Eastern Railroad Discussion > A few more from west of Harrisburg late last week

A few more from Thursday and Friday last week on the NS Pittsburgh Line just west of Harrisburg.  Fall foliage was peaking, with a cold rainy Sunday and more of the same predicted for much of the upcoming week, most of the leaves should be dropped in a few days.  Here we see 21T at Cove (116.9), followed by empty coal train 777 on Thursday.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/20 20:44 by sscannella.

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Over the last few weeks, the returning empties on the 700-series coal trains returning to Western PA from North Carolina have seen a operational change.  The loads (740/746/776/780) usually run in a 2 X 2 configuration, while the empty counterpoints had the DPUs MUed to the head end power.  Now, the DPUs stay on the rear, which makes refueling a bit of a chore as the inbound crew has to stay and spot the DPUs for fueling at the Harrisburg fuel pad.  But I guess it saves time switching the power around twice as they train sets cycle through.

I headed back out again Friday 10/23 after work (and after the fog and clouds finally burned off).  Started at CP-CANNON (MP 119 on the Pittsburgh Line), waiting on an extremely late 10K to cross Sherman's Creek.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/20 20:45 by sscannella.

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10K reportedly was delayed several hours at Conway due to no available power.    Just before I saw it, it tripped the detector at Aqueduct (3 miles west), and had to be inspected.  Shortly after here, the detector at CP-BANKS malfunctioned, and because it is a key train, it had to be stopped and walked by the conductor, which delayed it another hour or so while it was stretched out over Rockville Bridge (191 cars).

22W, which headed east next, then had to stop at CP-BANKS and wait for empty coal train 741 to clear BANKS on track 2 before it could relay through Harrisburg to Rutherford yard on the east side of Harrisburg.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/20 20:46 by sscannella.

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I decided to head to Newport (MP 131.4) to catch the 741, which was another of the empty NC coal trains with rear end DPUs.    I was also hoping to catch 36A there, as it is also usually has a mid-train DPU, and was reported to have several cuts of John Deere tractors.

But as I feared, 36A got to Newport the same time I arrived, and it's head end got by me before I could fire off some photos.  741 was approaching on track 2, and 20R was running hot on 36A's heels on track 1, so I was slightly concerned that 741 would get blocked.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/20 20:47 by sscannella.

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But in the end it all worked out, as 20R cleared seconds before 741 came around the curve, and with that, I may have said goodbye to the fall foliage in Central PA.

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That Newport spot is may favorite... Thanks for the update!

Bob

Nice photos and scenery. Thanks for the info on the NS coal empty's.
John