20-06-27 PHOTOS: COVID Crescent

Here is Part 2 of my June 2020 trip to Georgia via a sleeping accommodation on Amtrak's Crescent. Due to the pandemic I wasn't inclined to travel either on an aircraft or passenger rail coach, however a sleeping car roomette provided the perfect amount of isolation for a safe trip. Part 1 covered the video clips I captured at Washington DC's Union Station and Gainesville, GA. This part will cover all the still photos from the same locations as the rear placement of the baggage car precluded most photos en-route. The complete gallery can be found here ( mirror ).

I started my journey at the Halethorpe MARC station. Because LD trains don't stop at the BWi Airport Rail Station my choices were going down to Union Station or waiting at Baltimore Penn. I chose Baltimore as it would ensure platform access to observe the power change. At Halethorpe, Construction on tracks 1 and A required use of track bridges and special platform gondola cars for passengers to access track #2. Amtrak MP15D #573 was hanging out south of the platform cars, probably to pull them away for the night's work.

A southbound MARC trainset with diesel MP36PH-3C #27 arrived first, just before my northbound train with HHP-8 #4913

The burly HHP-8's were out in force that day because MARC was running longer trainsets to facilitate social distancing. Here is #4912 departing Baltimore Penn Station.

Due to reduced service and poor connection times I had to wait 2 hours in a deserted Baltimore Penn for my Southbound Crescent Train #19, which arrived behind ACS-86 #605.

#605 again, this time at Union Station.

The VRE equipment, including MP36PH-3C #V55 and cab car #V717, was all looking pretty factory fresh.

Also caught Amtrak SW1200 #796 towing a Regional trainset back to Ivy City.

As I departed along the Virginia Ave corridor a storm was descending over the Capitol complex in an apt metaphor for the times.

20-06-27 VIDEOS: COVID Crescent

The best way to travel in a pandemic that doesn't involve driving or flying yourself is easily the private sleeping car accommodation. Sealed off from every other human, one can travel to their destination in style with food and whatnot delivered to them. In June 2020 I needed to visit a friend in Georgia and since I normally took the train I just made a few adjustments, switching to the direct Train 19/20 combination and taking a sleeper both ways. While I wasn't able to get any out the back content, there was still ample opportunity for videos so since I can't fit them all into one post I'll start out with the videos and then move on to the stills.


First up we have Amtrak ACS-86 #605 pulling into Baltimore Penn Station with a COVID shortened Crescent Train 19. Due to reduced ridership, this train was serving double duty as an NEC Regional.



Once in DC, Amtrak ACS-86 #605 uncouples from the Crescent and pulls forward, taking A interlocking's 18RA signal displaying a Restricting indication before turning back to wait for its next northbound assignment on one of the higher numbered tracks.



Federal support was allowing some commuter trains to operate despite the complete lack of riders. Here, Virginia Railway Express MP36PH-3C #V50 departs the lower level of Washington Union Station with a Fredericksburg, Virginia train past another Restricting signal at A interlocking. Gallery cab car #V713 brings up the rear while Amtrak P42DC's #12 and #148 run light on one of the higher number tracks to couple on to the waiting Crescent Train 19.



The two P42'sDC then re-appeared, backing on to Crescent Train 19 waiting on Track #24. After the couple the engineer is signaled to pull forward, testing that the coupler has fully engaged.



Fast forward to Gainesville, GA where the shortened Train 19 departs, taking the Approach Diverging signal on the southbound cantilever at MIDLAND interlocking on the former Southern RR main line. A crew dorm now rides the rear preventing any reverse view photography.



After my time in Georgia was done, I returned to the Gainesville Amtrak station to wait for my northbound Train 20. While waiting NS SD40-2's #6077 and #6082 drifted past with a short local freight. The local was being held at MIDLAND interlocking for the passage of Train 20.



The local was still there when Amtrak P42DCs #121 and #93 pulled into Gainesville with another COVID shortened trainset. This rare "daylight" video of Train 20's arrival into Gainesville was made possible by the summer solstice and an on time arrival enabled by the general pandemic related plunge in freight and passenger traffic.



The on time performance held up all the way to Washington, DC where the general lack of passenger traffic made the mid-morning Train 20 power change a breeze as P42DCs #121 and #93 were pulled off and replaced by ACS-86 #649 in less than 5 minutes which I was able to capture in a single take. Note ACS-86 #616 waiting at the read of a northbound Regional on the adjacent track.



Well thanks for watching my video content. Next week I'll be back with the stills!

20-06-12 PHOTOS: Old PARK

In 2010 Amtrak's PARK tower in Parkesburg, PA closed as one of the final pieces of PennDoT's Phase 1 110mph Keystone Corridor upgrade. Once serving as a junction between the original Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line and the 1906 Atglen and Susquehanna Low Grade Line, the interlocking plant limped along as an overbuilt crossover after the A&S was shuttered in 1988, shifting to an "as needed" status in 1994 when SEPTA cut back R5 service from Parkesburg to Downingtown/Thoendale. Eventually the 4-track interlocking was replaced by a simpler 2-track crossover about 2 miles to the west and old PARK spent another decade as an automatic block signal location before money became available to extend the new signaling an additional 6 miles to THORN tower in Thorndale. With the COVID related Keystone suspensions as an accelerant, this work was due to wrap up in June of 2020 so I went out to document the remaining automatic signals and the remains of Old PARK interlocking. The full set of photos can be seen here ( mirror ).

On the way out to PARK a brief traffic delay let me snag a picture of one of the new style traveling cranes installed on the Conowingo dam. These cranes are necessary to lift the heavy gates that control the spillways and penstocks on what is one of the largest privately owned hydro-electric dams in the United States. The original 1928 cranes were replaced about 5 years ago, but similar examples are still active on the Safe Harbour dam about 20 miles upstream. 

Unlike most "towers", PARK is a unique single story design although it shares many PRR design features such as brick construction and a bay window. Now used as a base for signal maintainers, features from its old interlocking days, like the manifold style air dryer, remain.

Up through about 2010 old PARK actually sported three main tracks to the east with the center track 2 turning into an industrial track serving some local industry in Atglen on the former A&S right of way. Later that track was cut back to a point just east of the interlocking and today it remains for storage and in case any industrial customers ever return.

I arrived in time to catch a mid-morning eastbound Keystone train with M<etroliner cab car #9632 and ACS-86 #604.

Over at the 25hz Parkesburg Amtrak Substation (#66) I discovered a second 1930's vintage transformer that liked dated to the state of electric service in 1939.

20-06-07 PHOTOS: Old Main Line Tunnels

The Baltimore and Ohio railroad's Old Main Line was the first railroads constructed in the United States and also one of the first in the world with the initial segment opening for service in 1830. Located in the narrow Patapsco River valley, the impetus for the line was the fact that Baltimore had an excellent sea port, but no means to transport goods inland as the city was not located at the end of a major waterway or canal. To remedy this the B&O would act as an artificial river, first transporting goods to the C&O Canal on the Potomac River with the eventual goal of reaching all the way to the Ohio River.

The intense profit motive of making Baltimore a national port not only justified the employment of cutting edge technology, but also the use of a sub-optimal rail route in the form of the twisty, turny Patapsco River valley. Although it was an early center of manufacturing due to its hydro power resources, the rail line soon became outmoded due to numerous tight curves. By the turn of the 20th Century, the B&O was engaged in a long term effort to re-align the curves and, where necessary, build the bridges and tunnels that were not feasible in the early decades of operation. The route would eventually include 9 tunnels, a large number for an East Coast rail line (for comparison that's about as many as the entire Reading system). During 2020 I was looking for some outdoor activities so I went about visiting several of the Old Main Line tunnels, most of which were about a mile or two from the nearest Patapsco River State Park carpark. The entire river valley has been converted into a recreation area with the railroad a popular right of way for people to reach their favorite spots on the river. You can find the full set of photos here ( mirror ).

Having already visited the Ilchester Tunnel in 2019, this year's tour will start with the Union Dam Tunnel located at milepost 15 (from Baltimore's Mt Claire terminal). Built in 1902 with stone portal fronts, the 810 foot long curved tunnel travels under the US 40 arch bridge that replaced the winding Old Frederick Road.

Next along the line at Milepost 19 is the 1022 foot long Dorset tunnel, constructed in 1906 with the same style of facing as the Union Dam tunnel. In addition to swimmers, the park is filled with forest puppies.

Standing between the Dorsey and Davis tunnels is one of the many plate girder crossings of the Patapsco river, necessary to smooth out some of the many curves. This would occasionally move the new right of way across the river from the 1830 alignment.

The Davis tunnel, at milepost 20, is only 497 feet long, but an internal curve prevents one from looking all the way through. It was completed in 1906 to support a double track main line that has since been reduced to single track leaving ample clearance and rendering the old side wall refuges, unnecessary. Somewhat unstable ground made full brick lining a must for all the OML tunnels.

Very little traffic was moving on the weekends, but I did happen to catch CSX SD40-2 #8064 with an MoW train at the Marriottsville Rd parking area. The MoW train contained both Conrail and Seaboard Coast Line equipment.