Train Trip from Thorndale PA to Port Jervis NY and return

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=200984&id=500663994&l=edc45dafa9

See the above link for pictures…I remembered the camera this time!!! You do not have to be a member of Facebook to see this album of pictures.

Here’s the synopsis of the trip I took on Friday 8/27/10, to Port Jervis NY via SEPTA, NJ Transit and Metro North from Thorndale PA.

0330 – I get up….too damn early but need to walk the dogs and station is 45 minutes away. Beautiful moonlight however and very quiet.

0430 – Arrive at Thorndale Wawa – Donuts and tea and go over and eat, then board SEPTA (Folks outside PA may not recognize this chain of convenience stores but it's a great name!!!)

0458 – Train #514 – Local to Philly and Lansdale, arr. At 30th St. Station at 0602 – I went down to use the loo and to possibility get my tickets for the trip via NJT from Trenton to Port Jervis and return. Ticket was working and I didn’t have to worry about the mad dash at Trenton which I’ve done too often going to NYC via SEPTA and NJT.

0637 – Train #705 – Local to Trenton – arr. At Trenton at around 0730

0746 – Train #3928 – Local to New Brunswick, express to Newark Airport, local to NYC Penn Station. – I took it to Secaucus Jct. to transfer to Port Jervis train. Rode in double decker coaches which were very comfortable. A group of college students were just up a few seats and I think they were on the way to do some sort of acting presentation in NYC. Very chatty bunch. Reminded me of when I used to go to NYC to audition for orchestras MANY years ago! Arrived Secaucus Jct. at 0853

Longer wait. This was okay as I HAD to make the next connection here, or the itinerary would fall apart! Headed over to DD for 2nd breakfast and enjoyed this gorgeous station…somewhat reminiscent in architecture of the old Penn Station in NYC. Very light and airy. Always fun to people watch as well.

0957 – Train #45 outbound from Hoboken to Port Jervis via the Bergen County line. Long but very scenic ride thru northern NJ, SE NY via ex Erie main line thru Rutherford NJ, Suffern, Campbell Hall, Middletown and then on thru Otisville tunnel and down the DE river to Port Jervis, NY and just a stone’s throw from Matamoras PA. Arrived nearly 1230

Highlights

Passed NS local working near Rutherford NJ – too close for specifics
Saw railfans at Otisivlle passing siding which is just east of Otisville tunnel. (do I really look like these people when I’m railfanning?)
Had to wait for EB NJT train at Otisville siding, that was late leaving Port Jervis
Beautiful views from trestle near Salibury Mills/Cornwall NY station

Lunch at Burger King – Serious load of rednecks in this part of the world…phew…and they were all going to Burger King for lunch!!!

1328 – Train #64 – Inbound local to Ridgewood NJ then 2 stops and express to Secaucus Jct. I was in lead cab car listening to the banter of the 2 lady conductors and engine crew plus what looked like a management type person riding in the cab. Seems like a relaxed crew on a scenic ride. Beautiful scenery….snoozed a bit as the 0330 wakeup was catching up with me.

1530 arrival at Secaucus Jct. Couldn’t wait long here as NJT Trenton Local was due to arrive at 1540.

1540 – Local to Trenton – Train #3855 Local to Trenton – 14 car single level MU train. I sat in last car. Partial local and partial express. No AC in my car and train had what sounded a grinding noise that rose and fell in pitch with speed of train. Many announcements regarding having to either walk up or walk back from end cars to either platforms being too short or under construction. Fortunately not too hot so ride was okay but I would have preferred the double deckers again! Arrived approximately 1700.

1710 – Train #9756 – Local to Philly - 2 cars – which was funny as I got off a 14 car MU train from NYC to Trenton but fortunately not everyone was going from NYC to Philly on the local!! Unevenful inbound trip to Philly. Arrived at Philly around 1800.

1813 – Train #9571 – Express to Bryn Mawr, then local to Thorndale – “Meatball” engine with coaches. Uneventful trip. Listened to 2 other teachers discussing their assignments across the aisle. One was carrying a bike! Cool. Arrived at 1924 at Thorndale. Should have waited on the platform as WB Amtrak came by as soon as they switched my train out of the way. Went off to an ops session at a friends afterwards.

Great trip!

July In Review - Reading, PA

The Videoman and his wife picked me up for a road trip to Mohnton, PA, in the Reading area, to do some railfanning with the Fiddler. The schedule originally called for a HAPT expedition to the Pocahontas Coal region of West Virginia, but we decided to save that for when the Wheelman could be along as a guide. We found inexpensive accommodations in Mohnton at the Country Inn Motel and used it as our base though Fiddler's house was still quite a ways off through the hills. The low weekly rate got our attention and the "exfoliating towels" were the only real drawback. I'd recommend it to anyone who's cheap like me for Reading railfanning.

The morning of July 23 we started nice and early at the Dosie Dough Bakery, conveniently located next to Wyomissing Jct. near Reading. It also happened to be easy to find from the motel. A train went by as we arrived and another went by as we ate. A WB tried to go by before we finished but we managed to catch it. This morning featured a new bit of technology I've used at home but never on the road: ATCS. The Reading area has a web feed which my iPod could access whenever I could get wifi. Unfortunately, that wasn't much outside of the motel or Fiddler's house. At least we knew what we had going on for a while so Fiddler headed us west to Sinking Springs, Wernersville and Robesonia Park. The Videoman and Fiddler benefited from different locations for their video work since they were filming for "Train Time" television.

When the known trains ran their course, we headed East. The first stop was Fleetwood, home of the Fleetwood Car Company. We caught a westbound at the old factory building. Next was Alburtus and Macungie. We naturally stopped off at Yocco's for hotdogs before retiring to the nice shelter and gardens at Macungie. There we caught three different trains and finished with the eastbound #262 Triple Crown Roadrailer train. A couple of other railfans were also there and we had a fun time shooting the breeze, as usually happens with railfans. We finished the day by meeting Fiddler's wife for dinner at the Railroad House Restaurant in Sinking Spring. Being a hot day, we stayed with the A/C indoors rather than partake of the outdoor porches with a trackside view. A train passed as we were paying the bill, so little was missed.

On Saturday we saw dire forecasts of high heat and humidity. So, we planned on indoor stuff. We started with the massive O gauge layout at Roadside America. This was a fun indoor display filling a dance hall with dioramas from all over the country. A handy guide sheet takes you around the room to all points of interest and along the way you get various buttons that allow you to operate various functional displays like run a trolley, play a calliope or saw fire wood.

The day was young so we moved on to Crystal Caverns. The cold air inside was very welcome on the hot day. Though not a rail site we did meander through the relics of a Reading branch to get there. On the way back we went to one of those stainless steel diners in Kutztown for lunch. There I was introduced to hot bacon dressing on my salad. I'd try it again and I'd definitely go back to that diner. It was right next to the Kutztown airport, where a medical helicopter landed as we arrived.

The day did not end without more model railroading. Once the wives were deposited at the motel, we headed to Newtown Center near Philly for the St. Albans Railroad Fellowship operating session in the basement of St. Albans Episcopal Church. About 18 guys running around with FRS headsets and plug in throttles running a 3+ hour session of operating was fun. I don't think I'd ever seen such an intense operation, live. We didn't leave until around midnight, which interestingly meant we'd have to detour around the PA Pike which closed at midnight for the installation of a new bridge. Fiddler took us through his old stomping grounds near the Paoli station on the old PRR "main line". Not a bad detour. A train was in the station too.

On Sunday we wanted to hit the tourist lines. Temps would be reasonable so we went for the Lehigh Gorge Scenic in Jim Thorpe. We arrived in time for the 11am run, so off we went for tickets to board. I'd been there before with the Wheelman and a few changes had been made. The loco was painted to match and there wasn't another unit on the other end, necessitating a runaround at each end of the run. One thing no one expected was for NS to make an appearance. 13T passed as the train reached it's appointed waiting spot - a short stretch where the two lines are spaced farther apart than usual. As the run nears completion, it was arranged for the Videoman to get a cab ride on the 1pm run. Neat. Fiddler and I would catch it from the ground near the gorge to get that perspective for future shows.

Well, the outbound run went about as we expected. We caught the train as it exited the bridge over the NS and R&N lines. The return would be a while so we walked over the relatively new trail to Nesquehoning Jct. to get a shot of the old tower. It was also a chance to check out the trail that utilizes the old second track space on the bridge. It was all ties the last time I was here. Next we decided to shoot the return run from the bridge. As we waited, rain threatened. Then we heard thunder in the distance. We were about 3/4 of a mile from the van and didn't have any rain gear. We decided to wait it out since we were going to get wet either way. Might as well get the shots. In the process we heard an R&N OCS enter the area. Cool, but where were they? We figured we'd miss both trains if we headed out. Well, the wait paid off - sort of. We got our return shots but then had to trudge through an intense downpour back to the van. Then we were really in no condition to get out in the rain again to catch the OCS, now sitting in Jim Thorpe. Oh well. The cameras survived once they dried out and the content was gathered despite the sacrifice. Actually it was quite warm out so it wasn't bad other than being soaked to the skin.

It was decided to head for home after a drive through lunch. We did go via Tamaqua for the scenic route. Lots of roadbeds for lots of activity. We wandered around the restored former Reading depot and the display items. We then scouted a trail that is utilizing the old L&NE. But, we were pretty much done for the day. I'll do a separate post for Tamaqua.

Monday we headed south for Perryville, MD. Fiddler took us the scenic route, both ways, so we could see various sights along the Susquehanna River and the old "Port Road" line. We actually aimed to arrive at Perryville after MARC was done so we could watch Amtrak. We watched a few trains of all varieties and headed over to Havre de Grace, across the bridge. Here we could see the famous bridge broadside. I took plenty of shots to try different angles. Acelas sounded like a jet when they went across. CSX was active so Fiddler took us back to the Perryville side to check out the old B&O line. We hit the jackpot. We pretty much sat at W. Aiken where the siding before the bridge starts.

The spot we used was interesting. We left the Videoman at the nearby grade crossing and set out for a bridge a short distance up the line. Unfortunately for us, the bridge was being rebuilt so we had to settle for a spot in between. That spot was nearly in front of the CPL signals at the switch for the west end of Aiken siding. It also proved to be next to a local Christmas institution. Apparently the locals set up a lighted Christmas tree on a fenced in staging area behind our spot. The tree used to be set up for riders on the old B&O next to a long gone depot. Anyway, the spot is relatively public. We could also see the bridge construction and the grade crossing where Videoman was stationed from there. The bridge by itself was not as interesting as the fact that a railroad supervisor was there to oversee rail safety and all trains had to contact him for clearance through the zone.

The scanner revealed to us that a larger work zone on the west side of the bridge was winding down for the day and a few trains were stacked up and waiting to proceed. This was why we were here. First a westbound (south to DC) Q439 came by and took the siding. 15 minutes later S439 (wb) came by and pulled in behind Q439 on the siding. It's marker was next to the grade crossing. This signaled a change in the traffic flow. Sure enough 40 minutes later we had 3 trains, 10 minutes apart. Q438, Q174 and local D777. The local was notable for the road slug unit it used. I later caught it's silhouette on it's return voyage over the river.

Well that was "hot action" for these here parts, and it was slowing for a while. We then made an effort to find a good view of the old B&O bridge and a westbound was passing. We failed on both counts. Fiddler was in constant contact with various listservs and friends so he got some newer directions. Meanwhile we sat on the pier at Havre de Grace with dinner and watched action on the various bridges. I managed to get the better silhouettes on this second visit to the pier.

The location of a local picnic ground and shooting range turned out to have a great view of the B&O bridge and we found it with pointers from Fiddler's friend. And, the sun was perfect for the spot. What luck! The scanner was quiet when we arrived, but just as I was about to give up and started to look through the lens for empty bridge photos, I saw a westbound headlight. The radio started to crackle more with this train in the vicinity. We knew another train was behind this one. Aw shucks. Two trains coming at us in ideal light. Hard to take. Even better though, among the radio calls someone gave away that there was an eastbound "juice train" in the area. Though it turned out to be quite a wait, it was worth it to see a bridge filled with white Tropicana cars. This was the first time I'd seen the east coast version of the long running train. Having this breath taking place to watch it was a bonus.

It was getting dark by the time we could do any more local railfanning and it seemed that CSX was done for a while. Time to follow the former PRR "Port Road". Trains on this line cannot enter Amtrak's NEC track until 10pm so we thought we might see a few stack up short of Perryville for the run to Wilmington or Baltimore. No such luck. However, we did take quite a few detours through the fields and hollows along the Susquehanna River to see the tracks. Well into the darkness Fiddler took us to the Safe Harbor power plant area where the "Port Road" line and former PRR "Low Grade" lines (both were electrified) crossed a valley on some pretty spectacular bridges (photo, cited on Flickr).

Tuesday was spent on Amtrak's Harrisburg line. This was my first time on the fabled PRR main line from Harrisburg to Philadelphia so relics of the PRR were fascinating. We started at Parkesburg where the "Low Grade" line once joined up in a great "flyover" junction. Work crews had one of the tracks out of service so all trains had to cross over to the depot track at Park tower for the 15 mile run to Leaman. The one train we stayed around for was a westbound that had to cross over. He even had orders "hooped up" by a tower operator in the process. I photographed him at the depot but I think the video guys may have filmed the ancient process.

Down the line we went to Christiana. The freight house has been restored and had a shaded platform on the back for us to watch passing trains. We caught a couple. They were on the one track in service, which in this case was the far track. This did open the view a bit for us. The passenger depot was still in place and apparently is in the process of a historical restoration.

We moved on to Gap for a different view. The Videoman and I waited on an eastbound at a signal bridge. A husband and wife on motorcycles dropped by for a brief chat since they were railfans and had ridden the Strasburg the day before. Fiddler found a perch closer to the downtown area and we were off to Leaman Place to catch a potential meet between the two diesel powered "Pennsylvanian" trains.

At Leaman Place we arrived at the same time as a Strasburg Railroad train. We had lunch from Wawa's so we ate and watched the runaround maneuver take place. Fiddler and I decided that we'd move west for one of two grade crossings on this high speed electrified line. This is definitely Amish country too. The crossing is the site of a signal bridge featuring new Amtrak style CPL's, so I wanted all of the above in the shot if possible. Well, we didn't catch the meet or a waiting Amish buggy but we did catch the two trains, identifiable by their diesel locomotives. Videoman was luckier. A Strasburg train pulled in as both trains met at Leaman Place. Good timing. On the way back we noted that in the town of Paradise, an orphanage named "Christ's Home for Children" had signs out front pointing to "Christ's Home, Office". Now we know. Naturally the town name is appropriate too. My last shot on the line was by none other than the freight house in Bird in Hand, conveniently past the town of Intercourse.

Wednesday, our final day in the area, took us to Newport on the old PRR Middle Division. This is north of Harrisburg and a short distance up the Juniata River. We stayed around the local park, in the shade, for about 4 hours and caught 13 trains.

A race back to Mohnton and off again with just we three railfans for Ken McCorry's massive Buffalo Line layout. His work models the entire line from Harrisburg to Buffalo with over 3000 feet of mainline track. It took Fiddler and Videoman over an hour to run (and put on video) an office car special over the entire line! It was a work night rather than operating session so only a few guys were around. Ken was a great host and his crew workers were friendly and helpful. Fred, who normally operates the tower at Renovo, was a great tour guide for me and answered a lot of silly questions from this neophyte who doesn't use DCC or model in HO. (I'm a DC guy in N scale). It wouldn't be hard to guess that this is the largest non-club layout in the country. It takes about 30 guys to run a 4+ hours operating session. The signaling and car card system, in addition to the computerized dispatching just blew my mind.

Well that was it. A "haptning time" as usual. Lots of ground covered and lots of trains recorded.

BC

July In Review - Skull Visits!

It seems my June and July were hectic enough to prevent me from catching up on a few adventures with fellow HAPT members. Since August is well under way, I thought I'd catch up on the big stuff. I did get the two posts on Cobo and the WW&F but I missed the big times had with Skull and a more recent trip to Reading, PA. The sheer volume of photos slowed progress. I found some more material for future monthly oddities too. I'll start with Skull's visit...

The previously posted trips that Skull mentioned were actually quite fun! We started right off with a visit southward to Rigby, Saco and Wells. We made attempts to see what we could in the yard (without trespassing of course) and moved along to Saco. We managed to get to the depot with few moments to spare. An outbound train was not long in arriving. Apparently it was also hauling all the spare equipment to Southhampton for servicing too. The extra "cabbage", cars and "mud missle" were tacked on the back of the normal train. Here we see a green dot (Skull) watching the proceedings.

On the way home we caught some of the newer SD's visiting at New Gloucester. The one seen here was sitting on the siding for quite a while but we managed to be around after the re-crew. This one tested the abilities of my camera because the sun was setting rapidly. I had to go back for the monopod but wished for a tripod.

We got some "intel" that the former Conway Scenic F units were on the road with an OCS. All we could do about it was confirm that the units were not in Rigby (apparently they hid on the old Eastern line in South Portland) or on the road somewhere in between. Skull did not hear anything go by in the night either. But, we also knew the OCS was running and had approximate times and destination - Freeport. Off we went in the morning.

On July 1st, we figured the first good place to catch the train would be Sligo Rd. in Yarmouth, just up the line from Royal Jct./CPF 185 where the Brunswick line begins. It's a relatively safe place to stand next to the tracks and not raise any suspicions. There's a place to park and a public sidewalk to stand on. Well, other folks had the same idea. Skull and I were figuring out where to stand when two hi-rail trucks showed up. I turns out they were going to flag the crossings. We stayed out of their way but they were friendly enough. Before too long another car of railfans shows up. One of the two turned out to be a local character who's been chasing trains out of Brunswick for at least 4 decades! The older maintainer recognized him right away and the show began! They gave each other a friendly hard time right up until the OCS came along. That really lightened the moment since the workers probably wouldn't otherwise want to mess with railfans. We got some pointers on where else to go from the whole bunch and headed up the line as soon as the OCS went by.

We didn't figure correctly on speed and time of the OCS so we totally blew it as far as catching it on the run into Freeport. We wandered around just about every crossing we could find and then found the train hidden in trees downtown by the Chamber of Commerce. Well, we camped out on the Route 1 bridge until it backed down to Royal Jct. Only a couple of other fans were out. We stood in the sun for a hour or so before the train backed out of town. Luckily, the lights on the head end were lit too. You can't really tell which way the train is headed.

We thought Yarmouth Jct. would be the ideal next spot to wait. The train wasn't moving as fast in reverse though so we had a wait. Meanwhile, people are wondering if a special train is coming. We confirmed their suspicions. We even had a local cop at the nearby car dealership ask if one was coming. He and quite a few others stayed around until the train passed. The other railfans went over by the old GT Ry. crossing while we stayed by the road crossing.

Once the train reached Royal Jct., it then proceeded east to Waterville with the F unit forward again. We caught the train at the Penny Road overpass in New Gloucester and then tried for Danville Jct. but virtually tied in reaching the diamond. This train wasn't waiting around for anyone. We then raced ahead to Hackett Rd. at the east end of Rumford Jct. and caught it going by #517, which used to handle OCS trains with #516. Nice to see both in Pan Am blue and "side by each". We figured the next best hope was to blow through L/A and catch the train in Greene or Leeds Jct. We couldn't seem to catch up to it so it's a good thing we planned it that way. It hit the mp 157.2 "Lady in the Woods" detector just as we passed the area over on Rt. 100.

Then progress went slow. Apparently the track east of Lewiston is bad enough that even the OCS had to slow down. We stood around at Leeds Jct waiting longer than we thought we would, but the wait was worth it. The lighting was dramatic. We had been trying to raise the DT&I fan to see the train. He met us at Leeds Jct. just after the train passed. We could hear it blow for the Cressey Rd. crossing. It was time for supper and that railfan day ended pretty much right there. SEWA was ahead of the OCS and was going to take the siding at Readfield, but that was far off and we were hungry.

The next day we drove to Millinocket, Derby, NMJ, and had dinner with Joey and Charles H. at Dysarts. Not much to show for it in the way of photographs though. We were skunked worse than last year, which was pretty bad. It was a great day for a drive in the Maine woods though.

More local stuff on the 3rd. But, being the usual stuff, I'll refrain from showing much of it. I like Skull's shot of the GP15's better than mine.

It was good to have Skull around for a few days. We managed to get in some slides and video with the Wheelman and Videoman. But most of all, we had a fun time just hanging out in Maine.

BC