03-01-15 CLASSIC PHOTOS: Chicago Trip

In 2003 I undertook a solo Amtrak long distance trip to visit a friend in Chicago using the since-canceled Three Rivers for the outbound leg and the Lake Shore Limited for the return. This was before I had the money or the wherewithal to book sleeper rooms, but also after the point where I had obtained a digital camera and had enough online resources to find interesting things to take photos of. Today this trip would have consumed at least 2 or 3 photo sets, but back in 2003 I was pretty much limited to 300 or so photos between uploading them to a desktop so I will be presenting a rather wire variety of material as this trip to the Nation's rail hub wound up being a mile wide and an inch deep ( mirror ).

In the winter of 2003 the NY to Chicago Three Rivers ran practically its entire route in darkness, with the sun setting shortly after Philly and rising after South Bend. While this schedule is great for intercity travelers wanting a full day at their destination, it is sub-par from a railfan perspective. The highlight of the westbound trip was actually lucking into a tour of STATE tower while Train 41 laid over at Harrisburg to have mail and express cars attached, although much of that is a story for another post.

Both the Three Rivers and Pennsylvanian were part of Amtrak's experiment with mail and express services, which was ultimately wrapped up in 2005 as the cost in staff hours and passenger impact (ie delays) did not justify the revenue earned. At Pittsburgh I tried to get some photos of the roadrailers behind the coaches, but night digital photography wasn't great back then.

Fast forward 7 hours and I found my train passing HICK tower on the outskirts of Chicago.

I wasn't the only one getting some shuteye as I grabbed this shot of a CSX conductor sleeping in the cab of C40-8 #7525 just west of the Quad Draws.

Conrail Quality was still a thing with SD50 #5433 near Englewood. These would later be derated into SD40E's.

Passing through the yards on the approach to 21ST crossing I spotted Central Kansas Railway GP7u #903 and UP C41-8 #9078.

One interesting catch was LLPX #2247, which was actually a former LIRR passenger service GP38-2 which had been sold to Locomotive Leasing Partners and then leased to Union Pacific, which painted it in its own scheme.

It was customary for Amtrak trains to wye themselves prior to arrival at Chicago and my Train 41 was no different, pulling off onto the old CBQ tracks just west of the South Branch Drawbridge. While waiting to proceed Metra F40PH-2's #117 and F40PHM-2 #188 were making their own wye moves out of the Union Station yards.

2003 came during a real nadir of US rail transportation with many Amtrak routes running well under capacity and urban cores still at a low point after decades of high crime followed by 9/11. This is in evidence with the complete lack of foot traffic at 9am on a weekday in Chicago's Union Station. Today Amtrak makes much better use of the space, but in 2003 the preservation of the waiting room felt somewhat pointless as all the active station facilities were in a Penn Station style rabbit warren. 

03-01-08 CLASSIC PHOTOS: LIRR Loops

It's the holiday season and that means it is once again time for me to dig into my big bag of toys and pull out an extra special present for everyone. Between March of 2002 and July of 2003 there was a small window of opportunity where I not only had a "newfangled" digital camera, but also the means to employ it on huge epic day trips to the New York City area. In this period of time I managed to go on some some trips that, in hindsight, were quite remarkable and until now were almost completely unavailable since 10 years ago web space was at a severe premium and not only did I have to keep the web photos small, but also take down down after a few weeks.

As you might be aware, from time to time I have been posting "Classic" Photo sets where I go back and re-process the photos to modern standards and give them (hopefully) permanent hosting. In this set I feature an LIRR trip I took in the winter of 2003. This trip was enabled by fellow Subchatter American/Spider Pig and consisted of taking NJT to NYP, then the LIRR to Long Branch, Bus to Far Rockaway, LIRR train back to Jamaica, then alother train to Valley Stream, shuttle to West Hempstead, bus to Hempstead and then finally an LIRR train back to Atlantic Ave.

You can find all the photos here and let me assure you they almost all provide a fascinating blast back into the past. This is going to result in a rather long photo set, but whatever, there's just too much cool involved.

We start off with some photos taken from the front of the then-new Comet V coach which provided a fleeting railfan view on NJT. At Edison I caught a southbound 3-car Keystone train hauled by an AEM-7.

Amtrak LINCOLN tower at Metutchen. The blue tint of the window just makes everything look colder.

The un-resignaled UNION tower.

Suspended 90L signal at DOCK displaying Approach.

76L signal at DOCK displaying Medium Clear with an outbound PATH train.

Another outbound PATH train at the PRR amber PL signal bridge between HUSTON and DOCK interlockings. Visible is the 8R signal for HUDSON interlocking which is still controlled from the 1911 era manned interlocking tower.

Running on signals at HUDSON interlocking with the 12R compact type PRR Position Light showing Approach.

HUDSON's now removed 62R signal displaying Approach Medium. These signals would be removed in conjunction with the high density cab signaling project between DOCK and New York Penn.

Switching to the LIRR remember when the LIRR still had railfan windows? Oh man those were the days. Here we see HAROLD tower passing through HAROLD interlocking.

Running on the express track my train blasted past LIRR M1 #94xx departing Woodside.

Three-way meet between Woodside and Q-Gardens just west of the 52 automatic signal. Everybody is moving at 80mph 

DM30 with an inbound train to Penn Station just east of Q-Gardens.

Outbound train of M1 in the west end of Jay interlocking.

02-12-27 CLASSIC PHOTOS: SEPTA Mid-Winter Trip II

Now in its second decade the annual SEPTA Mid-Winter trip has become a staple of the Mid-Atlantic railfanning social calender. However it had to start somewhere and since the original MWT took place when I was still using a film camera its doubtful that I'll ever go and re-scan the 2 or 3 photos I took on that so this set is about as close as you're going to get to Genesis.

The trip consisted of a ride on the R2 to Wilmington and then straight back through Center City to Norristown where we transfered to a Rt 100 train to 69th St, Rt 101 to Media, R3 to Clifton-Alden, Rt 102 to 69th St again, MFL back downtown and then I assume a Broad Street Subway run again.

If you're interested you can find the complete photo set here

After heading up the Chinese Ramp and through 30th St Station we encounter brand new HHP-8 #651 passing ARSENAL tower with Phase III and IV Amfleet in tow.

A pair of CSX road freight diesels were waiting up on the High Line ramp was we pass ARSENAL tower. The Medium Approach on the home signal is for a Stop at PHIL interlocking to get onto the NEC.

E-60 #607 and other Phase III painted units were waiting out behind the Wilmington Electric Shoppes.

The old PRR roundhouse was in the process of being demolished.

A number of Budd Meteroliners out in the backlot had yet to be transfered to the Bear shoppes. Present are two snack car units in their original PRR/PC paint scheme and one "roof hump" unit painted in Phase III.

Ex-Reading Silverliner IV #137. Look, its still fitted with its original cow catcher!

Amtrak HOOK tower back when the interlocking was still a pneumatic plant.

LAMOKIN tower sadly no longer has an interlocking associated with it since the Chester Creek branch was abandoned, but the tower still stands, although its seen better days.

BALDWIN tower named for the old PRR locomotive supplier in Eddystone, PA.

SEPTA #50, a rebuilt SW1200, was running lite through 30th St station probably en-route to rescue a broken down push-pull set.

SEPTA SL-IV #144 at Norristown.

SEPTA Rt 100 car #144 at the Norristown terminal.

1S signal at Norristown displayed for the next Rt 100 departure across the now ailing Bridgeport Bridge. Note the special power derails to keep cars from rolling out of the terminal tracks.

Suburban K-Cars at 69th St.

Some West Jersey Chapter members disembarking at Media from K-Car #109.

Another view of #109 at the Media terminus.

 SEPTA Airport III #235 pulling into Media about a decade before its eventual retirement.

SL-IV #373 next to #235 at Media.

SEPTA M-4 MFL car #1112 pulling into 69th St as darkness falls.

Well that's (basically) where things all begin. In its 13th incarnation the MWT will celebrate both the old with a trip back to Wilmington and the new by using the RiverLINE-ACL connection.

02-11-27 CLASSIC PHOTOS: Thanksgiving Outing

While returning home from school for the Thanksgiving holiday in 2003 I managed to take some nice rear vestibule shots from the back of my southbound Amtrak Regional train on Metro-North territory and later followed that up with a trip around the west coast of New Jersey checking out progress on the yet-to-be-completed RiverLINE light rail line. In that case the stops amounted to the Delair bridge area and the light rail complex in Bordentown, NJ.

Not much more to it than that, but most of the photos contains something that's not there anymore so check them out.

At the Amtrak Meriden, CT station the H-5 searchlights at the MP 18 automatic signals were still up and displaying a Clear indication for the northbound Vermonter.

Due to the holiday crush Amtrak had to empty out the basement in terms of rolling stock so here we see two Metroliner cab cars including #9640 in the Vermonter consist running behind P40DC #830. Despite the two cab cars in front behind the lead ending a second P40DC, #827, was also applied to the rear.

My train, which may have been the southbound Vermonter, gets its own P40DC #804 pulled off the rear at New Haven during the power change.

Classic New Haven "Flying Beam" style catenary on the 3-track section between Woodmont and New Haven. Can anyone honestly say that the new stuff looks nicer or more elegant?

SS73 WOODMONT eastbound.

Ok, here's one that can use a little explanation. East of the SS71 DEVON movable bridge I caught this light Amtrak P42 looking like it was wyeing on the Devon wye. Does anyone know if this was some sort of common practice? Perhaps because the loop track at New Haven was out of service due to the yard re-configuration work? Anyway I think this is a P42 in Phase IV as in a higher resolution I think I could make it out as #67.

MNRR GP35 #105 running lite east of Bridgeport.

The venerable New Haven diamond catenary, another victim of Metro-North's wasteful capitol spending.

The open gap in the catenary at the SS29 Cos Cob movable bridge. 

MNRR M-2 #8735 at the Rye phase break.