Eastern Railroad Discussion > philly info

MAybe heading to Philly in may or june any good easy to get to photo spots? Also, any idea which trains use the high line? thanks in advance ,Tom

Upper level (SEPTA) of 30th St Station for outbound trains at the western end 0f platform affords view of High Line, Race St yard (Amtrak), Amtrak activity on lower level and possibly CSX on far side of river (not sure of obstructions as haven't been there in many years)  While not necessarily the best for photography, it's safe and one can see a good amount of activity especially commuter trains as the rush hour begins.
Perhaps by the time of your visit New Jersey Transit service to/from Atlantic City may be re-instated.  They use lower level as well.

30th street parking garage is a good spot. Also the river walk as mentioned before. If you want to work for a great shot, Laurel Hill cemetery looks over the CSX and NS tracks

The High line is oftentimes local trains (SP-18 is every morning). CSX sometimes runs trains up there, most oftentimes they send it along the river and the art museum

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Any doublestacks on CSX need to run the highline. They don't fit under the art museum.
go

thanks everyone fo rthe info, tom

Take the SEPTA train from the 30th St. station toward the airport and get off at the first stop (UNIVERSITY CITY Station).  Walk up the stairs and cross the street.  Follow the walkway around Franklin Field - Univ of PA football stadium. Turn right and follow the walkway and footbridge toward the univ athletic complex (tennis courts and softball fields, etc.). Keep walking east toward the river to the footbridge over the Amtrak approach to 30th St. station.  You will have to take photos through the plexiglass but that is not a problem.  The photos will turn out fine.  There is a spectacular backdrop of the city skyline.  Lighting is best in the afternoon for great photos of Amtrak trains. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/19 16:56 by birdman.

Septa runs a variety of commuter rail, light rail, and subway routes.
Maybe look into doing a circuit to Norristown. Heading from Center City, take the Market Frankford Subway Line to 69th Street Terminal, located in Upper Darby. At 69th Street Terminal, switch to the 100 Norristown High Speed Line, which is like a "bus on rails." That route uses whats called N5 cars which can really accelerate. The Norristown High Speed Line is an example of suburb to suburb rail as it is designed to transport people from the immediate western suburbs of Philadelphia traveling in an arc up to communities like Ardmore, Radnor, Villanova, and Norristown. When you get to Norristown Transportation Center, switch to Septa's Norristown Regional Rail Line, which offers a nice ride along the Schuykill River for some time serving intermediate points like Conshohocken and Manayunk.

If you want to go to stations where you can photograph both Amtrak and Septa trains, I suggest that you go outside of Philadelphia. The Paoli/Thorndale Line offers frequent service up to Paoli and Malvern daily. Limited service runs west of Malvern to Thorndale on Mondays through Saturdays. The Paoli/Thorndale Line is also used by Amtrak as part of the Keystone Corridor. I recommened going to stations like Bryn Mawr.

Septa Regional Rail typically uses MUs. During the rush hour, they use locomotive hauled electric consists. Starting in a few weeks, a locomotive hauled set will show up on middle of the day runs like the Norristown Line, Media-Elwyn Line, and Warminster Lines.

Thank you

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How is Woodburn for photo opportunities? Septa, NS CSX

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Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> How is Woodburn for photo opportunities? Septa,
> NS CSX
>
> Posted from Android


A popular spot where you can get all three

Woodbourne is a good afternoon spot for railfanning. In the morning, trees cover the east side of the right of way. In the afternoon, being that there is a parking lot on the west side of the tracks, it opens up good shop opportunities. Just north of the Woodbourne Station, the ex-PRR Trenton Cutoff goes over the W. Trenton Line.

You might want to check out the next stop of Langhorne, PA, which has good lighting for photography during the am and pm. I think all Septa passengers wait on the platform on the westside of the tracks. There is a fence between the middle and easternmost track. The easternmost track is used for freight only, I think. While Langhorne Station might have good photo angles during the morning, it's better in the afternoon. During rush hour, Septa runs two trains with Sprinters and Comets in each direction. The engines are on the west end of the consists. On the W. Trenton Line, they lead in the morning and push during the pm rush hour.

If you want to involve a trip to NJ, why not take Patco across the Delaware River to the Walter Rand Transit Center in Camden, take a ride on NJT's RiverLine diesel light rail to Trenton, railfan at the Trenton Transit Center, and then head back to Philadelphia on Septa. Just bear in mind that both Camden and Trenton are two of NJ's most dangerous cities, so be very careful when you are in those places and try not to venture too far from the transportation hubs in those cities. The transportation hubs, themselves, are ok because there are a lot of people. The Walter Rand Transportation Center isn't the most attractive but it's fine, at least, during the daytime. The Trenton Transit Center is nice and there are a lot of people there since it is not only a hub for commuter trains and buses in Mercer County, but many Amtrak trains stop there. Trenton Transit Center is a great station to watch and photograph trains. I have been to the Trenton Transit Center many times and have never had a problem with unsavory characters. Just stay as close to the station as possible and don't wander into any of the residential areas.