Nostalgia & History > Happy Thanksgiving - Heading home on Amtrak 1974

Penn State was on the quarter system back in the day (1974) so the break included Thanksgiving. I got a lift down to Lewistown PA so I could ride #30 the National Limited back home. It was standing room only (more precisely sit on your suitcase) when I got on, but I quickly headed back to the dutch door on the rear coach.

Here are two photographs from that train ride:

1) #30 heading passing Banks tower, just west of Enola. Two SDP40Fs are leading that day's National.
2) #30 passing a SB PC North Central freight from Northumberland PA and points north on the Rockville viaduct. The PC train is powered by twin SD45s.

All the best to the you on your Thanksgiving.

Bob
Omaha



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/18 09:50 by King_Coal.

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What a great way to enjoy the Thanksgiving break!

I'll bet it was cold in that vestibule.

Both photos are great, especially like the first one with the PRR position light signals.

King_Coal Wrote:
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> 1) #30 heading passing Banks tower, just west of
> Enola. Two SDP40Fs are leading that day's
> National.

Bob,  I'm really curious about that tower.  I really don't think it was Banks because I've always known Banks to be on the highway side of the tracks.  Was there a tower between View at Duncannon and Banks?

Banks was on the north (river) side. View was on the south side. The caption is correct.

For the tower lovers, here's Rockville tower. Plus another PRR PL signal photo, not certain where.

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onblock Wrote:
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> Banks was on the north (river) side. View was on
> the south side. The caption is correct.

Thanks.  Only there once as kid when the tower was still standing and for some reason all the subsequent times I've been there since I thought the tower was on the south side of the tracks.

The intermediate signal in question certainly looks like signal bridge 1178/1179, the first signal bridge east of View Tower. There are eastward signals for tracks one and three, plus a single westbound signal for track four. All of this, plus the left hand curve, matches up with that signal bridge.