An Hour Late? That is Actually Good News

The eastbound Lake Shore Limited is gaining speed as it charges toward
Bort Road on Track No. 1 of the CSX Erie West Subdivision at North East, Pennsylvania.

This is a story about one of those rare days when Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited was an hour late and I was quite happy about it.

Of course Nos. 48 and 49 are frequently late, hence their nickname of the “Late Shore Limited.”

Yet No. 48 tends to be on time or nearly on time leaving Cleveland.

During the long days of summer you can catch No. 48 east of town in good morning light. But once it gets to be late summer, you about have to go to Pennsylvania to get No. 48 in morning light unless it is running very late.

On this day, No. 48 was about an hour late out of Cleveland. Our plan was to catch it at Bort Road in North East, Pennsylvania.

The scheduled departure time for the eastbound Lake Shore Limited out of Erie is 7:20 p.m. That would put it at Bort Road about 15 minutes later.

We got to Bort Road in plenty of time to photograph No. 48 even if it had been on time.

The sun wasn’t quite up yet and some clouds were in the area. Hence, had No. 48 been on time, the lighting would have been OK, but not great.

CSX had track No. 2 shut down for tie replacement. That meant No. 48 had to stop, get permission from the foreman to pass through the work zone — which extended into New York State — and move at 25 mph for about three miles.

The end of the 25 mph speed restriction was about a mile north of Bort Road, so about the time lead P42DC No. 11 got to our position the train was accelerating.

The sun has also risen high enough to bathe the Amtrak train in brilliant early morning light.

Within a half-hour after No. 48’s passage, a bank of clouds rolled in off Lake Erie and it was cloudy and overcast the rest of the morning.

But during the window when the Lake Shore Limited passed through, the weather could not have been any better.

Article and Photographs by Craig Sanders

The wide angle perspective as No. 48 is about to pass beneath Bort Road.

The Viewliner baggage car behind the two P42DC locomotives is brand new. The three VIewliner sleepers are not so new. The dining car that is partially visible is a senior citizen by now.

Stretched out and gleaming in the morning sun.

Tags: Amtrak, Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited, Bort Road North East Pa., Lake Shore Limited, Late Lake Shore Limited, North East Pennsylvania, Railfanning in North East Pa.