The 23rd installment of my annual SEPTA Mid-Winter Trip was constructed around the new R3 Wawa service and taking the Route 13 streetcar to the Yeadon Loop, two specific activities that had as of yet not been attempted on this transit riding series. After lunch at Reading Terminal Market, the afternoon consisted of a round trip on the R5 to Lansdale, with a transfer to the Broad Street Line at Fern Rock for the customary express ride back to Centre City. You can find the full set of photos here ( mirror ) and stay tuned for an additional video post.
For my the trip started at the Woodcrest PATCO park n ride. However unlike years past there would be no express runs on offer so I just headed downtown on the first available train, which turned out to have rebuilt car #1032 leading.
After getting everyone together at Market East, we proceeded to the PRR-bound platform to catch an R3 to the new Wawa station. At some point SEPTA Silverliner V #703 made an appearance, however our train to Wawa would consist of Silverliners IV.
Although the station had opened in 2022, the SEPTA Mid-Winter Trip XXI had already visited the old Elwyn terminal and I didn't want to have back-to-back years riding the full length of the R3 so I deferred this particular destination to 2023. Here we see the morning crew posing with SEPTA Silverliner IV #351 at the new Wawa station platform.
After a 20 minute layover we got back on the same set of Silverliners IV and proceeded to the Clinton-Alden stop to a Route 102 transfer. Here Silverliner IV #138 departs towards Centre City.
After a block walk to the vintage Route 102 Clifton-Alden suburban trolley shelter, we boarded K-Car #121 for the ride to 69th St.
Passing Route 102 K-car #115 near Drexel Hill Jct.
SEPTA Suburban K-car #121 after arrival at 69th St.
Down on the Market-Frankford Line platforms an inbound train led by M-4 car #1131, rounds the loop to platform on track #3 for the return run.
For my many previous trips to Chicago I have sought out morning express runs on which to create exciting videos from the front railfan window on METRA Gallery cars. However after a decade of trips and the post-COVID decline in ridership I have pretty much exhausted the supply of available runs, so in 2023 I shifted to a more location based strategy and focused my attention to the KEDZIE Metra Station and historic interlocking tower on the former Chicago Northwestern West Line that sees trains running between Elburn and the CNW Terminal downtown. In fact this route was the subject of my 2022 METRA excursion when I caught an inbound express train from the town of Elmhurst, just past the old Proviso Yard complex. Anyway, KEDZIE is a fantastic location from which to catch the morning parade of inbound commuter trains and the outbound parade of light engines heading to the 40th St shoppes for servicing. It also provides a view of the complex at-grade crossing with the METRA Milwaukee District at Western Ave (TOWER A-2). You can check out these and other CTA related photos here ( mirror ).
Kicking things off at the Cumberland CTA station I caught a new CRRC 7000-series train with #020 on the tail end. Interior quality was on par with the 5000-series and lacked the plastics issue of the Orange Line equipment, but there was nothing that would make me lament CRRC being kicked out of the US market.
Transferring at Clark and Lake, I caught 5000-series car #5033 on a Pink Line routing.
Getting off at the KEDZIE station I caught some more 5000-series action with the sun rising behind the Chicago Skyline.
KEDZIE tower on the Metra CNW West line (currently the Union Pacific Geneva Sub), was built about the same time and serves the same general purpose as CY tower at the junction between the Metra CNW Northwest and North Lines. Built around 1960 as part of a Chicago and Northwestern Railroad modernization project, KEDZIE tower was built as part of a new Kedzie Ave station and marks the junction between passenger operations heading towards the CNW downtown terminal Controlling a modern all relay plant, KEDZIE tower has all the features of a late stage interlocking tower including angles windows and steel grid catwalks. Unlike its sibling CY, KEDZIE tower was closed in the late 1990's partly as a consequence of the Union Pacific takeover and a general effort to smooth flow in and out of the CNW's Chicago terminal.
KEDZIE sees three types of traffic, METRA CNW-West passenger service, light engines to and from the 40th St shoppes and UP intermodal traffic heading to their Global I yard along the old PRR Panhandle Route. The as with all the former CNW lines, the passenger service runs left handed with outbound trains on the southern track closest to the tower. To the west the line was three bi-directional main tracks and four single direction tracks to the east along with the two track Global I connection. Here an inbound METRA CNW West Line train led by cab car #6422 passing under the eastbound signal bridge while the signal on track #4 displays a Clear indication for the next outbound train. Note how the 9-car train of gallery cars still has two painted carbon steel cars made by Pullman Standard and another Budd built stainless car, each potentially over 60 years old.
Here another eastbound train led by gallery cab car #8450 stops at the inbound island platform. The bi-directional bracket mast governing tracks #2 and #3 was installed with the 1990's re-signaling with the interlocking was logically split into east and west halves under the same name.
After my pre-Thanksgiving 2023 photos it is now time for my post-Thaksgiving 2023 photos, which will also include some additional photos from Baltimore Penn Station and the NJT Atlantic City Line. With Amtrak no longer running any Holiday specials I decided to mix things up by hanging out at the Odenton MARC station. You can find the full set of photos here ( mirror ).
Starting off at Baltimore Penn Station, ACS-86 #660 rolls in ahead of a southbound Regional train.
Despite the general phase out of B&O CPL type signals, two were installed at Baltimore Penn in tight clearance situations because they are still in the NORAC rulebook. Here the southbound dwarf signal on CHARLES' interlocking track #7 displays an Approach Slow indication with the distinctive yellow orbital in the 2 o'clock position.
On Thanksgiving day a Philly-bound NJT Atlantic City Rail Line train seen coming and going from the Chapel Ave bridge in Cherry Hill with GP40PH-2B #4207 and Comet V cab car #6009.
Here is an Atlantic City bound train with Comet V cab car #6006 and GP40PH-2B #4218. NJT tends to have inbound and outbound trains meet at the Pennsauken Transit Center a few miles to the north.
Finally moving down to Odenton here is Amtrak ACS-86 #634 with a northbound 10-car Regional.
MARC SC44 #65 with a northbound Penn Line local. Bombardier split level cab car #8057 was on the rear end.
Amtrak ACS-86 #664 with a southbound Regional.
Northbound Acela Express trainset trails brake shoe smoke with power cars #2010 and #2015.
Amtrak's Thanksgiving Programme ain't what it used to be. Despite ridership recovering to pre-COVID highs, Amtrak is no longer in the business of adding trains and renting extra equipment. To some extent Amtrak has already added capacity to its regular schedule with more and longer Regional trains, thus leaving little ability to "surge" for the holiday, however the lack of rented commuter trainsets does question if they are truly doing all they can. I was told the manager who made the Thanksgiving push possible retired and nobody else stepped up to make it happen, but Amtrak's lean in to dynamic pricing can provide another part of the explanation in that its far more profitable to raise prices than jump through hoops surging capacity. Regardless I am not about to break a multi-decade long tradition of going out on Thanksgiving Wednesday to take photos along the NEC between Trenton and Philadelphia. Like some previous years my preferred target was Croydon SEPTA station, due to an adjacent lunch location, however I also includes stops to photograph the signals at CROY interlocking and my first ever visit to the seldom used Eddington SEPTA station. You can find the full set of 2023 Thanksgiving Wednesday photos here ( mirror ).
CROY interlocking is directly adjacent to US Route 13, although its location on the far track #1 made some of the photos a bit challenging. CROY allows local freight trains to access an industrial park without having to obtain a Form D to move against the current of traffic west of GRUNDY interlocking in Bristol. The first train to pass was a westbound Keystone service train with ACS-86 #643 pulling ahead of a 9600 series Metroliner cab car and #636 on the rear. The push-pull configuration wasn't because the 5 car train needed 17200hp, but because of some of equipment failure on the increasingly unreliable Metroliner cab.
Next up was a 4-car Silverliner V Trenton-bound SEPTA R7.
Next to appear was a westbound Acela with ultimate power car #2039 seen here passing in front of the eastbound track #1 mast signal at CROY.
At the Croydon Station, a couple of Eagles dressed railfans were out with a tripod and ready to catch an eastbound Keystone train with ACS-603 and functioning Metroliner Cab Car #9649.
The previous Keystone met an inbound R7 local with Silverliner V #845 leading, which in turn met an outbound R7 led by Silverliner IV #168.
This was followed by a pair of Acelas, the first was a southbound with power car #2011 leading and the second a northbound with power cars #2038 leading and #2016 trailing. The southbound also passed an outbound SEPTA R7 local with Silverliner IVs #138, #137, #370 and #369 that happened to be stopped at the station.
The final action was a meet between two Amtrak Regional trains just east of Croydon station. The northbound Regional is being hauled by ACS-86 #651 and the southbound #620. The speed of the northbound Regional is evident from the track #2 694 automatic signal progressing from Stop and Proceed, to Approach to Clear all within a minute after passing.
Currently designated as a flag stop, Eddington has some of the lowest ridership on the entire Regional Rail Division and is perennially targeted for closure.
As my third Keystone of the day passed by in the westbound direction with ACS-86 #652 and Metroliner cab car #9641, I noticed that CSX GP40-2 #4450 was approaching on the Eddington Industrial Track running lite.
From what I could find this industrial track is served by Conrail local freight FJ-2 running out of Frankford Jct yard. The Oaks Model RR Guy would frequently video at Eddington so seeing the Conrail crew enter the NEC at the hand-throw switch and then trundle back to Frankford Jct brought back some pre-YouTube nostalgia.
Before it could re-enter NEC track #1, it had to wait for the hourly R7 local to pass by. The outbound R7 had Silverliners IV #160 and #425 on the ends. While running time on the hand throw switch, the inbound train also passed by on the far track with the #138, #137, #370 and #369 Silverliner IV train that I had previously seen getting passed by Acela power car #2011 at Croydon.
In this video we see #4450 drift through the station before waiting at the hand throw switch while passed by both R7 Trenton Locals in addition to a southbound Amtrak Regional powered by ACS-86 #628
After waiting the required 8 or so minutes for the SL-25 switch locks to release, the crew re-entered main track #1 and proceeded in the reverse direction back to HOLMES interlocking and/or Frankford Jct yard.
All in all I can see the appeal of railfanning the NEC at Eddington, especially if one can predict the schedule of FJ-2. Tune in next time as I head back to the NEN on Black Sunday.
