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  • Philly to Steamtown Special Nov 2

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New Jersey
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Philly to Steamtown Special Nov 2

Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New Jersey

Moderator: David

  by sixty-six
 
Awesome shots Bob!

  by PVRX1
 
L&HR bridge is getting new rail and such put in. The project has been going on for two weeks now.

  by transit383
 
In what could be one of my new all time favorite photos, below is the shot I took of the train crossing the L&HR bridge earlier today:

PRR 5711, 5809, and Amtrak 91 crossing the structure

Enjoy! :-D

  by Wanderer
 
transit383 wrote:In what could be one of my new all time favorite photos, below is the shot I took of the train crossing the L&HR bridge earlier today:

PRR 5711, 5809, and Amtrak 91 crossing the structure

Enjoy! :-D
Ah ha! So you were one of the guys on the other side of the river! :-D

Great shot!

  by transit383
 
Wanderer wrote:Ah ha! So you were one of the guys on the other side of the river! :-D

Great shot!
Haha, were you one of the guys in the park on the Easton side? We were all commenting on the turnout on that side of the river too :-D

  by rwk
 
I just joined, I saw the special train at Macungie this morning, and my digital camera wouldn't work! It won't turn on even with fresh batteries and the two lights on the back that blink were steady. So, no pics of the train. A couple freights went through both ways before the special, a regular freight going west toward Reading and a double stack train going east toward Allentown. I also rode the special train Oct. 13 at 8 am from Pennsburg to Vera Cruz and return with the Reading FP7's, Morristown & Erie parlor car, 3 ex-NJT Comet coaches, box car, EPRY ex-Conrail GP10. Most of the other times were sold out. like 11 am, 2 pm and 5 pm both days, and it also ran the previous weekend. Passenger trains in the Lehigh Valley area (other than the WK&S or Bel-Del steam train at Phillipsburg) are a rare event. There were steam excursions with Reading #2102 over Conrail's ex-Reading line to Allentown and CNJ/LV/CNJ to Jim Thorpe in Sept. 1985, fall 1987, and 1988 by Blue Mountain & Reading. #2102 last ran Oct 1991 and is in storage at Port Clinton, PA. A steam train powered by #972 ran from Jim Thorpe to Reading via Allentown in Sept. 1983. Last reguarly scheduled passenger train over the ex-Reading line from Allentown, Reading, to Harrisburg was 1964, last train between Reading-Philly was mid-late 1981, and last train from Bethlehem-Quakertown was June 30, 1981 and Quakertown-Lansdale July 26, 1981. Last Lehigh Valley RR train from Buffalo through Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton to New York was Feb 1961 in the snow. Not sure when the last CNJ pass train was in PA through Allentown, the CNJ station still stands but the Banana's club closed recently over a shooting, hope the station is saved. The LVRR Atown station was torn down in the 60's. Both Bethlehem stations stand and are used, CNJ Main Street Depot Restaurant, LV/Reading St. Luke's Medical Center, vacant from 1961-until a few years ago.

I have a question, where did the PRR E8 train depart from in Philly? 30th St. or somewhere else? What route did it take up toward Norristown area, the ex-Reading freight line? Or SEPTA's R6?

  by grumpyoldman
 
Not the best but I couldn't get closer to the river in time.

Crossing the Delaware at Brainards.

Image

  by NJT4272
 
The train is leaving Scranton on sunday morning: Does anyone know what time they'll be heading out exactly?

Can't get up there today, so that only leaves sunday. Need to know so I can get up there before they head out!

  by Wanderer
 
transit383 wrote:
Wanderer wrote:Ah ha! So you were one of the guys on the other side of the river! :-D

Great shot!
Haha, were you one of the guys in the park on the Easton side? We were all commenting on the turnout on that side of the river too :-D
Yes I was. It wasn't bad. There were a few angles from which you could avoid glare. I played with a couple shots down at the river bank, but alas, they weren't appealing.

  by rwk
 
Can anyone tell me what NS' attitude is toward passenger movements on freight-only lines with no Amtrak service, like the Lehigh Valley area? I know David Goode killed the steam excursion program end of 94 whereas the Claytors were all for it. It'll be a cold day in you know where when regular passenger service returns to Allentown, Bethlehem, (SEPTA, Amtrak or new company) or Phillipsburg (NJ Transit). The LV area governments don't see the need for restoring passenger service. I rode the Bel-Del south of Pburg on the steam train twice, a couple years ago and this Sept. But, this would have been the first opportunity to ride the Bel-Del NORTH of Pburg. Is it more scenic up that way vs. south toward Carpentersville, etc. where the tourist train by BRW & NYS&WTHS goes? Does anyone know how many special passenger movements there were over the Conrail/NS Reading line between Reading and Allentown besides the steam trips with Reading T1 #2102 to Jim Thorpe via Allentown on Sept. 22, 1985, fall 1987 and 1988 and George Hart's #972 from Jim Thorpe to Reading via Allentown Sept. 1983? I think there was an Amtrak excursion from Reading, PA to NY in 1998 via Allentown. I can't believe this train to Steamtown was $3000 a ticket! I would have loved the opportunity to ride over rare freight-only mileage from Philly to Delaware Water Gap through my area (Allentown area) but couldn't afford it. Well, next time someone offers an affordable excursion over the Reading-Allentown line, I'm going on it. Anyway, I already simulated this special train using a Reading-Phillipsburg layout in Trainz RR Simulator, I used PRR E8's, Amtrak Genesis, Amfleet cafe and coach, PRR smoothside coaches, silver streamlined coach, pullman coach, and PRR observation. I ran the train from south of Reading to north of Pburg.
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