20-12-31 PHOTOS: Randolph Road

Thanks to the COVID 19 Pandemic, 2020 was a mixed bag for railfanning. Generally riding mass transit was out and most of the events I typically rely on to get me out of the area had been cancelled. On the other hand I had done a lot more personal visits including one by Amtrak long distance. Still, as the clocked ticked down I decided to create one last bit of railfan content in my local area. The first was at the Randolph Road grade crossing and signal location on the CSX Metropolitan Sub that also hosts MARC Brunswick Line trains. The second was at the infrequently used MARC Jessup station that is in close proximity to the region's largest rail auto delivery terminal. You can see the full set of photos here ( mirror ).

Arriving at the Randolph Road grade crossing an eastbound CSX autorack train had arrived just a few seconds before I had. Still, the trendy use of DPUs gave me a shot at redemption and I managed to catch CSX ES44AC #859.

I was actually there for the afternoon MARC trains and a clear signal indication on the Milepost 13.7 automatic signal on track #1 as well as a Clear signal at the MONTROSE crossovers implied that the next westbound MARC train was en-route. The Randolph Road signal location was about 2 miles from the station stop at Rockville and was equipped with B&O CPLs until about 2012 or so.

A local Cross Fit gyme had parked an M35 truck at the edge of their parking lot to attract attention.

Although the M35 might have stood up well to an impact from a locomotive, a lot of the cars and SUV's that were getting stuck in traffic between the gates was alarmingly high.

MARC MP36PH-3C #25 soon appeared on the scene along with cab car #8053.

 

20-12-29 PHOTOS: Villanova

The PRR Main Line between ZOO interlocking in Philadelphia and Paoli has been largely untouched from a signaling perspective since the PRR days of the 1940's. PAOLI, ZOO and OVERBROOK towers are still manned interlocking stations, the 4-track main line has three single direction ABS 251 tracks and a single bi-directional track operating under decentralized traffic control. The signals are PRR amber, the overhead wires are from 1915 and unfortunately plans to modernize the whole lot are creeping ever closer. With this in mind I have shifted my signal documentation focus to this part of the Main Line. Since I had already covered the two automatic signal locations between OVERBROOK and BRYN MARY back in 2016, the next two stops on my list were the Milepost 11 and Milepost 13 automatic signals at Villanova and Radnor respectively. Also because this was the PRR Main Line, there was no shortage of SEPTA and Amtrak action in addition to the signals and you can find it all right here ( mirror ).

First up at Villanova was an inbound R5 led by SEPTA Silverliner IV #300.

This was followed shortly by an outbound R5 with SEPTA Silverliner IV #423. The track 1 MP 11.8 signal on the PRR signal bridge is still displaying an Approach indication after the passage of the previous train.

The low level Villanova station retains its PRR era platform shelters. Here we see the same train with Silverliner IV #406 on the rear.

An eastbound Amtrak Keystone was next to arrive on track #1 with ACS-86 #605 on the front and, due to a shortage of Metroliner Cab Cars, #612 was on the rear. Where the 1915 catenary poles go from rusty to a copper oxide green denotes the line between Montgomery and Delaware counties as Montgomery County paid to repaint all of the catenary structure within its jurisdiction about 25 years ago.

The Villanova station building is still in use as a coffee shoppe, while the eastbound shelter is directly adjacent to the campus of thee time NCAA Mens Division 1 Basketball National Champion Villanova University.

Because an overhead walkway and elevator structure was unacceptable to the community, a brand new ramp and underpass was constructed for use by ADA's.

20-12-28 PHOTOS: SEPTA Mid-Winter Trip XX

It was going to be difficult running the 20th iteration of the SEPTA Mid-Winter Trip as the COVID 19 pandemic had only only caused massive cuts to transit schedules, but also made spending the better part of a day riding around in enclosed transit vehicles. While the two most common solutions would be to either cancel the event entirely or ignore the threat of getting sick (and passing it to others), I turned the situation into an opportunity and converted the SEPTA Mid-Winter Transit Trip into a walking tour of Philadelphia rail infrastructure. Starting at the same Market East location as usual the trip would wander around the former Reading Viaduct and City Branch before heading to 30th St Station, hiking the ARSENAL loop through University City before ending with a stroll along the Schuylkill river walk and Suburban Station approach. Although only 5 people turned out for what turned out to be a brisk 8 mile walk in surprisingly warm weather, everyone had a great time and we were able to cover a lot of interesting territory not generally available to the Mid-Winter Trip in normal years. You can view the entire set of photos here ( mirror ).

In normal years I would start at Lindenwold in order to catch one of the handful of express PATCO trains, but with the express services cancelled I just started at Woodcrest Station. My inbound train was led by PATCO #1009 with #1042 bringing up the rear.

For the folks who spend their Philly time in and around Market Street, Convention Center or Central Business District, they might not realize how the old Reading line to its downtown stub end terminal was just abandoned in place in 1984 after the station closed. Subsequent redevelopment pushed back the end of the old viaduct to just north of the Vine Street expressway.

The Reading viaduct was ostensibly constructed around 1890, but as it was modified over the years it developed a bit of a Ship of Theseus feel.

The Viaduct is currently owned by the Reading Entertainment Company, the corporate successor to the Reading Railroad after its 1970's Bankruptcy. Reading Entertainment gets its name from a chain of 12 motion picture theaters that it owns in addition to a hodge-podge of real estate assets. The company has been engaged in a standoff with the city over the development of the Reading Viaduct into a linear park.

One casualty in the battle was the old Spring Garden Street Station's northbound passenger headhouse and platforms. Neglected for years, a local preservation group used an anti-blight law to sue Reading Entertainment to clean up / restore the old headhouse and platforms. Reading Entertainment choose the other option available to them, complete demolition and clearance of the site. After a court battle the structure in the photo was demolished in August 2021. Of course in December 2020 there was no way to know that would happen and therefore I only have this one photo of the building.

The real Reading Spring Garden St station building is across the tracks and has already been converted into apartments.

This area is seeing significant gentrification with one building branding itself "Aspect 281" in a serious case of cultural appropriation. Developers know that the Philly Hi-Line park is inevitable and are getting in on the action.

Arguably Philly's most famous closed subway station, Spring Garden on the Broad Ridge Spur retains some of is above ground structures.

20-12-26 PHOTOS: Pattenburg Tunnel

The holiday season is often the time I find the opportunity to head up into North Jersey and that has become increasingly relevant as alternative opportunities for interesting signaling have largely disappeared elsewhere. One major focus of the North Jersey rail scene is the Pattenburg Tunnel, a mile long bore where the former Lehigh Valley railroad crosses the drainage divide between the Delaware and Raritan rivers. I had previously visited the tunnel back in 2003 at a time when I was more frequently traveling the NJ Route 31 / US 206 corridor to reach outdoor activities in the Delaware Water Gap region. The trip would also provide me with the chance to connect with family in Hopewell and check out the Black River and Western tourist railroad in Ringoes. The full set of photos can be found here ( mirror ).

Hopewell was located on the former Reading RR New York Branch that ran between Jenkintown and Port Reading Junction near Bound Brook and competed with the dominant Pennsylvania Railroad in the New York to Washington market with the alliance with the Baltimore and Ohio was factored in. Communities past the end of electric territory in West Trenton such as Hopewell could take diesel hauled or RDC trains to either Philly or Newark as a legacy of the old Reading Crusaader until the service was terminated in 1981. Since then Reading era stations like Hopewell's have stood idle, being converted into private houses, offices or community event space.

Despite the pandemic the Black River and Western was operating its holiday trains from it base at Ringoes, although not on December 26th as the need for Santa engagement drops precipitously after Christmas.

Operating on the former PRR Flemmington Branch, the BR&W owns others tourist properties in the region such as the Belvidere and Delaware River Railway in Phillipsburg. Power on hand in the Ringoes Yard was PRR SW1 #9206 and Reading painted SW9 #438.

The Pattenburg Tunnel was constructed in 1927 by the Lehigh Valley Railroad to replace an earlier bore a few hundred feet to the north. Since the LVRR was late to the New York market, extending its line from Easton in the 1870's, the CNJ had locked down the pass through the Musconetcong Mountain at High Bridge forcing the LVRR was forced to tunnel through. In one of the final projects of the Conrail era, the 4800 foot bore was single tracked in the late 1990's to support double stack intermodal trains and the entire tunnel was contained within the limits of a new interlocking, CP-64.

The original 1875 tunnel, long with the right of way leading to it, is still intact and is used by ATV enthusiasts as the flooded conditions make the old tunnel less suited to foot traffic.

 

20-12-05 PHOTOS: Newark Brunswick

The Covid caused cancellation of my annual December Chicago trip let me scrambling for content so I turned to some local action along the Northeast Corridor and Maryland areas. For the former I grabbed some photos at the Bowie State MARC station before stopping by the Newark, Delaware Amtrak/SEPTA station where infrastructure improvements are under way. For the latter I made a detour off I-95 to the Conowingo Dam where hundreds of Bald Eagles congregate each fall and then later swung by the CSX Brunswick Yard with its associated interlocking tower and MARC station as part of a Frederick Country brewery tour. Photos from these events can be found here ( mirror ).

Inspired by my previous trip to Odenton, I stopped by the next stop on the MARC Penn Line towards Washington, DC, Bowie State. Those two along with Seabrook were built in the brief period of time when underpass technology was still seen as the best way to achieve ADA compliance as opposed to overpasses that rely on maintenance intensive elevators. During my brief visit I was blessed by Amtrak Train 20, the northbound Crescent with ACS-86 #645 leading.

Moving on to Newark, Delaware, the new station building has been completed along with improvements to the parking area including EV charging.

The new station will support a track overpass style walkway when the project is complete, however for now the opening is blocked off at the top of the stairs.

The new station building has an enclosed waiting area and a green roof.

The old PRR era station has been turned into the Newark History Museum.

DAVIS tower can be viewed along the the alignment for what will become an additional station track. The Newark, DE Station improvement project is intended to support eventual extension of the MARC Penn Line from Perryville.

While hanging out I was treated to a northbound Amtrak Regional with ACS-86 class leader #600.

Heading off I-95 to the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River I stopped by the re-signaled CP-TOME in Port Deposit where an NS manifest freight was tired up on the Rock siding west of town. The NS Port Road Branch is now run under Rule 562 cab signaling without wayside signals except at interlockings.

The Conowingo Dam is the country's largest privately owned hydroelectric facility and the longest concrete slab dam one can drive across. Built in 1928 the dam has 11 power turbines and 50 flood control spillways, the latter of which are only opened in response to intense rainfall.

The 1920's vintage traveling cranes were unfortunately replaced a few years back by newer models.

The dam is a stop on the migration route for Bald Eagles as fish that take a spin through the turbines find themselves an easy meal in the tailrace. This day I counted about 40 eagles hanging around along with a similar number of bird watchers.

20-11-29 PHOTOS: Odenton

In normal years I reserve a few hours on the Sunday after Thanksgiving to watch some of the Amtrak extra trains being run on the Northeast Corridor. However in 2020 with the Covid pandemic drastically curtailing holiday travel, there was little of any extra service to be had and even if there was it would be indistinguishable from a normal year's regular service. Still, I didn't want to break my tradition, so instead of heading to a popular spot where trains were to focus, I chose a location with some infrastructure and signaling that could fill in the gaps. Specifically this was the Odenton, MD MARC station and adjacent GROVE interlocking. Also in this set ( mirror ) are some Philly area PATCO and SEPTA photos/videos.

Situated as the first stop south of the BWI Airport Rail Station, Odenton has grown into a massive park and ride facility with a lot of high density transit orientated development. It's two large high level platform can accommodate full length MARC trains unlike Bowie State and Seabrook to the south. 

Located behind the platform on the northbound side is the old ODENTON interlocking tower that controlled some crossovers and a connection to an industrial track. This would be closed in the early 1980's when ODENTON interlocking was replaced by GROVE interlocking about a mile to the north.

The first train to appear was an southbound Amtrak Acela Express trainset with power cars #2032 and #2034. Looking north we can see the Maryland Route 175 bridge.

This was followed by ACS-86 #653 with some kind of Regional.

The station building was constructed in the 1950's and has what I assume to be reproduction PRR keystones.

Using a gap in activity to head down to GROVE interlocking, GROVE is a 3 track full crossover that was the location of the NEC's first high speed turnout to allow northbound Amtrak trains on track #2 out of DC to make the stop at BWI on track #1 without having a large time penalty. Before the advent of the Cab Speed 80 cab signal, diverging routes over the HST at GROVE were protected by directional arrows on track #2. Today the center track #2 had a barricade up north of the interlocking so all southbound traffic was using track #3.

MARC was running a two hourly service with a mixed trainset with MP36PH-3C's #18 and #13 having the honors and Kawasaki Kab Kar #7853 on the end.