Nostalgia & History > SDP40Fs again

It seemed like a good idea to catch a ride down to Mount Union and see Jacks Tower in January 1976, so that's what a friend and I did. It was a fairly cold Central Pennsylvania day but the Juniata River not quite iced over. We walked in from our drop off spot in Mount Union and visited with the tower operator who we had so frequently heard on the dispatchers line from the vantage point of Hunt tower up the road. After a nice conversation with our new friend, the operator, he extolled the virtue of  Jacks. "Did you know from the beginning of November to the end of February, the sun never touches Jacks?" "Well now we do!" says I. Thus informed, we tried to perfect the art of shooting in the shadow of Jacks Mountain. Needless to say, I would have appreciated advice from our odd light specialist, Santa Fe Correspondent from Kansas Mr. Garrels had I know of him at the time.

1) The late Amtrak #40, the Broadway Limited with 3 SDP40Fs swings under the home signal for Jacks Interlocking.
2 & 3) My go-to train, #30 the National Limited with the then in favour SDP40F + E9B consist, passes slowly by Jacks Tower. That day, SDP40F 599 and E9B 457 had charge. I had caught those same two locomotives on the same train in Harrisburg less than a month earlier.

Thanks for looking.
Bob
Omaha

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Photos two and three capture what he said about the sun very well. Three great photos.
Bob

Neat stuff! I rode to & from the East Coast on the Broadway twice back in that era. Once in spring '79 (behind E units) & again in fall '80. I was able to do some dutch-door shooting all throughout both trips. What a different time it was...

Lance/199

Wow ! Three SDP40Fs on #40. Thanks for posting these. Jacks was probably the least photographed Tower on the Middle Division due to it's location and lack of sun in the winter. Glad you were there to record these Broadway and National images. 

What a beautiful tower location!

You were in one of those areas on the old Middle Division that escaped just about everyone's camera, including mine! I only saw that tower once from a vestibule on a Harrisburg to Altoona fan trip. Actually looks like a neat spot, and you did just fine!
 

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

Outstanding !!