Nostalgia & History > Some Conrail in the Snow at Emmaus,PA. - OTD 32 years ago

On the morning of 1/26/88 I woke up to a winter wonderland and decided that I needed a little railfanning fix before buckling down to the snowblowing and shoveling at home.  I went over to Emmaus,PA. along Conrail's Reading Line and heard the Dispatcher inform a Track Inspector that he had 3 eastbounds and 2 westbounds coming between Reading and Allentown,PA. before he could Hi-Rail.  The first eastbound I shot at 6th St. was CR 6640,6718 on a UFM Coal Train headed to the PP&L Martins Creek Power Plant. Right behind the UFM was PYAL-5 (Pot Yard - Allentown) with 3 SD40-2s that I shot between 6th and 7th St.  I remember how we used to complain about Code Lines, Line Wires and Poles always getting in the way. Now I'm glad that I incorporated them in my shots,especially when they were coated in fresh snow.  I moved about a half mile east to the Water Works at Klines Lane to shoot a westbound UCR-99 (Coal Empty from Cental Hudson Power in Roseton,NY.) with CR 6387 and NS 6097 heading back down to the NS at Hagerstown,MD.

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I went back to 6th St. for the second westbound which was ALCA (Allentown,PA. - Camden,NJ.) with CR 6512,6334. The 3rd eastbound turned out to be ZBB-177 (Iron Ore from Phila.,PA. - Beth Steel ,Bethlehem,PA.) I shot it going by the ex-Reading Station between 5th and 6th St.  Finally I snapped a shot of the station coated in snow.  I got my fix and it was time to go back home and dig out.

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Fantastic shots! Really like that 5th one.

What a neat little station. Thanks for sharing.

Is that the close clearance sign still standing in #5?

Posted from iPhone

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

Great winter images !
The snow encrusted code lines are interesting.
Gary

All great shots, thanks for posting.

Gerry Gaugl
Ottawa ON

No Doug, that was an ex-RDG cast Whistle Board and they are all long gone. And it's a shame that the Station doesn't look like that anymore.

These are great shots, I miss seeing the ore trains. It’s hard to believe how long ago these were taken, those days seem like yesterday!!!
Dan

Posted from iPhone

Yeah Dan, when I scanned these that is exactly what I thought too !  32 years ago just seems like yesterday. That's what is so great about this Nostalgia & History board. It'll keep you young !

perklocal Wrote:
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> The 3rd eastbound turned out to be
> ZBB-177 (Iron Ore from Phila.,PA. - Beth Steel
> ,Bethlehem,PA.) I shot it going by the ex-Reading
> Station between 5th and 6th St.

All sweet Rod, but this ZBB is a classic winter scene. Well done.

Roger Durfee
Akron, OH

Very nice series!  Pretty good snow you got there.

Andy

5 wonderful shots of the good old days on Conrail.  Beautiful!

~RGDave