Passenger Trains > Busy afternoon at Hamilton NJ

Spent about 3 hours Monday afternoon at the Hamilton NJ Transit Center a few miles northeast of Trenton NJ.  The complex is a very popular station serving the suburban Trenton area and also draws quite a few people from next door Bucks County, PA.  NJT runs two trains per hour to NYC and most had around 80-100 passengers boarding here.  The station is open seven days with restrooms and a small convenience store inside.  The complex sits next to the Grounds for Sculpture which is rather unique in it's own right.  I ran out of time to get some photos of the art work, but there will always be another day.

Presented in chronological order with a few trains left out.  Enjoy.

1.  The Amtrak Veterans motor, #642, hauls Keystone train 665 west.  The engineer sounded the horn numerous times to draw attention from the crowd on the platform to his appropriately decorated unit for Memorial Day.  Nice way to start the day.

2.  I went up to the 5th level of the adjoining parking garage to try a different angle.  658 heads up Keystone train 666 eastward on track 2.

3.  NJT cab car 7051 leads a Trenton-NYC local making his stop.  The angle is OK, but nothing special.  A row of trees blocks the view looking north.

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4.  Looking north from the parking deck.

5.  630 leads train 140 northbound.  Another NJT train coming up behind.

6.  Train 140 and 161 meet at the station.  Speeds through here are reduced from the Princeton Jct. area as the new constant tension catenary is not completed here.

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7.  A long set of Jersey Arrows covers another Trenton-NYC local.

8.  While sitting on the bench I looked up at the flags and snapped this shot.  NJ State flag, USA flag and NJT's flag.

9.  Next up was train 19, the Crescent, with the Harry Potter wrapped motor leading.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/23 08:12 by thebluecomet.

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10.  Acela 2013 on train 2254.

11. NJT locals meet. The 7049 headed for Trenton was running 15 minutes late.  

12. Acela 2011 headed for Washington, DC on train 2253.

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13.  609 leads Keystone train 667 westbound.

14.  He meets train 96 at the station platforms.

15.  The Pennsylvanian, train 42, is on track 1 through here as an Acela just visible catches up quickly on track 2.  The passengers on the platorm were expecting a NJT train and were a bit startled by the quick moving number 42.

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16.  The Acela quickly roars past on track 2.  Train 2256.

17.  Motor 603 leads train 97 en route to Miami, Florida.

18.  It rushes past a stopped NJT Trenton local.  

No shortage of action and meets along the NEC any day.  As noted above, most local trains boarded a good crowd returning home from the holiday weekend.  This is a good, easily accessed place to watch the action with amenities available.  The only issue would be that parking can be a pain during the week.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/23 08:10 by thebluecomet.

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Nice series.  Looks like new catenary poles being installed.
jb

The  capacity of  those  regional  trains  is  fantastic.  And looks  like  we  will be  riding  Acela  a  few  more  years!! At  least.

boejoe Wrote:
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> Nice series.  Looks like new catenary poles being
> installed.
> jb

Yes indeed, good to see progress on that front.  The constant tension catenary currently ends just south of Princeton Junction but they are working on extending it all the way down to Trenton.

The Jersey Arrows shot is my favorite!

mp51w Wrote:
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> The Jersey Arrows shot is my favorite!

Yes.  The ancient Jersey Arrow units carry an astonishing number of seated and standing passengers