Eastern Railroad Discussion > Total Surprise - Beautiful Signal Bridge & NS 14M In Lake City PA

Today, I did something different. I took a ride up to Lake City PA to try and see if I could see some CSX Trains pass the All Aboard Diner. Well, no CSX trains passed while I was up in Lake City about 1 hour & 40 minutes. So I decided to drive down Route 5 north of Lake City and head west back towards Ohio. Well I seen a side road named N Creek Road that had a bridge clearance sign. So I pulled down and load and be hold, no train, but a gorgeous signal bridge. So I pulled off the side of the road in a park drive and got out and took photos as seen. I was completely surprised to see it. Anyway, right after the photos were taken, I heard a K5LLA horn and I knew it was for the NS Lake Erie District. So I drove south about a mile to Elk Park Road and waited maybe 5 minutes and here came 14M rounding the curve with a great sounding K5LLA. Anyway, this was the first time I saw 14M in person. After that I drove back over to that signal bridge and waited 15 minutes to see if a CSX showed up and none did, so as I was leaving I took a final photo. Anyway, even though I saw 1 train, but heard 2 others that I missed on NS, it was a really nice surprise. I had no idea about that signal bridge.

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I'll have more photos after 9PM.
 

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Next photos are of 14M crossing Elk Park Road west of Lake City / Girard PA.
 

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Last photo of the signal bridge. Question, does this originally belong to NYC or CSX?
 

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Tom- that was a NYC signal bridge. This used to be Girard Junction, where the Pennsy's E&P left the NYC. That old ROW is still visible in certain places, and if one looks closely you can see where it used to cross West Middle Road, just north of crossing the NKP (now NS) at Thorton Junction.

NKP715 knows a lot more about it, as he was around when it was still in operation! Maybe he will share some of his excellent photos of the area...hint hint Jim!

I have an HO scale version of this signal bridge (custom built) for my HO scale layout. The signal itself is at QD103, at least that is how I hear the CSX crews call it.

I hope you had a bowl of chili at the All Aboard!

Rob Bennett
Fairview, PA
http://youtube.com/user/SirDopeyTheBear/featured

nkp746 Wrote:
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> Tom- that was a NYC signal bridge. This used to be
> Girard Junction, where the Pennsy's E&P left the
> NYC. That old ROW is still visible in certain
> places, and if one looks closely you can see where
> it used to cross West Middle Road, just north of
> crossing the NKP (now NS) at Thorton Junction.
>
> NKP715 knows a lot more about it, as he was around
> when it was still in operation! Maybe he will
> share some of his excellent photos of the
> area...hint hint Jim!
>
> I have an HO scale version of this signal bridge
> (custom built) for my HO scale layout. The signal
> itself is at QD103, at least that is how I hear
> the CSX crews call it.
>
> I hope you had a bowl of chili at the All Aboard!

Rob, to be honest about the All Aboard, I pulled in and they were packed. I walked in because it was lunch time and they had no tables or room. They were completely packed. I can defentely tell this place is busy most of the time. As for the signal bridge, next time I'll have to look for that ROW. Anyway, sometime this week I'll contact Jim. Anyway, this was the first time I was up in this area and had no idea this signal bridge was there. I even waited 40 minutes top between catching 14M for a CSX, but because it's around an hour and 10 minutes to home, I left early. By chance, do you have photos of this signal bridge in your personnal collection?

Tons...including detailed close ups as I was preparing to model the bridge. PM me your email and I can send some to you.

By
> chance, do you have photos of this signal bridge
> in your personnal collection?

Rob Bennett
Fairview, PA
http://youtube.com/user/SirDopeyTheBear/featured

Tom,

I've posted numerous photos over the years on the Nostalgia board
​showing Girard Jct and Thornton Jct.  Here's two that show that signal
​bridge  - -  Amtrak 49 on Aug 20, 1978, and NYC 6115 in Nov of 1964.
​The Amtrak shot shows the signals when it was still a CP; note the
​dwarf for the North Control Siding.  There was also a South Control
​Siding with a dwarf.  In the NYC shot (train is westbound) the signal
​bridge is in the background; track in the foreground leads to the
PRR.

​Third photo shows caboose of an EB (by timetable designation) PC
​train in May of 1971; this view shows the signal mast on the west end of
​Girard Jct, plus the PRR/PC signals.

​Girard Jct (GJ) was closed as a manned interlocking in 1952, with the
​control transferred to Dock Junction (DJ) in Erie. DJ was closed when
CTC was installed in 1961.  Last Pennsy (by then, Penn Central) train
​ran this route in (IIRC) Nov of 1971.  Thornton Jct was closed Dec 1, 1971.

​"GJ" remained as a CP with two sets of crossovers.  Eventually, the controlled
​sidings between CP 100 and CP 103 were removed.  The crossovers were
​high maintenance items and were eventually removed, leaving the track
configuration as it is today, and the signal bridge holding EB and WB intermediate
signals.  Of course, it's no longer a CP.

If you want to look at other photos I've posted, go to the TO search function,
keyword Girard Jct, author NKP715, all words, all dates, Nostalgia Board.
You can do the same for Thornton Jct.

Hope this gives you what you want.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/17 14:20 by NKP715.

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NKP715 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tom,
>
> I've posted numerous photos over the years on the
> Nostalgia board
> ​showing Girard Jct and Thornton Jct.  Here's
> two that show that signal
> ​bridge  - -  Amtrak 49 on Aug 20, 1978, and
> NYC 6115 in Nov of 1964.
> ​The Amtrak shot shows the signals when it was
> still a CP; note the
> ​dwarf for the North Control Siding.  There was
> also a South Control
> ​Siding with a dwarf.  In the NYC shot (train
> is westbound) the signal
> ​bridge is in the background; track in the
> foreground leads to the
> PRR.
>
> ​Third photo shows caboose of an EB (by
> timetable designation) PC
> ​train in May of 1971; this view shows the
> signal mast on the west end of
> ​Girard Jct, plus the PRR/PC signals.
>
> ​Girard Jct (GJ) was closed as a manned
> interlocking in 1952, with the
> ​control transferred to Dock Junction (DJ) in
> Erie. DJ was closed when
> CTC was installed in 1961.  Last Pennsy (by then,
> Penn Central) train
> ​ran this route in (IIRC) Nov of 1971. 
> Thornton Jct was closed Dec 1, 1971.
>
> ​"GJ" remained as a CP with two sets of
> crossovers.  Eventually, the controlled
> ​sidings between CP 100 and CP 103 were
> removed.  The crossovers were
> ​high maintenance items and were eventually
> removed, leaving the track
> configuration as it is today, and the signal
> bridge holding EB and WB intermediate
> signals.  Of course, it's no longer a CP.
>
> If you want to look at other photos I've posted,
> go to the TO search function,
> keyword Girard Jct, author NKP715, all words, all
> dates, Nostalgia Board.
> You can do the same for Thornton Jct.
>
> Hope this gives you what you want.

Jim, I read everything you wrote. WOW. A a lot of history for such a small area. How often did they use that Connection? How far did that line go to? When I was on Route 20 heading towards Lake City that why I noticed a rise in the hill to a bridge over a path and reminded me of a past railroad line. Anyway, it's sad how though's signals and also the history went away from 103. Also when sitting there just south near a small park, it looked to sharp for the CSX line. So there was a connection there. That's why when I continue west on Route 5 from that overpass really looked cool with that signal bridge. To bad though during the summer you probably can't see that. That's why, if I ever go back, I might drive up that small drive along that farm field and climb the embankment and get more photos. By chance, do you have any info on when this bridge might come down? Cause if you find out, please let me know as I will certainly drive back up and this time catch a CSX train under it. If I knew the NYC Heritage SD70ACe #1066 was leading or trailing, I would drive just to that spot to get that photo with NYC under a NYC Signal Bridge.

The Pennsy E&P line ran from Erie to Conway, utilizing
trackage rights over the NYC between DJ and GJ.  Typically
​there was one daily freight in each direction; when coal docks
​were working during the Great Lakes shipping season,  could be
​two loaded/two mtys per day.  (This was in the early 60's when
​I spent a lot of time at Thornton.)

​I don't see the signal bridge coming down in the near future,
but you never know.

You commented, a lot of history for a small place.  There were
literally thousands of "small places" that have a lot of history
behind them.

NKP715 Wrote:
> You commented, a lot of history for a small
> place.  There were
> literally thousands of "small places" that have a
> lot of history
> behind them.

Yea, one that comes to my mind, Berea Ohio!!

As for this signal bridge at MP103, I got a message from someone stating that CSX is taking down all the originla NYC signals and bridges and are heading west and are past Erie now. So it's a matter of time before they all go down. I even noticed the original signal bridge with no signals, (which used to be the NYC Search Light signals), that used to be just east of Main Street in Perry Ohio gone as seen in my latest photo I took Sat 2/11/17 with Q008 approaching Davis. But in the bottom photo was was Fri 2/6/15 you see it's still standing. So I believe last summer 2016 they took it down.
 

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