenue. Philly served as a terminal for Amtrak's road railer service that were sent out behind the Pennsylvanian and Three Rivers. Business was seemingly robust enough that a third frequency was even proposed, however in 2005 the Amtrak completely exited the business after analysis showed both direct and indirect costs (ie delays) could not be justified by the freight revenue. Here Amtrak RoadRailer trailer #410115 sits on track #2 at the JO section of ZOO interlocking. 

 

ZOO handled a good deal of wye moves to reverse road railer cuts before and after their journey over the old PRR Main Line. Here we see a gray painted Amtrak GP10 work engine at the head of the roadrailer cut. After the passage of the SEPTA local it will head up on the oldVALLEY flyover before shoving into the old New York-Pittsburgh Subway on the left to initiate the wye move.

Silverliners II and III were still relatively plentiful in 2003 with former Reading #9008 and PRR #263 sitting at the Overbrook maintenance facility. This replaced the old Paoli Shoppes in 1994.

Changing direction we return towards Philly on track #1 and encounter the famed Valley flyover. Part of the junction with the ill-fated PRR Schuylkill Valley Branch, the flyover also allowed PRR Main Track 4 to jump over the Belmont freight yard allowing Main Line freights to access the yard through center track #2 and #3 at Overbrook. When the Overbrook Maintenance Facility was built in 1994 it was placed on the old track #4 alignment and track #4 was moved where the old freight yard tracks used to be. The Valley Flyover and its truss were then only used by R6 Cynwyd trains until the late 2010's when a new at grade connection was built to the re-aligned track #4 at PAXON interlocking. Here we can see the VALLEY interlocking eastbound signal bridge with the amber 56R signal for track #2 and the newer 4E mast position color mast signal for PAXON on track #4.

Here we see the old track #1 platform for the 52nd St station, which served as an important transportation hub for West Philadelphia. Years of urban decline and a shift to both cars and cheaper city transit had gutted ridership and after a fire destroyed the station building and elevator system in 1980 the station was closed. Both platforms remained with the old Main Train #4 platform just visible at the upper left cantilevered off the Valley Flyover viaduct. This would be later removed with the track #1 island platform, which also served the Cynwyd/Schuylkill Valley, increasingly covered in ballast. It was about this time that the old track #1 platform saw its last official use to transfer inbound Cynwyd passengers to a passing R5 train after a switch failure.

The Main Line enters ZOO interlocking at Girard Ave at what used to be the site of JO tower. Today the track on the old Valley Flyover to the left has been removed, however here you can see how that track was aligned with a straight shot from the NY-Pittsburgh Subway such that the PRR's premier passenger trains like the Broadway Limited would not be delayed as it bypassed 30th St Station after a stop at North Philadelphia.

Speaking of ZOO tower, it is just visible through the Zoo Subustation. While the tower is still in operation as of 2024, the black 1930's vintage 128kv transformers were replaced starting in 2005.

Up through about 2005, ZOO tower controlled this SEPTA exclusive portion of the interlocking where the R7 Trenton and R5 Paoli/Thorndale mix after departing 30th St station. This would soon be spun off as its own interlocking with modern amber LED position light signals replacing the vintage finial topped masts.

Seen here at Powerton Yard, SEPTA Silverliner III #235 was one of a handful converted to captive R1 Airport Line service with 2+2 seating, a wide isle and luggage racks. After some time the Airport III's were released to general service, but retained their plush interiors. #235 would ultimately participate in the final run of Silverliner II/III equipment between Cynwyd and Center City with Reading car #9010 in 2012 .

Here we see the double slip switch across track #2 just west of 30th St station for trains entering from the Powerton Yard ready service tracks. The bridge in the background is for the West Philadelphia Elevated freight line, now used by CSX.

I'll wrap things up as the train approaches the 20th St portal in BROAD interlocking. Today a new apartment building is going up in what used to be a parking lot immediately to the left of the photo and the old westbound pedestal signals have been replaced by new ones from L&W.

 
I hope you found this little trip back in time interesting!