17-10-14 PHOTOS: River Line Autumn Express

For the last few years Amtrak has been looking to cash in on the popular fall tourist train market with rare mileage excursions in October or November. Typically these have been with the more amenable Norfolk Southern, but in 2017 they somehow got CSX to approve a run up the West Shore Line, aka the River Line between Weehawken, NJ and Selkirk, NY. Also included was a circuitous run through Conrail SAA territory from CP-NK, across the Upper Bay lift bridge then over the National Docks and Northern branches to join up with the CSX River Line.

The return route was via the Amtrak Hudson Line on the east shore of the Hudson River, returning to Penn Station after a photo runby at Rhinecliff. Unlike 2016 I was unfortunately limited to side window shots as there were engines on both ends of the train this time due to a number of direction changes without an available wye. You can still see the entire photo set here.

The train was bracketed by Amtrak heritage engines #145 (Phase 3) and #156 (Phase 1) with Veterans painted electric ACS-86 #642 located behind #145 and ahead of conference Metroliner #9800. I positioned myself in the car next to #156, Metroliner cab car #9641. Here we see #156 as it awaits departure at Penn Station.

Here is the LVRR (not Conrail Lehigh Line) bridge with a COFC train passing over it at Amtrak's Hunter interlocking. The Autumn Express took the NJT Raritan Valley Line connection up to CP-NK where it would reverse direction to head eastward on the Lehigh Line.

The Lehigh Line terminates at CP-PIKE (Junction with the Chemical Coast Secondary) in the middle of the Oak Island intermodal yard. I caught CSX ES44AC #3024 hiding out under the NJ Turnpike overpass.

Nearby a rare 3600hp CSX SD50 (#8522) was hanging out on an industrial track.

View of the train snaking back along the National Docks Branch Jersey City viaduct as railfan watch on from the NJ Turnpike Extension.

 

Ex-SCL GP38-2 #2543 with ET44AH #3394 hanging out at the CSX North Bergen terminal.

Also in the yard was a second CSX ET44AH, #3371, and SD40-3 #4017.

Crossing the NY State Thruway just north of the state line.

Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant seen from across the Hudson.

Obligatory shot of the Bear Mountain Bridge.

The Newburgh-Beacon bridge.

Crossing Rondout Creek in Kingston, NY.

CSX Geep based road slug #2318 in Kingston yard.

Crossing the Catskill Creek at Catskill, NY.

The LaFarge rotary cement kiln complex in Coeymans, NY.

CSX Hi-rail truck at CP-SK, just east of the giant Selkirk Yard.

As seen from the Alfred H Smith Bridge, The NY State Thruway Castleton Bridge carries the Berkshire Extension over the Hudson River.

Amtrak Hudson Line passing under the Castleton Bridge.

Here we see a video cut of the entire Smith Bridge passage.


The remains of the New York Central SM tower at the immediate east end of the Smith Bridge. CP-SM is the junction with the Schodack Branch that connects the Selkirk Branch freight cutoff with the Hudson Line. This was all built as part of a 1920's improvement programme designed to alleviate congestion in the Albany area.

CP-125 is where freight traffic enters and leaves the Hudson Line via the Schodack Branch. In the 1970's state money restored the passenger line north of here back to double track and raised the speed to 110mph. Although owned by Conrail, Amtrak provided the Class 6 maintenance between CP-125 and CP-169. Here you can see the Conrail era interlocking equipment next to the original NY Central concrete relay hut.

NY Central Stuyvesant station.

The train stopped at Rhinecliff for a photo runby. Here a conductor climbs up into P42 #156 before it pulls back to CP-89.

Track level photo line on the remains of the platform's northward extension.

Conferece car #9800 and Veterans ACS-86 #642 pulling out for the runby.

Amtrak P42 #145 pulling forward through CP-89, again.

Money shot of phase 3 P42 #145 re-arriving at Rhinecliff.

After our arrival back at Penn Station Phase 1 P42 #156 wound up standing next to one of the gooseneck signals.

Video of an arriving eastbound Regional pulling into an adjacent long track at Penn Station.


Track 10 had been rebuilt during the 2017 "summer of hell". Note the new lighting scheme that is reminiscent of the DC Metro.

While waiting for my return train I took a little walk and snagged this shot of the to-be-covered LIRR West Side Yard.

Well that's all I have for now. Tune in next time as I head back to Harrisburg for another visit to HARRIS tower.