Unexpected Foreign Power in the Reading PA area

Haven’t been out in a while. I think that last time I was out was with Paul “Beefcake” “Wheelman” “don’t ever feed me a fu*^&#$&#ing chicken log again” Apollo, in Feb. A good outing but it’s been a while.

Monday was part of my spring break and while not too chilly it was sunny and nice. I headed for Wyomissing Junction, just west of Reading, to my favorite breakfast eatery, The “Dosie Dough” bakery. I picked up my usual bagel, toasted with cream cheese, a half dozeon of what I call the “sacrificial donuts” which I bring home to my lovely wife, Diane, as an offering of forgiveness for going to the bakery (without her) and for a bit of railfanning. Now mind you she likes to Railfan with me but she wasn’t exactly chipper to be awake at 6 when I went out. Life has its balances and this is one of them.

I also indulged in a “hot cross bun” aptly named from the tune I hear each and every year when I teach beginning instruments in my classes at school. This one was heavenly (unlike some of my student’s interpretations of THAT TUNE) with a cinnamon raisin core with delicious vanilla icing set in a cross on the top. (Perhaps being Easter the day before may have had something to do with it too. – who knows)

Now my goal was to catch the tri-weekly 30J train from Binghampton to South Philly which usually carries CP, Soo, or otherwise non NS power on it. It’s a mixed train of stacks, and general merchandise that makes the run over the D+H to NS in Sunbury PA then down to Harrisburg and east to Philly, via Reading. It usually comes thru early on these days.

No such luck as a friend down here emailed me via cellulite phonium that 30J had already been thru and had tied down in S. Philly at 0530 with 2 Soo units on the point. Too bad.

Well knowing that I decided to just see what comes along.

Well what a day for foreign power! Starting off with the H-33 local who comes hightailing west out of Reading, I mean to tell ya! He had an ex BN unit still in green but lettered for FURX on the front and a still CR blue SD-40-2 on the back.

It gets better.

Train 22V – Stacks from Chicago to North Jersey shows up with a C40-8W and SD-60 on point, both in blue heading eastbound. They drop down the connection to the line to Allentown and north jersey.

Later in comes the Herzog ballast train, #922, with a UP leader (4819) a CR blue unit behind and an NS unit with about 60 or so empty ballast cars heading for the Dyer quarry near Birdsboro PA, not far from Reading to the southeast.

In the mid afternoon Diane and I went out to lunch at one of the many bastions of Dutch country cookin’ called the Heidleberg diner out on US 422 near Womelsdorf PA. We picked up some seriously EVIL chocolate chip cookies for dessert to go, and I go to show Diane one of the nifty train watching spots nearby at Dorf siding while we munch our confection. Well wouldn’t you know along comes train 14G, Merchandise from Conway yard near Pittsburgh to Morrisville yard near Trenton NJ with another blue C40 on the point and right behind an SD-40-2 EMD leaser in blue and white.

The fun continues.

That evening before supper I hear on the scanner that the train 35A, transfer job from Allentown to Abrams yard, near King of Prussia, is coming east with a BNSF leader, #4707. After a delicious dinner of pigs in the blanket Diane and I head out to MP 54 over in Mount Penn, on the main line heading east to Philly.

Well unfortunately darkness fell on this lovely evening before the 35A made his way out of Reading east. We did see him and I think it was a war bonnet unit.

You probably notice that food features prominently in my blogs but hey that's half the fun of railfanning - trying out new places to eat.

It was a day filled with surprises for sure!