Tribute to Fallen PRR Signals in Pennsylvania

Some railfans having been making pilgrimages to central Pennsylvania in recent weeks to get one last photograph of the Pennsylvania Railroad installed position light signals before they are pulled down from the Pittsburgh Line of Norfolk Southern

Oneline reports indicates that at interlocking plants the position light signals are being replaced by modern signals and that intermediate signals are being removed and not replaced.

The former PRR mainline has a cab signal system similar to that in use on the NS Cleveland Line/Fort Wayne Line between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

Here is a tribute to the position light signals featuring NS trains as well as Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian at Lilly (two photos), Summerhill, Cresson and MG Tower (located two miles west of Horseshoe Curve near Altoona).

Photographs by Todd Dillon

Ed’s Pennsylvania Adventure: Part 1

Last week Ursula and I did a six-day trip to Pennsylvania that focused on Altoona and Hershey.

Our first stop was Horseshoe Curve. During our time at the curve from 1:30  p.m. to 6:15 p.m. we saw 21 movements, including 18 trains and three helper movements. Several times there were two trains at the same time.

In the top photograph, the Penn Central heritage locomotive of Norfolk Southern paces from Track No. 2 another train on Track No. 3 in late afternoon.

In the top photo below, a stack train eastbound on Track 2 passes a train on track 1. In the next image an eastbound meets a westbound late in the day.

That’s the back of Ursula’s head in the next image of her making a video of the westbound Amtrak Pennsylvanian.

Most of the time the crews are friendly when Amtrak goes around the curve as was evident today from the Amdinette.

Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

Taking Care of Unfinished Business

On Tuesday I had to take my car to Marty Surdyk’s garage in Parma for service. Prior to leaving in the morning I saw the potential of four Norfolk Southern heritage locomotive sightings if luck was with me.

They were the Lehigh Valley No. 8104, which I needed; Penn Central No. 1073

which I needed the engineer side; the Reading No. 1067, which I have never seen; and the First Responders 911 unit, which also I needed.

As the day went by I saw that the Reading turned south in Indiana and the 911 terminated in Bellevue.

This is what I got at 2:15 p.m. (PC), and 4:10 (LV). Two for four is a pretty good day.

 Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

1 Hour, 2 Heritage Units

I watched Penn Central No. 1073 this morning at 9:15 a.m. on the Horseshoe Curve rail cam. Also around that time I saw NS 8114 had been posted on Heritage Units as being in Chesterton, Indiana. What would be the chances for seeing two in one day?

I called fellow Akron Railroad Club member Jeff Troutman and he was attending a funeral but said he should be back home in the afternoon.

They were closing in so I figured if I drove we would have to be on the road by 3:30 p.m. I called Jeff and he was to be home a little after 3 p.m. I got him at 3:30 p.m.

We got to the Tot Lot in Bedford at about 4:50 p.m. The first two photos were made about a minute later.

A young railfan from Wisconsin with his father had no idea this was coming and was super excited. Then his excitement returned about 50 minutes later. It was a good day for everybody.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

Another Penn Central Throwback Look

Here are a couple more photos from my trip last weekend. I caught Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian and then the 20W led by Penn Central heritage unit 1073 at Lily Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Railroad era signal bridge still stands for now but probably not for much longer.

Photographs by Todd Dillon

PC Heritage Unit in Altoona

Todd Dillon writes that he took a trip to Pennsylvania last weekend and managed to catch the Penn Central heritage locomotive leading Norfolk Southern train 20W at Alto tower in Altoona.

Yesterday on this site we had a PC train being led by New York Central locomotives. Today we feature an NS train with a PC lookalike unit.

One of these days we’ll feature an actual PC train with an actual PC locomotive.

Photograph by Todd Dillon

Penn Central Heritage Unit in NE Ohio

The Penn Central heritage locomotive of Norfolk Southern passed through Northeast Ohio on Tuesday and Akron Railroad Club member Todd Dillon sends along this photo of it on the Cleveland Line that was made by a friend.

No. 1073 was on the point of the 20W, which passed through Berea in late morning. It was reported through Bedford at 1:45 p.m., past Brady Lake at 2:13 p.m. and through Alliance at 3 p.m.

Photograph by Brian Szemon 

Sunset on the Penn Central (H Unit That is)

It was getting to be almost 6 p.m. and we had a banquet to get to. The cocktail hour would be starting in less than 15 minutes. The sunlight was fast slipping away.

But we also more important business to finish first. Norfolk Southern No. 1073 was leading a westbound crude oil tankers train through Cleveland and were were not going to miss it.

It has been several months since I’ve caught an NS heritage unit.

The cocktail hour for the annual dinner of the Forest City Division-Railroad Enthusiasts at Tony K’s restaurant in Berea could wait. The Penn Central heritage unit was coming.

As it turned out, there was just enough light to get a decent image. In fact, it was more than decent with the last rays of sunlight illuminating a billowing cumulus cloud in the background.

Train 65K has a clear signal on track No. 1 at CP 194, which most know as Berea. Despite temperatures in the teens and a wind chill that made it feel much colder, a small group of fans lined the NS Chicago Line tracks on both sides.

This made my friend, Adam Barr, and I two for two in getting NS heritage units on the day of the RRE banquet. Last year we caught the Central of New Jersey heritage unit in a snowstorm in Vermilion.

The engineer sounded the horn in greeting us as the train passed by. Then it was off to the banquet and a glass of Columbus Brewing Company IPA to go along with the tales we told of how we got the PC H unit.

Article and Photograph by Craig Sanders

My First NS Heritage Unit Since Last September

I was home from work on Tuesday night and went onto the computer to look at some websites. I was looking over Heritageunits.com and saw that the Penn Central H unit was heading west on the former Nickel Plate Road.

I went up to Park Road and Madison Avenue and waited 20 minutes before I got the PC heritage locomotive working solo on the lead of Norfolk Southern 287, an auto rack train, at 10:45 p.m.

It was the first NS heritage unit that I’ve seen since having my surgery last September.

Article and Photograph by Edward Ribinskas

 

 

After the Conrail-Penn Central ‘Breakup’

A zoom in shot showing 8098 and the 195 signal bridge.

Due to work obligations I wasn’t able to get the Conrail/Penn Central heritage duo together when they returned to Cleveland on Wednesday, but I did manage to catch them both after they were separated.

First it was the 27N with the Conrail H unit now doing its solo gig at Lewis Road in Olmsted Falls passing under the 195 signal bridge.

Then it was back over to Rockport Yard in Cleveland to photograph the sitting duck PC unit. Prior to the 27N showing up, the 15N headed west with three BNSF units.

Article and Photographs by Roger Durfee

Closer view of Big Blue.

Roster view of the 1073.

PC unit with 14N and the Rockport yard office in the background. Note CR coil car behind the 1073 that is still in a patched PC green.

It is one busy railroad at Lewis Road.

The 15N with the three BNSF units heads west.