Eastern Railroad Discussion > Saturday train Chasing on the NS Reading line.

Since tomorrow is Easter Sunday and since I'm spending the day with most of the family, i decided to go train chasing today instead of tomorrow. Beertrain couldn't go along. he is at the National Bowling tournament in Reno Nevada and then going to las Vegas. I went out twice. both times were very productive. Here is some of what I saw.

Pic 1 NS 11J at Alburtis, Pa.

pic 2 NS 19g at Mertztown, Pa

pic 3 NS 262 at Hellgate (Just east of Fleetwood, PA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/14 19:02 by jim6300loco.

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Thanks for the pictures on such a nice day.

That H68 looks like it has an enormous amount of power for a local. Four engines.

Happy Easter!

pic 4 NS 21M at Walnuttown,Pa (Just west of Fleetwood, Pa.

pic 5 I always like to see the competition rideing side by side on21M

That was the end of the first session. I went home for some lunch and a nap and then headed back out for more.
The first train a saw was an empty spine train extra at Hancock, Pa.

Pic 6 The clear block signal for the extra train.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/14 17:45 by jim6300loco.

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pic 7 the spine train extra at Hancock, Pa. just east of Topton, Pa at Par avenue grade crossing.

pic 8 The Stop block signal after the head end past the signal between Topton, Pa and Hancock, Pa.

Pic 9 NS 38g at Smith Lane just west of Alburtis, Pa

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And finally ,
The last pic. NS 20K at the curve at shamrock, Pa. All in all a good train chasing day.
Happy Easter everyone.
Jim

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I LIKE Pics 1 and 3!!

9260 was 19G

TOM

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> Thanks for the pictures on such a nice day.
>
> That H68 looks like it has an enormous amount of
> power for a local. Four engines.
>
> Happy Easter!


Sorry about that. it was 19G. I 'm sure when he called the signal at hancock he said h68. he even had frt that h68 moves.My mistake.
Jim

get your shots of the automatic block signals now, they`ll be coming
down soon. Between Burn and Blandon.

tom


jim6300loco Wrote:
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>
> pic 8 The Stop block signal after the head end
> past the signal between Topton, Pa and Hancock,
> Pa.

keysubdiv Wrote:
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> get your shots of the automatic block signals now,
> they`ll be coming
> down soon. Between Burn and Blandon.
>
> tom
>
>
> jim6300loco Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> ---
> >
> > pic 8 The Stop block signal after the head end
> > past the signal between Topton, Pa and Hancock,
> > Pa.

What will be taking their place?
Jim

Thanks for the discussion and train infos. The wayside signals are very useful when you're at the Macungie railfan park. They're visible in both directions

Most likely just the new style signals like at Fleetwood. The old signals lack the safety cage on the ladders which is a requirement now. That's why the old high mast signal at Fleetwood was the first to go.

Posted from iPhone

bi directional sigaling on both tracks with new signals. I also heard of a new
interlocking at Lyons. New electrical cabinets are in place at 31st St. Allentown
and just west of 7th St. in Emmaus. Shot 36Q knocking down E292 this morning. Blue
paint marks the new insulated joints at 7th St.

tom



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/14 09:10 by keysubdiv.

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keysubdiv Wrote:
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> bi directional sigaling on both tracks with new
> signals. I also heard of a new
> interlocking at Lyons. New electrical cabinets are
> in place at 31st St. Allentown
> and just west of 7th St. in Emmaus. Shot 36Q
> knocking down E292 this morning. Blue
> paint marks the new insulated joints at 7th St.
>
> tom


There already is a manual cross over at Lyons. are you saying they would put in a remote control interlocking at Lyons? Heck I remember when the Reading had cross overs at Fleetwood , Lyons, and Topton. It was CONRAIL who changed all that. Maybe they should put the High Line back in from Blandon to Reading or at the very least double track the Low grade from Blandon down to CP Laurel. They would have to put a new bridge in and put a heck of a lot of fill in at places to double track it.Conrail should have never ripped the high line out. What I found amaseing was they ripped it out after the line proved it;s value as a detour after the Railroad fell into the Quarry just by laurel siding back in the mid 80's.
Just my thoughts on the matter.
Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/14 18:11 by jim6300loco.

that`s what I heard

tom

jim6300loco Wrote:
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> are you saying they would put in a remote control
> interlocking at Lyons?

keysubdiv Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> that`s what I heard
>
> tom
>
> jim6300loco Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > are you saying they would put in a remote
> control
> > interlocking at Lyons?

Back in the 1990s, didn't Conrail put a temporary block operator at LYONS for a few months while doing track work? That couldn't have been cheap.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> keysubdiv Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > that`s what I heard
> >
> > tom
> >
> > jim6300loco Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > are you saying they would put in a remote
> > control
> > > interlocking at Lyons?
>
> Back in the 1990s, didn't Conrail put a temporary
> block operator at LYONS for a few months while
> doing track work? That couldn't have been cheap.

Yes they did. i actually have pictures of the block operator handing up the train Order( Form D) to a train there. (I need to find that picture)The shack that protected the operator from the elements is still there.
Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/14 18:15 by jim6300loco.

The temple hill would have little use these days. Can't run stacks or autos through town due to low clearances at Center. Even the garbage cars on 19G occasionally set off the high car detector at Belt. Double tracking the low grade is a bit of a wash because then you still wind up with single track at Tulp going up the connecting track. Now 261 on the Reading Line will be a HUGE help. Hopefully they also do the oddball sections between Richards and Bethlehem on the Lehigh Line as well.

Posted from iPhone

your right about Tulp. I hadn't given that a thought.
Jim

Having the ability to use either main on the Reading Line without the need for a track authority will alone be a MAJOR help. When the locals get working at Deka and Buckeye moving trains around them is a serious headache.

Posted from iPhone