SP Heritage Unit Does the Mon Valley

On Friday night the Southern Pacific heritage locomotive of Union Pacific came through Cleveland. Saturday morning found it sitting at Shire Oaks, Pa., waiting to take its train to Bailey Mine.

We burned rubber to Pittsburgh and looked for the NS Interstate heritage unit which was reportedly sitting at Conway.

Not finding anything there, we continued to Shire Oaks. At the south end of the yard was the SP heritage unit trailing a four-unit consist.

After an hour, he was rolling south to Bailey Mine with NS train N22. After getting some decent sunlight shots we proceeded to West Brownsville. A northbound CSX train then a southbound NS went through before our train showed up.

No less than three cars cut in front of the train on the street running trackage there, with one of them cutting it very close. We chased further south, catching him again at Clarksville in some sweet light. We caught him once again before the light started to give out and we headed for home.

Article and Photographs by Todd Dillon

Rare Mileage Trip Plannned in SW Pennsylvania

Wisconsin-based High Iron Travel has announced a private passenger car trip on freight-only tracks in southwestern Pennsylvania that were once owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad.

The trip, named “Coal Goes To War,” will operate on July 28 between Pittsburgh and the West Virginia border on a route that primarily handles Norfolk Southern coal trains today.

The trip is a fund-raising venture to help pay for the restoration of Alto Tower in Altoona, Pa.

The special will be pulled by Bennett Levine’s Pennsy E units and feature an all private cars consist.

More details about the trip will be release once final approval is granted by NS and pricing is worked out with Amtrak.