03-06-05 CLASSIC PHOTOS: Amtrak Baltimore Trip

In June of 2003 I was offered a position in a graduate program in Baltimore, MD and as part of the process I was invited to meet with the program and tour the facilities. They also offered to cover the cost of travel and had no problem funding a round trip between Philly and Baltimore via Amtrak. This would be my first time traveling between those two city pairs, something I would repeat hundreds of times in the ensuing years. Because the novelty had yet to wear off I took an above average number of photos on this trip, enough to dedicate an entire post towards. You can find the full gallery here ( mirror ).

First up were a number of towers that I had yet to see on a monthly basis and were also significantly less deteriorated than they would be 20 years later. Although BRILL and BELL would both be standing in 2022, BELL would develop gaping holes in its roof and be fitted with a "do not enter" fence.

It was the end of another era as Amtrak's hand-me-down MoW equipment was starting to head off property. Here GP7 #775 and CF-7 #585 are parked at the Wilmington shoppes, already marked for Larry's Truck and Electric.

Conrail painted units were not yet that uncommon with GP38-2 #5301 and GP40-2 #3030 coupled at Bayview yard along with former Southern high hood GP30-2 #5246.

MARC GP40WH-2 #55 and GP39H-2 #71 hanging out at Baltimore Penn Station. Ironically it would be the more "modern" wide cab GP40WH-2's that would be retired first.

Power for my southbound Regional was a new looking Amtrak AEM-7AC #928.

A long distance train was on the adjacent track hauled by HHP-8 #657. Note that the roof shroud has been removed showing off the K5LA air horn.

Mid-day MARC trains were still the domain of MARC's single level fleet. Here a set on the stub track #5 is fronted by cab car #7757.

Mission accomplished, I returned to Baltimore Penn Station to find a new MARC trainset with cab car #7755 on track 5.

MARC GP40WH-2 #57 was on the front of another trainset sitting on low level track #3. Amtrak would eventually close the low level platform except for trainset storage reducing the number of through tracks to 3 along with the single stub track.

03-05-23 CLASSIC PHOTOS: Amtrak and SEPTA Memorial Day

Today's installment of Classic Photos are from some SEPTA and Amtrak activity in May/June of 2003 around the time of my college graduation. The Amtrak photos are from a pretty standard NEC run between Connecticut and Philadelphia and the SEPTA photos involves my first visit to Norristown Elm St. You can find the two sets of photos here ( mirror ) and here (mirror ).

First up at Meriden, CT is Amtrak P40DC Phase IV heritage unit P40DC #827 at the Meriden, CT Amtrak station. The station had recently been upgraded with new concrete and a platform awning. These upgrades would be short lives as the station would be rebuilt with high level platforms around 2018 for the Hartford Line commuter rail. 

Fun fact, the Cedar Hill yard in New Haven is the location of Amtrak's major continuously welded rail facility where 78 foot lengths are electrically butt welded together into quarter mile or longer segments.

New Haven's new State Street Station had recently opened to serve workers in the Yale area.

Changing trains at New Haven I found HHP-8 #658 at the head of my southbound Regional.

Metro North Caboose and catenary inspection coach at Stamford.

The Penn Central sign was still affixed to the New Haven Railroad's SS3 OAK tower at the Oak Point yard in the Bronx.

At 30th St station Amtrak MoW orange painted GP9 #770 in was being used to shift road railers for Amtrak's express cargo services that would end in 2005.

03-05-23 CLASSIC PHOTOS: NEC Norristown

In 2003 I had finished with one stage of schooling and was looking at relocating to Baltimore, MD. Part of this involved one remaining trip down the NEC from Connecticut to New Jersey followed by a summer of casual railfanning. These sets of classic photos cover the NEC trip ( mirror ) and a subsequent visit ( mirror ) to Norristown, Elm St on SEPTA's R6.

Starting off from Meriden, CT my Springfield Shuttle train was being hauled by Amtrak Phase IV Heritage P40DC #827.

After passing Amtrak's Cedar Hill rail welding facility I got this shot of the old New Haven RR coaling tower along with a gray Amtrak GP38 MoW unit. Also note the rather impressive amount of lumber.

The new New Haven State Street station had recently opened for business.

Amtrak HHP-8 #658 at New Haven station.

I'm not sure if they are still in service now, but at the time Metro North's wire repair or wire inspection train made use of old Budd coaches. In this case one such coach is attached to caboose #406.

New Haven tower SS3 OAK in the Broax was still sporting its PC Green station signs. These would soon be stolen.

Photo of NJT's Meadowlands Maintenance Complex from the NEC with 4 ALP-46's and 1 ALP-44 visible.

At 30th St Amtrak GP7 #770 in MOW orange was hanging out in the Penn Coach Yard coupled to some roadrailers likely headed west on the Pennsylvanian or Three Rivers. A pair of new Acela Express sets can be seen in the background probably undergoing acceptance testing.

03-03-27 CLASSIC PHOTOS: MNRR New Haven Line

10 years before it was hobbled by derailments and speed restrictions the New Haven Line was a pretty nice piece of railroad with railfan windows and high quality overhead wires. Due to some pressing time commitments this weekend with a Trip to Albany I am throwing up this set of Classic Photos as filler. Meh, you were going to get it at some point, might as well be this weekend.

These pictures were taken in 2003 when I was taking the New Haven Line for a job interview in New York City. All the photos were taken from the front of a MNRR M2 car both in bound and outbound from GCT.

You can find all the photos here

We begin approaching the Cos Cob movable bridge as my train glides along under the classic 1906 triangular catenary.

The old New Haven power dispatchers tower in front of a still in service "anchor span" section breaker.

Close side view of SS28 GREEN tower.

Eastbound Amtrak Acela Express power car #2038 rounding the curve in the Greenwich area.

Eastbound MNRR M2 local near Port Chester. 

SS26 PIKE.

Short Stamford local with 4 M2s near New Rochelle. 

MNRR GP35R #106 at New Rochelle.

Borrowed LIRR Inspection Car T82 on the curve near Woodlawn Junction.

I was looking forward to getting a good photos of WOODLAWN tower, but was shocked to discover that the top had been popped for reasons unknown.

Switching to the return trip now we find MNRR M2 #8789 at the head of a long westbound train near Burr Road in Bridgeport.

Here is a cool sequence. Because MNRR loves screwing Amtrak they had it wrong railing all the way across 4 tracks at Bridgeport so that our outbound express train wouldn't be delayed. We quickly began to pass the departing westbound Amtrak train with AEM-7 #919 as we left the station. The Amtrak Regional then began to cross back over to the westbound express track at CENTER.

03-03-20 CLASSIC PHOTOS: LIRR Oyster Bay

So its time for another round of classic photos. This week's offering is from 2003 when I went on a short trip to Oyster Bay with American Pig. Due to his knowledge of the Long Island Bus system we didn't actually have to backtrack from Oyster Bay, instead catching a bus at an intermediate station to Port Washington allowing me to cross that line off my last as well.

You can find all the photos here. Like the last set of Classic LIRR photos there is a lot of good stuff here that has since vanished over the last decade.

We begin with newly painted AEM-7 #934 as it blasts eastward through the NJT Hamilton Station which was only a few years old at that point.

I was to meet Pigs at the Atlantic Ave LIRR terminal and as usual he was running late so I went out to the end of the platform where I got this cool Film Noirish shot of BROOK tower.

I saw this cool piece of Futurerama door art decorating the signal maintainers hangour. Can anyone explain what Bender is saying?

A few minutes later Pigs showed up..but not the one I was waiting for. These were the stop and frisk types from the NYPD mistaking me for some sort of terrorist. Taking that picture actually saved by butt because I was able to show them that to justify why I was taking photos at the end of the platform. You know...for kids.

The front car was closed off so I used the railfan window in the rear because the LIRR had those back in the day. Here is a shot of C-1 FB power car #3100 in the Morris Park deadline.

The "protect" pair of LIRR MP15's #102 and 104 hanging out in Morris Park instead of HAROLD interlocking. Note the Wabco N-2 coupler designed to pull stranded LIRR trains out of the East River tubes.

"Standard" service MP14's #165 nad #168 at the Morris Park Engine Terminal.

The late, great DUNTON tower.

Time to change trains at Jamaica. Here is DM30 #507.

EVIL "new" M7's #7012.

Thanks to no railfan windows on the C3 stock not a lot to take pictures of until Oyster Bay. Here is C3 cab car at the Oyster Bay station...no, the not that one.

Our trainset laying over in the otherwise empty Oyster Bay Yard.

Blue banded LIRR M1 #9x27.

Two views of the Port Washington terminal from one of the pedestrian bridges at the end of the platform.

Well that's it. Short set today, but next week look forward to a ride along the new Atglen and Susquehanna mike train.