23-11-19 PHOTOS: Lehigh Summit

The Reading and Northern continues to be the only bright spot when it comes to interesting signaling with its deployment of CTC and use of both searchlights an recovered Reading vintage hardware like bracket masts. Over the last few years I have been making regular incursions into Reading country to document this signaling, but with all of the low hanging fruit now harvested I have been having to travel a bit further onto the former Lehigh Valley portion of their "Main Line" between North Reading and Pittston. In the winter of 2023 I used a trip to see my vintage radio/TV and railfan friend Phil, to access the former Conrail Lehigh Line passing point around Mountain Top, PA with its associated interlockings, block signals and RBMN passenger operations. You can find the full gallery of these photos here ( mirror ).

On my way up to the East Branch Susquehanna valley I stopped off at CP-ROCKVILLE north of Harrisburg to catch the late running eastbound Amtrak Pennsylvanian Train 42 as it came off the famed Rockville Bridge with P42DC #104 leading.

I stopped off in Sunbury, PA to hike out and photograph the surviving D&H bracket mast on what is now the NS Sunbury Line. Previously serving as the southbound signal for a CTC siding, the old signal was converted into a fixed distant for CP-KASE on the NS Buffalo Line when D&H successor Canadian Pacific downgraded this part of the line to TWC. More recently NS removed the bracket and fixed searchlight from service to be replaced by one of its own standard cabinet masts.

The next morning I drive directly to CP-SOLOMON at Mountain Top, PA where I was greeted by a former New Haven RR cabin car #C566 which had been acquired by a local preservation group and set up to honor the various coal region railroads. Members of the group were on hand to set up an extensive holiday display, which seemed to be the justification for the ample parking facilities.

A Clear signal indication was displaying on the 2E searchlight mast at CP-SOLOMON for the morning run of the Reading Northern's weekend Pittston to Mach Chunk tourist train via the Lehigh Gorge. Historic Mach Chunk has emerged as a significant food and shopping destination as well as a gateway to the Pocono outdoor recreation scene and the RBMN now serves the community with weekend/holiday passenger services from both the north and south. The name CP-SOLOMON is in reference to Solomon's Gap, the geologic feature that both the Lehigh Valley and Central RR of NJ took advantage of to access the Wyoming Valley coal fields and the Scranton metropolitan area.

The three car train of Budd lightweight stock was being easily handled up the stiff grade by R&N GP38-2 #2023. When Conrail came on the scene it used the best parts of the former CNJ and LVRR main lines to create its new Lehigh Line. The alignment changes from CNJ to LVRR just north of the rock cut seen in the photo.

R&N #3023 and the southbound train to Mach Chunk passing through CP-SOLOMON.

21-12-26 PHOTOS: R32 Holiday Tribute

As the concept of the NYC Transit Museum sponsored holiday trains enters their second decade they have had to do some innovation as running a set of R1/9's between 2nd Ave and Queens Plaza started getting a bit repetitive. The first set of changes involved different routes such as going up Central Park West to 135th or 145th Streets, but as the ultimate retirement of the R32 cars approached, the powers that be decided to give the "obviously vintage" R1/9 cars a year off and substitute in the R32's for holiday duty running on the 2nd Ave to 145th St CPW routing. Of course a change to the itinerary meant I felt required to make the trek up from South Jersey to ride them and you can find the full set of photos here ( mirror ).

My day started early at Hamilton where I passed on an NJT Corridor Line local pushed by ALP-46 #4635 in favor of an express led by split level cab car #7013.

PATH's long headways now makes it quicker to just go directly to Penn Station wher I caught an R46 A train to West 4th Street.

While waiting for an F to 2nd Ave I noted that W 4TH ST tower has closed since my last visit in December 2019.

I also caught the R32 holiday train heading north on the lower level, likely having traveled from Coney Island and needing to make a reverse move to get to 2nd Ave.

An R160 F Train soon arrived on the local track and transported me to 2nd Ave where the r32 holiday train soon arrived with southward leading car #3360 modified by the transit museum to resemble its as-delivered 1964 condition.

Northward leading car #3894 was equipped with a wreath and signed as a "D" train for the day's service.

Austere half cab of #3894.

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.

 

17-12-24 PHOTOS: Second Ave Nostalgia

This holiday photo set has a little bit of everything! Of course the headline content, continued from last week's video post, covers my trip to NYC to ride the Holiday Nostalgia Train on it's new (and long delayed) routing up the 2nd Ave Subway to 96th St. From there I take a holiday road trip to the Easton, PA area where I was alas too late to photograph some former Lehigh Valley searchlight signals on the former Conrail Lehigh Line. Instead of grabbed some photos of the new signals at some area interlockings. Finally I grabbed a few more holiday photos from the Baltimore Streetcar Museum.

You can find the full set of still content right here!

I took NJT to NYC, but earlier in the month I was in 30th St station on other business where I caught a snow covered Metroliner Cab Car #9644 in Keystone service.

NJT ALP-46 #4606 at Newark Penn Station. Catching the Nostalgia Trains at the 2nd Ave terminal is best accomplished through taking the PATH and then catching an (A) train at World Trade Center.

The new World Train Center PATH station is quite pretty, but not at all worth the cost. I dearly miss the old rabbit warren mall as it gave an advantage to savvy commuters over the tourists in terms of speedy navication.

The Nostalgia Train parked on the 2nd Ave center stub tracks that I believe were built to support the original Second Ave Subway plan, which today only runs between 63rd St and 96th St. The leading and training R1/9 cars were #1802 and #381.

With interest from the 1950's vintage cosplay set, the Holiday Nostalgia trains are more popular than ever, even on the "early" morning 10am run. A GoPro window mount or selfie stick are easy ways to avoid the crush of kids at the Railfan Window.

#381 at 96th St.

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.