Steam & Excursion > Ten Years Ago Today - NKP 765 in PA...

Ten years ago today...

In August 2015, railfans in the northeast were treated to a special visitor as part of Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam Program.

Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 765, owned by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, came to New York and Pennsylvania to pull a series of excursions throughout the area in August and September. On August 22 and 23, NKP 765 would pull the “Lehigh Gorge Special,” two 21st Century Steam excursions north out of Bethlehem, PA to Pittston, PA and return, with a layover in Jim Thorpe on the way back south.

#1. I could only get out to chase Saturday’s trip, which started with clear blue skies as I stood on the floodwall along the Lehigh River just north of Weissport.

#2 & 3. After backtracking through Weissport to get to I-476, I made the long jump past the almost-inaccessible Lehigh Gorge section of track and set up at the north portal of White Haven Tunnel. The photo line stood and listened to the 765 work upgrade for a few minutes before she rounded the curve and popped into view through the tunnel, and then made a deafening racket coming out of the north portal.
 

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#4. A quick scramble up the hill and a hasty drive got us to Glen Summit, where 765 passed a parked southbound NS manifest 13T.

#5. After a cloudy shot with people in it at Penobscot, I moved on down the hill to the Oak Street crossing in Pittston, to catch 765 coming downgrade through the S-curve south of the crossing. 

#6. The last spot on the northbound chase was St. Joseph Cemetery in Duryea, which provides a view of the tracks and the Endless Mountains to the west.
 

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#7.  After the train was turned and serviced in Reading & Northern’s Pittston Yard, it was back to St. Joseph Cemetery for the start of the southbound chase, getting an elevated view over all the chasers parked right alongside the tracks.

#8. Racing across town, I beat the train climbing upgrade to the McAlpine Street crossing to get this view running alongside Mill Creek.

#9. After another stop at the Oak Street crossing, it was up to the top of the hill to catch the train passing Reading & Northern’s 2006-built Penobscot yard office building. The power parked in the yard this weekend was SD40-2 3055, a former C&NW locomotive.
 

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#10 & 11. The south portal of White Haven Tunnel is not as photogenic as the north side, but it still provided a good show as 765 blasted out of the tunnel.
 

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#12 &13. Once again jumping ahead while the train navigates the Lehigh Gorge, I set up at the R&N interlocking known as COAL at the south end of the Lehigh Gorge State Park. The NS (former Lehigh Valley) is in the foreground, dropping down as it stays on the east side of the Lehigh River near Jim Thorpe. The 765 is on the R&N (former CNJ), climbing to cross the NS and the Lehigh River and into downtown Jim Thorpe.

- Chris
 

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Excellent set - Your photos truly honor her.
Bob

Woah!  All of these are good, and three or four are outstanding.  Thanks for taking your camera when you were out chasing NKP 765.

You had a great day!  Tons of excellent shots here; all top shelf.

Andy

Very nice! Boy has it been that much time since the 765 was in PA. I remember riding behind it on the excursion from Steamtown to the Delaware Water Gap. The ride itself was great! 

A collection of sharp & well composed pictures. Thank you for the look back.
John

A whole bunch of winners there.  Congrats on the well deserved IOTD.

Bob

Hey I rode that train!!

Riders parked in South Bethlehem on the old Bethlehem Steel grounds and were bused to the ex-Conrail TrailVan ramp.

The train departed headed west on ex LV rails and entered the NS Reading Line at Burn in Allentown.

We then reversed into Allentown Yard on ex-Allentown Terminal trackage.

Then we charged north on the ex CNJ!

We entered LV rails around Lehighton and rode them up to Pittston.

In Pittston there was an epic wye move to turn the train, and while turning boxes lunches for each coach were handed up to train crew members in the vestibules.

Then we headed down the Lehigh Gorge and at Glen Onoko we entered ex-CNJ and crossed the River into Jim Thorpe where we de trained and were treated to a photo runby!

Departing Jim Thorpe we headed back to Allentown yard and reversed the morning move to the Reading Line then down into the Valley Hole.

Good stuff!
Dan

Nice coverage.

Posted from iPhone

Great shots!!