Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS Pgh Line PL Signal Salute Part 4

This is part 4 of my periodic series highlighting the quickly falling PRR style position light signals on the NS Pittsburgh Line east of Pittsburgh.
Jumping west from Latrobe, there were unfortunately a couple PL installations east of Greensburg that I never committed to pixels (the slides are somewhere in my archives, I hope).
1. Our next stop is the automatics at 332 just west of Irwin at Larimer, with a 777 hopper train for Shire Oaks. The road bridge in the distance was a great spot for eastbounds in Conrail days but has sadly been condemed due to its failing surface and is now inaccesible.
2. A favorite spot are the automatics at MP 334 at Ardara. 60F, a unit frac sand train for SWP at Radebaugh rolls under the signals on an early November day. 334 also functions as the approach signal for CP Traff, the approach signal here on traclk 2 indicates a stop signal there for westward traffic.
3. On a much colder winter day, another sand train rolls east in the midst of a snow squall.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/19 08:33 by DJ-12.

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4. Westbound 21Z has a helper coasting behind on track 2 a bitter cold winter morning. Westbounds taking advantage of the CTC signalling here is quite common in the mornings, as Amtrak 42 usually runs on track 1 for station work at Greensburg and Latrobe.
5. A warm summer morning about a year ago finds 16N running on the Pittsburgh Line  due to track work on the A the clear signal on 2 beckons a westbound lined through TRAFF.
6. A scan of one of my old print efforts shows Conrail PIES working east at Ardara circa 1992.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/19 11:02 by DJ-12.

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One of the most photographed spots for PL signals are the westward signals at Wilmerding (WING). This is a critcal interlocking as it gaurds multiple crossovers and a junction with the Port Perry Brnach to the west and a controlled siding and the entrance to the Pitcairn i
intermodal yard to the east.
7. Stack train 25Z cruises west past the pedestals.
8. In the early NS era, an all Conrail consist leads Strawberry Ridge PPL hoppers down 99 track and towards the Port Perry Branch.
9. 22W is a consistent morning train that works the NS intermodal ramp at Pitcairn, shown here coming in for a landing on 98 track.

 

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10. A snowy morning finds a late running 26T lead by the PRR heritage unit.
11. NS 294 throttles up as they come off the Port Perry Brnach and head east behind a standard cab SD60 leader.
12. PRR 8102 strikes a classic pose as it leads 17G the Westinghouse Air Brake plant and the PL signals.

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13. One of the oddest moves these signals has witness was a ferry move by the NKP 765 in August 2012. Everyone is out to watch the steam engine, including Wabtec employees on the roof and the crew of a waiting NS rack train on 99 track.
14. Another all Conrail consist on an empty Strawberry Ridge train, one of the very last 3 unit Conrail sets I caught.
15. The PL signals at WING frame the ornate brickword of teh Westinghouse plant.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/19 09:42 by DJ-12.

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My latest, and likely last visit to Ardara with PL signals was made to document the Boradway Limited Anniversary excursion PV's tagging along on the back on Amtrak's Pennsylvanian this summer.
16, 17: Amtrak 43 meets the last rays of sun coming under another classic Ardara structure, the township road bridge just west of the signals at 334 and just as quickly moves under the clear signal at 334.
18. 20 minutes later the reincarnated Broadway Limited is long gone and I'm packing up my gear, but before I make it to the car an eastbound calls the signals at TRAFF. NS 38Q roars into view a few minutes later, putting a bow on my last time shooting position lights at Ardara.

Thaks for looking all!
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/19 12:30 by DJ-12.

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Great set of pics. We lost the PRR position light signals in my hometown of Whiting, IN, several years ago. I always thought they they were very practical signals, but I can understnd the need for replacing older equipment and trying to standardize signaling on a railroad.

Fine series of photos. Thanks for saluting!

well done. Many great photos.
Bob

Thanks for the pics...