18-07-05 PHOTOS: PRR Main Line Requiem Part 2

Continuing on with my 2018 westbound PRR Main Line survey, Part 2 begins at Altoona travels up the east slope past Horseshoe Curve then back down the West Slope to Johnstown, eventually ending at Latrobe due to rail and darkness. However I have also included some bonus photos taken around Pittsburgh, mostly traffic on the Fort Wayne Bridge. Part 1 can be found here, the video post can be found here and the full set of photos can be found right here or on Google Photos.


After departing Altoona station we pass the old ALTO tower standing watch over the new signals for CP-COVE that replaced part of the old ALTO plant.

CP-ALTOONA, a 3-track full crossover with attached helper pocket replaced ALTO and CP-SLOPE at the base of the steep grade over the Alleghenies. Our train has been switched over to the bi-directional track 2 in order to get around the 20G intermodal train we had been stuck behind since Huntington.

PRR GP9 #7048 at the Horseshoe Curve Park. Recent brush removal has improved sight lines.

MG tower still stands at CP-MG after having closed in 1994. Back then it was more cost effective for Conrail to splice the existing signals and switches into the new solid state interlocking logic. Today the 1944 vintage PRR signal bridges are on their way out as the new signaling is tested in parallel due to the cost of labor dominating the cost of new physical things.

Although cab signal equipped NS C44-9W #9482 still leads, the trailing units on this oil train consist of KCS and CSX GE's.

An SD40E helper pack with NS #6305 and #6328 helps the long train descend the hill.

The PRR summit park at Gallitzin isn't defined by vintage PRR signals and will thus retain most of its appeal after the re-signaling project is complete.

With the long climb and twisting curves of the east slope behind us, the engineer is able to open the taps as the Pennsylvanian passes through CP-MO and accelerate up to 80mph allowing us to quickly catch up with the intermodal train we had been stuck behind east of Altoona. My train completes the overtake just as NS SD70M-2 #1076 is passing the Milepost #258 signals at Newport.

At CP-SO little trace of SO tower is left after it burned down in 2008.

An eastbound oil train struggles up the hill with two helper packs including class lead SD40E #6300.

Some weird special purpose flat cars in Conemaugh Yard just west of CP-C.

The Johnstown station platform serving tracks 2 and 3 as framed by the WW2 vintage MP #275 PRR automatic signal bridge. The location of the removed second platform is visible between tracks 2 and 1.

NS SD70M-2 #2744 hauling a an eastbound doublestack intermodal train behind NS C44-9W #9956 just east of CP-CONPIT.

Pretty much all of the remaining PRR Main Line stations have been reconfigured as single platforms, even where a second platform remains as is the case at Latrobe.

Amtrak P42DC #92 at Pittsburgh standing next to the private car Sugar Creek, which seems to live full time at the station.

Large oil train lashup crossing the Fort Wayne Bridge with NS SD40E #6348 in the lead followed by NS GP40-2 #3293, new NS ET44AC #3679, CN SD75I #5765 and BNSF AC4400 #5659. The train is likely empty and the first two units are likely on a transfer move with the last two running through to whatever oil field the train originated at.

Another westbound train over the Fort Wayne bridge featured NS SD40M-2 #1065, NS C44-9W #9389 and NS SD75M #2804.

Heading a bit east of the station we find the new and old signals at CP-PITT looking back towards the station.

Two NS C44-9W's, #9519 and #9277, proceed elephant style through CP-EAST PITT with an eastbound doublestack intermodal train.

Finally we head back to the Fort Wayne bridge where the daily Allegheny Valley Railroad transfer move is crossing back westbound to the yards on the north shore of the Ohio River. Leading is the road slug #405 paired with GP40-3 #4005 followed by Carload Express branded MP15 #1559 and AVR GP40-3 #4004.

Well that's all from Pittsburgh and the PRR Main Line. Next week I am heading back to Georgia for the first time since 2015.

18-07-05 PHOTOS: PRR Main Line Requiem Part 1

As I mentioned in the attached video post, I was looking to complete another PRR Main Line Survey from the rear of a Pennsylvanian service train in order to better document the PRR and Conrail signaling before it was all removed. An attempt at an eastbound trip in 2018 was ruined by a private car so I had to settle for a repeat westbound trip. While I did bring my DSLR camera, I didn't quite have the carte blanche to stand in the rear vestibule that I did on my National Train Day trip in 2009. This resulted in some loss of quality in the photos. Also stormy weather forestalled the survey session at Latrobe just in time for my Train 43 to also get caught in some freight train congestion.

As this set of photos also includes some general stuff around Pittsburgh I am going to split it into two parts, Part 1 east of Altoona and Part 2 west of Altoona. You can find the full gallery of photos right here or on Google Photos.

We pick things off with the power for my Train 43. Amtrak P42DC #92 seen here at 30th St Station. Business Class was the first car of the train so I had to spend most of the journey standing at the back.

Passing the active Amtrak OVERBROOK tower.

SEPTA Silverliner IV's #277 and 316 at Thorndale.

Horsepower near Gap.

The Lancaster, PA station and now closed CORK interlocking tower.

Amtrak #92 along side Metroliner Cab Car #9642 at Harrisburg.

Amtrak ACS-86 #619 on a keystone trainset at Harrisburg.

Amtrak protect equipment at Harrisburg including P42DC #124.

Departing Harrisburg past the preserved HARRIS tower.

Conrail era budget signal gantry from 1992 when HARRIS tower was closed and the slow speed interlocking plant rationalized to provide normal speed operation.

NS freight engines at the Harrisburg engine terminal and fuel pad.

Modern style 4-track PRR PL signal bridge facing replacement at CP-ROCKVILLE.

NS C44-9W #9844 with an eastbound intermodal train as it passes the eastbound mast signals at CP-ROCKVILLE.

Signal crews with a merchandise freight on the siding at CP-BANKS.

TOFC (Tractors on Flat Cars) near Milepost 125.

PRR signal bridge at CP-PORT. The real shame is that the replacement cantilever has been built within the former 4-track right of way which would interfere with any possible restoration :-(

Milepost 157 signal bridge about 4 miles west of Mifflin.

NS GP38-2 #5626 working a local freight out of the Lewistown yard.

Long lashup of 5 NS locos and 1 UP loco at the head of an eastbound doublestack train near Granville.

Crews maintaining the sliding wheel detector just east of the MP 198 signals.

Preserved HUNT tower in Huntingdon, PA.

original builder's plate was preserved.

18-07-05 VIDEOS: PRR Main Line Requiem

Since 2012 the writing had been on the wall for the PRR signaling on the Main Line between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.  While I had performed a general survey in 2009 and many other signal documentation missions since, as the time approached I attempted to complete another survey from the rear of a passing Amtrak Pennsylvanian train.  In 2017 an eastbound run was thwarted by a private car and therefore I had to settle for a duplicate westbound run the following summer.  Of course one new piece of kit that I lacked in 2009 was a GoPro that could take video from the rear of the train in addition to my stills.  Having only limited memory card space and batteries I figured the most important segments to video were the Harrisburg terminal area between Harrisburg Station and CP-CANNON and the East and West slopes of the Alleghenies between Tyrone and Johnstown.

On the day the plan went pretty well as there were no private cars, however a camera malfunction killed the Tyrone to Altoona segment.  However I was able to extend my efforts westward and also captured segments between Johnstown and Greensburg where rain and darkness shut down production. In the video video we travel between Harrisburg and Duncannon passing the Harrisburg fuel pad, a train on the famous Rockville Bridge, the Enola Yard junction complex at Marysville and two trains in the siding between CP-BANKS and CP-CANNON.



Here we see the famous East Slope beginning at the now closed ALTO tower and proceeding up and around the Horseshoe Curve and then through the tunnels at Galitzin.  From there there are a few more curves and as soon as the train hits the straight at CP-MO the throttles are opened and speed quickly accelerates to 80mph.  Between Lilly and Newport we overtake the NS intermodal train 20G on track #3 that had been delaying us between Lewistown and Altoona.  Past CP-SO at South Fork speeds decrease through the tight Conemaugh Valley into Johnstown.



Continuing on past Johnstown it is about 30 miles to the town of Latrobe.  for the first 10 miles track 3 travels on the far side of the Conemaugh River before briefly re-appearing at CP-CONPIT where it formally becomes the NS Conemaugh Line.  Another 10 miles beyond that is the crossover at CP-PACK followed another 10 miles distant by the former brewing city of Latrobe.




Finally it is just a short 10 mile hop to the city of Greensburg with a very nice surviving PRR station  that used to support 4 tracks, now reduced to two and even then it seems that Amtrak really only wants to use the former westbound platform.



This is the end of my video journey.  I probably could have gotten a bit more, but I captured the most important parts over the mountains.