23-12-28 PHOTOS: Claymont

The Claymont Station on SEPTA's R2 Wilmington Line has had an interesting life, being closed in 1983 after SEPTA suspended Delaware service in 1983 then reopened with brand new infrastructure in 1990 only to be rebuilt and reopened again in 2023. As 2023 wound to a close I decided to pull off I-495 and see what the new new Claymont station was all about ( mirror ).

The old new Claymont station existed on a curve about a quarter mile to the south of its replacement Built before the ADA took full effect, the old new station was able to get away with low level platforms and a traditional stairway underpass.

One strange feature of the DART First State SEPTA stations at Claymont and Churchman's Crossing was the presence of full time on-site security that would quick on their feet to shoo away any railfans that turned up. Today, while the old new station is probably a greater target of malfeasance, the security booth sits empty.

My arrival was unfortunately a minute too late to get proper photos of both a northbound Acela and a southbound SEPTA R2 local with Silverliners IV.

Ironically, the walkway over I-495 that connects the actual residents of Claymont to the rail station was closed as part of the project, but I heard that it has since reopened along with a dedicated walking path to the new station.

The new $90 million replacement station was built on the site of Claymont Steel, an operation dating back to 1917 that eventually turned into a scrap steel mini-mill type operation in the 1970's and 80's. Constantly under financial pressure as the steel industry went into decline, the Claymont site found itself being passed between a string of owners between 1983 and 2007 when it wound up as part of the Russian Oligarch owned Evraz group. Ultimately American investors had the last laugh as the plans ceased operations in 2013. The site was purchased in 2016 for transit oriented redevelopment with the new station preceding retail and housing.

Construction for the new station began in 2019 and was completed in 2023 with 8+ car high level platforms and an overhead walkway for accessing the far track. The walkway currently provides excellent views of the NEC, however I expect the windows to fog over time. The traditional DART security guard was present, but I figure they got some retraining as instead of kicking me out he just gave me the stink eye while I took photos.

While on the northbound track #1 platform I got photos of a southbound SEPTA R2 with Silverliners IV #287, #178, #179 and #407, along with a southbound Amtrak Regional with ACS-86 #611.

Here we see a video of a northbound Acela Express trainset with power cars #2028 and #2016 followed by an overhead clip of Roanoke Regional Train 176.

23-12-27 PHOTOS: SEPTA Mid-Winter Trip XXIII

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.

23-12-23 PHOTOS: Woodstown Central

For many years South Jersey's SMS Lines (which I have to assume stands for Switching Management Service) has been playing the part of a smaller "Class 3" version of the larger Reading and Northern right down to the Reading theming. Run by railfans and for railfans, SMS Lines is best known for being the last home of Baldwin locomotives in daily service, going as far as to raid museums for parts donors to keep its fleet operational. SMS has expanded to handle the switching at an industrial park near Albany and, most recently, took over the contract to run the Salem County portion of the old PRSL Salem Branch between Swedesboro and Salem, after the line was substantially reconstructed. With the line in good condition, SMS decided to jump into the tourist train market with 2024 being the first year in full operation running between stations in Woodstown and Swedesboro under the name "Woodstown Central". Seeing as I would be driving in that general vicinity on my way home for the holidays, I got a ticket to see what all the fuss was about ( mirror ).

With its 0-6-0 steam locomotive #9 still under construction, GP38-3 #2003 was the star of the show. About a decade ago SMS purchased the unit and sent it to Albany before realizing it was actually one of the 10 GP38's purchased by the PRSL in its final years in operation. By 2024 SMS was finally able to get #2003 back to home rails and put it to work on the new tourist service.

The service consisted of a caboose, a coach and a table car, all of of which were former Reading in origin.

A station, passing siding and parking lot were constructed from scratch in a farm field south of Woodstown proper.

When I purchased the ticket only table car seating was left. The service features reserved tables and food service. I unfortunately failed to fully grasp that a special holiday train actually meant a Santa train oriented towards the kids.

Fortunately the staff was nice enough to offer me the chance to get photos and video of the #2003 run-around at Swedesboro. While there is technically a station at Swedesboro, it currently consists of a set of stairs to serve the brewery train service running to Swedesboro Brewing, which I would have much preferred.

23-11-30 PHOTOS: KEDZIE

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.

Here the previous inbound CNW-West line train with F59PHI #82 passes the aforementioned outbound train with F40PH-3 #142 in the eastern end of KEDZIE interlocking. #82 is currently traversing a higher speed crossover installed in the 1990's re-signaling project to speed up inbound trains on track #2 making the transition between bi-direction single direction running. The section of ABS between here and the CNW Terminal exists due to the presence of the 1930's vintage TOWER A-2 and its US&S Model 14 interlocking machine.

The outbound train had gallery cab car #8477 on the rear and pretty much enjoyed a straight shot through the interlocking.

23-11-26 PHOTOS: Odenton Black Sunday

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.