17-09-16 PHOTOS: Buffalo Line

So the Norfolk Southern re-signaling blitz isn't limited to the glitzy PRR Main Line. The Buffalo Line, running from Harrisburg to Buffalo, is a signaling time capsule with much of it's pioneering 1950's PRR vintage CTC system still intact. Unfortunately the line has already seen numerous signaling downgrades as coal traffic diminished and sections of the route were leased out to short lines. Then, with NS's purchase of the former D&H Main Line south of Albany, NY, the line south of Sunbury, PA ceased to be the backwater that it once was. With the storm clouds threatening I set out with my friend Todd to document what we could before the route was sterilized.

We would first make a couple of PRR Main Line stops at CP-BANKS and CP-CANNON before crossing the river and making our way up the rural east bank on small local roads. Stops would include the Miller and Boyles sidings before reaching the town of Sunbury and then ultimately Northumberland. Running express back south on US 11 we would make one final stop at CP-BANKS to get some additional coverage of things we had missed earlier in the morning.

You can find the full archive of over 1500 photos here.

Arriving at CP-BANKS we found an eastbound train waiting on main track 1 with NS C44-9W #9579 in the lead.

CP-BANKS is the junction between the PRR Main Line which crosses the Susquehanna River at Rockville and the leads to Enola Yard with access to the Lurgan Branch and points south or the Port Road to Baltimore and Delmarva. Eastbound trains get this nice 3 track PRR Position Light gantry with elevated signals.

The other end of the Duncannon siding is located at CP-CANNON where another 3-track PRR position light signal bridge is situated.

The stone arch bridge over Sherman Creek is located within the limits of CP-CANNON.

While driving to the US 11 bridge we passes this former fire tower that was being used as by a flock of vultures as a morning perch.

The PRR always preferred manned block stations to CTC, only installing a few isolated projects compared with the NY Central which embraced the technology. However when the PRR decided to dip its toe in they did not take the cheap route. Here at CP-SOUTH MILLER we see a typical Buffalo Line relay hut built of painted sheet steel. All of the signaling kit on the line was refurbished with a new coat of paint and some other improvements within the last 6-8 years.

The interlocking at the other end of the Miller siding at CP-NORTH MILLER is located just a few feet off PA 147 and is a popular railfan location during the fall leaf season.

Years ago while searching for photos of CP-NORTH MILLER on google, I came upon an old phone book listing for...CP-NORTH MILLER. I was aware that each of the relay huts contained an old school Western Electric Model 505 phone as I had heard them ringing so I decided to use the magic of mobile telephony to test out if the Google supplied phone number still worked :-)


Most of the PRR position light automatic block signals had been replaced back in the Conrail era, but those at MP 278 date from just after NS took ownership of the line before the railroad standardized on large target Darth Vader style heads.

In the middle of the Mahantango Creek bridge the PRR installed a marker indicating the border between Dauphin and Northumberland counties.

The signals at 273 are one of the few surviving pairs of original PRR position light automatics left on the line and also one of the most accessible. A clear indication on auto 273S is a hint of things to come.

Not long after a southbound NS freight led by ES44AC #8160 and sister unit #8157 rolled through.

Next I got a real treat because back in the consist behind NS C44-9W #9418 was former Conrail SD80MAC #7222. All told this train had 22,600 hp!!

Here we see a view of the lashup from behind.

End of the train passing milepost 274. Miles are counting up towards Harrisburg from a zero at Buffalo.

CP-SOUTH BOYLES is located in downtown Herndon, PA.

The interlocking logic at CP- NORTH BOYLES is housed in a bit of an ad hc cabinet arrangement compared with the other interlockings on the line. Also note the out of service CTC pole line that used to provide power and coded commands.

The Buffalo Line is also famous for its use of red eyed PRR pedestal signals as seen here with the 28RA signal at CP- NORTH BOYLES. This was one of the few places these were ever employed.

Downtown Sunbury, PA is home to CP-SF that used to control a diamond crossing with the Reading. Today the crossing with removed, but an interlocked connection to the former Reading main line remains. Note the 38R signal is displaying a clear indication for a northbound movement. Unfortunately the train would decide to pass while I was getting lunch.

The former PRR station in Sunbury now houses professional offices, however back in the day it served as the division headquarters.

Spitting distance from CP-SF was CP-HORN at the southern end of the Kase siding. Here the 50R signal is displaying Approach. The signals are numbered based on the controlling levers on the original PRR CTC machine.

CP-HORN has already had one of it's position light signals replaced back in the Conrail era.

Here we see the old KASE tower and the rear of the 60L signal at CP-KASE. KASE tower housed the CTC machine that controlled much of the Buffalo Line. When the tower was closed the Buffalo Line CTC would be interfaced with modern dispatch centers.

Looking towards the Packer's Island Bridge we see an interesting historic artifact. The 752 milepost marks of the old Guilford Rail System Freight Main Line that starts somewhere around Bangor, Maine. Back in the 80's the Guilford was given control of the bankrupt D&H and they created a unified main line between Maine and Sunbury, PA. Later Canadian Pacific would get the D&H assets, truncating the GRS FML at Mechanicville, NY, however CP never saw any reason to re-mile the route.

Here we see inside the present day KASE tower first with the old operator's room and then the C&S shop in back.

The 64L signal for the D&H main line was given a 3 headed Unilens searchlight signal, which was popular with Canadian Pacific at the time.

Just north of the 64L, the D&H line cuts through a levee and also features an AEI reader.

The Packer's Island bridge is the southernmost of two spans that cross the Buffalo Line over the east branch of the Shsquehanna River between Sunbury and Northumberland. It first supplemented and then replaced an earlier span built on the same piers.

The northernmost of the two bridges is named for 18th century English theologian Joseph Priestley, who served on the board of the Northunberland Bridge Company in the later years of his life.

Of course the real showpiece of the Northumberland are these unique gantry mounted compact PRR Position Light signalsat CP-NORRY, designed to be visible inside the truss structure of the Priestley bridge. Made from surplus pedestal / dwarf lamps and lenses, these signals each display a full head and a Restricting \ on a lower virtual head.

The 76R signal on the right also has a second lower head to display Slow Approach indications for movements from the main to the Northumberland siding.

Until the late life refurbishment, CP-NORRY featured pneumatic point machines. Here we can see evidence of the old arrangement with an air reservoir and style CP valve unit for the 79 switch.

Hidden in the woods next to the Conrail era relay house one can find the the compressor unit and main reservoir next to the old CTC pole line interface..

The old PRR Northumberland Station is now a restaurant.

It features a PRR painted coach numbered 3549, however one can easily tell that it is in fact a former DL&W MU motor car from the 1930's and acquired from NJT in 1983.

Southbound signals at CP-NORRY. The two dwarfs are for movements heading out of Northumberland Yard, which is today mostly covered in trees, but at one point housed the PRR's historic steam locomotive collection that eventually made its way to Strassburg.

Stopping back at CP-BANKS I was in time to catch a Southern RR painted buffer car #88888 passing west under the eastbound signal bridge. Non-revenue cars such as these are exempt from the rules that require freight cars to be retired after 40 years.

Unfortunately my camera settings were a bit off when an eastbound doublestack train showed up with NS ES44AC #8110 in the lead and Nickle Plate Heritage unit #8100 two units back. Unfortunately I had already caught this unit in Altoona back when it had first entered service in 2012.

Westbound stack train with 3 NS C44-9W's passing through CP-BANKS while a coal train waits patiently on the Duncannon siding.

NS SD70M-2 #2754 gets the coal train rolling after the dispatcher lights an eastbound signal at CP-BANKS.

The westbound signal bridge at CP-BANKS is an impressive affair, currently holding 4 PRR PL signals, but clearly having room for at least 6. It will be replaced by two masts on the outer main tracks and two dwarfs on the inner Enola yard leads.

CP-BANKS is notable for having an interlocked high car detector due to certain low clearance conditions on the Enola yard leads. Because it is considered vital safety equipment it still retains it's "Conrail, CP-BANKS" readout as any change would have required an expensive re-testing process.

The 2E-1 signal off the Doncannon siding actually has a very interesting progressing, which became visible after the passage of the stack train ahead of the coal train. After the first train clears the interlocking the 2E-1 will display a Restricting indication. This will then upgrade to Medium Approach after the first train clears the block at CP-MARY. Next the signal will display Approach Slow when the first train clears the second, short block at CP-ROCKVILLE and finally the signal will display Medium Clear when CP-ROCKVILLE displays something more favorable.

Heading for home I grabbed a photo of 2 NS SD60E's (#6725 and #6727) along with NS SD70ACe #1150 sitting outside the Enola engine shoppe.

I'll conclude with this photo of the Pennsylvania statehouse from across the Susquehanna River.

Next tune in for a brief trip up to New York City.