Eastern Railroad Discussion > Harrisburg area meet at the west end of Rockville Bridge

Sometimes things work out with the railroad gods.

While working in my yard Friday afternoon, I was listening to the NS Harrisburg Terminal dispatcher radio feed on Broadcastify, and heard an empty 741 coal train returning from North Carolina to the coal fields of southwestern PA come off the Lurgan Line and stop at the Harrisburg fuel pad.  When they got the DPU spotted for fuel, I headed out to one of my favorite spots at the west end (Marysville side) of the Rockville Bridge.

While heading across the Susquehanna River on I-81, I hear a 6E4 ethanol train coming through CP-CANNON about 8 miles to the west.  Hmm...   6E4 calls Banks a bit before 741 calls the Rockville signal.  Will I get them together.  The pictures and video speak for themselves.  Not quite perfect, but pretty damn close.  I'll take it!

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I'll post these two from earlier in the morning here just for the heck of it...while sitting down for breakfast, 13R, a fairly regular morning departure from Enola, was starting to do it's loop-the-loop across the Susquehanna River to the Harrisburg side, then back across the south end of Harrisburg on former Reading trackage to Hagerstown, MD and points south.   Figured I'd have enough time to down my cereal and coffee, and helped by a slight delay at CP-HARRISBURG due to some MoW activity, I set up on the Mulberry St. Bridge just south of the Harrisburg Transportation Center to grab a couple shots of it curving off to the right.

Didn't realize when I headed out that behind the NS AC rebuild leader, there was a veteran UP unit and a CSX unit dead-in-tow for CSX in Hagerstown.  As an added bonus, another UP unit was contributing to the moving the train as the mid-train DPU.

When the head end of the train reached the former Reading, now NS's Lurgan Line, it is actually on three different NS lines, the middle is on the NS Harrisburg Line, and until the rear end clears CP-HARRISBURG, it is running on the NS Pittsburgh Line.

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You lucked out Sam.  Great catches.

Beautiful. Sometimes Life is Good !

Nice catch of thr meet. Great video.
John

Great picture at the west end of Rockville! How did you get to the hill by the "Mary" interlocking? I've never found anyplace on Rt 15 to park and have been reluctant to walk along the ROW.

Any tip would be appricuated!


 

Nothing secret or special.  Park next to the billboard and walk up behind it.

rhitchco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great picture at the west end of Rockville! How
> did you get to the hill by the "Mary"
> interlocking? I've never found anyplace on Rt 15
> to park and have been reluctant to walk along the
> ROW.
>
> Any tip would be appricuated!
>
>
>  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/22 12:38 by sscannella.

Bravo! With the exception of the photos of the Enola electrical component bungalow, you managed to exclude graffiti from every shot!

Art House

sscannella Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nothing secret ot special.  Park next to the
> billboard and walk up behind it.
>
> rhitchco Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Great picture at the west end of Rockville! How
> > did you get to the hill by the "Mary"
> > interlocking? I've never found anyplace on Rt
> 15
> > to park and have been reluctant to walk along
> the
> > ROW.
> >
> > Any tip would be appricuated!
> >
> >
> >    Is the open area, not sure what it was a pit/quarry, something of the sort, still on the south side of the highway and across from this spot? I would park there on occasions with no issues. Nice shots Sam. Ben

Photo one is a really beautiful meet image.
Bob

Spectacular!

dt

Fun video. Luck was smiling at you. Thanks for sharing.

Great bunch, interesting to get both the lead and tail ends passing each other...

JG

I will be heading that way in the next several weeks to stay at the Bridgeview.  Looking forward to it.
Thanks
Russ

The spot does allow for a good view, but would never recommend it to anyone.  It is right along a busy 2 lane narrow major highway and the only place to really park is along side the road.  It is very dangerous, and don't believe it is worth the risk.  Always be safe while trackside, it is not worth getting hurt over a good picture.  

ns2557 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sscannella Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Nothing secret ot special.  Park next to the
> > billboard and walk up behind it.
> >
> > rhitchco Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Great picture at the west end of Rockville!
> How
> > > did you get to the hill by the "Mary"
> > > interlocking? I've never found anyplace on Rt
> > 15
> > > to park and have been reluctant to walk along
> > the
> > > ROW.
> > >
> > > Any tip would be appricuated!
> > >
> > >
> > >    Is the open area, not sure what it was a
> pit/quarry, something of the sort, still on the
> south side of the highway and across from this
> spot? I would park there on occasions with no
> issues. Nice shots Sam. Ben

Ben,

If it's the spot I'm thinking you are referring to, it's the entrance to a new housing development being built along the mountainside.

Thank you for your reply, your pictures are beautiful.  But, Route 15 is extremely busy and we are very big on safety.  Plus, if you park at the entrance to the new housing development, then you have to walk across the highway. Just to dangerous for us and would feel bad for anyone if they got hurt just for a photo, it is not worth it.  There are plenty of great safe spots nearby. PS, My name is not Ben and only know one Ben who is not into trains 😅.  

Sorry, I was actually replying to NS2557, who is a Ben.   

As far as the safety of taking a photo from that location, your opinion is appreciated, but I (as well as many others) have been shooting from there for 30 years.  I've never felt like there was an issue, I've had PA state troopers, who patrol that stretch of 11/15 pass by numerous times with nothing other than an occasional wave.  

Here's Conrail Mail-3 from the same location from October 1993...

1Train2Many Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank you for your reply, your pictures are
> beautiful.  But, Route 15 is extremely busy and
> we are very big on safety.  Plus, if you park at
> the entrance to the new housing development, then
> you have to walk across the highway. Just to
> dangerous for us and would feel bad for anyone if
> they got hurt just for a photo, it is not worth
> it.  There are plenty of great safe spots nearby.
> PS, My name is not Ben and only know one Ben who
> is not into trains 😅.  

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Nice video...

Wasn't perfect? Looked good to me, especially the Lehigh Valley Heritage Unit leading the coal train!

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