Eastern Railroad Discussion > NE PA Friday - RBMN, DL, & NS

Had some family business to tend to Friday afternoon which brought me north from Harrisburg to the Scranton area for the day.  I had a few hours in the morning and later afternoon to get trackside with the camera, and the railroad gods didn't disappoint...

Started with a brief stop at the Humboldt Industrial Park near Hazelton and two Reading and Northern crews were busy finishing and starting their days while other forces were out cleaning out switches and trackage after the 20+ inches dumped on the region from a late-winter snowstorm.

First we see a pair of their green (appropriate for st Patrick's Day) and Yellow SD40-2s shoving a car pulled from a siding back to the rest of their train.  After they tied that car on, the cut away and pulled up to their small yard office in the industrial park where they appeared to tie-up for the day.

Once the first crew cleared, the second crew with a single SD38 then tied on to the cut of cars and pulled up to a switch which was being cleaned out by other RBMN forces. 

I only stuck around for a few more minutes then headed north to Scranton.  My first stop there was at NS's Taylor Yard as I had heard the nightly Taylor - Binghamton, NY turn, K82, had outlawed upon reaching Taylor Yard, and the daylight job - K81 - was coming on duty to relieve them and put the train away.  The power for the two jobs included one of Pan Am Southern's MEC SD40-2s



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/17 20:03 by sscannella.

---

---

---

Unfortunately by the time I got back to Bridge 60 (less than 10 minutes), the DL Pocono Main plow crew (SP1) had departed east, and although I quickly caught up, I missed shooting at the location behind the University of Scranton that I had originally planned on.  I was able to grab a quick shot 100 or so yards east of the original planned location.  With a little time left before I needed to tend to something else, I managed to make it to the Myrtle Street crossing just east of Nay Aug Tunnel to get this last shot starting up the Pocono grade.

Here's a view of the plow shortly after it was repainted by the DL crews and on display their former office at the former D&H freight station alongside Wyoming Avenue in downtown Scranton from 12/26/1994.

Ed K has much of the rest of the plow's trip east covered in a couple posts below.....

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/17 20:07 by sscannella.

---

---

---

After I finished my afternoon business, I spent another hour or so grabbing some late afternoon/early evening action before heading back south to Harrisburg.  The Reading and Northern's Scranton Branch job was finishing up it's work for the day and was starting to work it's way back to its base at the former Lehigh Valley Pittston Yard.  As it comes off the Keyser Valley Branch, it must work its way through the south end of NS's former DL&W and then D&H Taylor Yard before proceeding on the former DL&W Bloomsburg branch.  First I caught them passing the NS local power tied-up for the day.

Next I caught it coming around the curve in Old Forge as it is approaching Mariotti Lumber, where the SBPI had a quick stop to pull 3 empty lumber centerbeams, and then one more time in Duryea a half mile from Pittston Yard.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/17 20:10 by sscannella.

---

---

---

I had heard the NS's Northumberland Yard to Binghamton, NY job was getting close, so I headed to Laflin, PA (MP 684 on the NS former D&H Sunbury Sub).  An added bonus (for us easterners) was a pair of BNSF Pumpkin's grinding upgrade on Laflin Hill in early evening (6:00 pm) light after changing to DST the weekend before.  After that it was a short hour and 45 minute ride back home after a long day.

BONUS PICS!!! - The next morning back in Harrisburg I got word that the same two pumpkins that took 11A north from Northumberland to Binghamton were on southbound Binghamton - Enola job 11Z.  I was able to capture them at the end of the Buffalo Line at CP-WYE (albeit behind an NS leader), waiting on a lot of traffic crossing Rockville Bridge before they could get into Enola.  In fact, they had to wait for their northbound Enola-Binghamton counterpart 14R to get out of Enola Yard and cross the river to head north before they could get in, so a little over an hour later I got this final image of 14R with a pair of Pan Am / MEC SD40-2s trailing passing the stopped 11Z.

---

---

---

Very nice, thanks for sharing.

Beautiful winter images especially the snowplow being pushed by ALCOs.
Bob

Real good photos, you did very well with your trip!

Wonderful shots of Delaware-Lackawanna, Maine Central/Pan Am, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Norfolk Southern and Reading Blue Mountain & Northern! Quite the variety. Snow plow to boot!

SantaFeRuss

Posted from Android

GREAT stuff...!!  Thanks for posting.

Great shots!