PRR Passenger Train Routing

[rfranzosa]

I've been looking at the 1951 PTT and I noticed that many of the lines west trains between DC and Harrisburg would follow a routing via York, PA, not Philly. Was the section between Balto and Harrisburg via York electrified? If not, were diesels used to haul the trains through to DC, or was an electric cut in at Baltimore?

Thanks

Rick Franzosa

[JimBoylan]

Since the wye at the SouthWest end of Baltimore's Union Station has never been completed, it's necessary to reverse direction in the station, which is a good time to switch between electric and Diesel or steam. (You can see the start of construction for the wye in the double wide tunnel portal under the SouthWest corner of North and Mt. Royal Aves.)
The Baltimore end of the former Northern Central RR to York now has overhead wire, but it's for the new light rail trains and not PRR electric locos. This route, including street running in York, was used by passenger trains until Amtrak Day, 5/1/71

[rfranzosa]

So, if I understand you, a train coming in from Harrisburg via York would arrive in Baltimore headed 'north', and they would couple a GG-1 (I'm guessing) to the tail end to head south to DC, leaving the diesels behind in Balto?

RGF

[JimBoylan]

You got it!

[Warren Thompson]

Of [possibly] related interest: as late as May 1975, at least, it was possible to take AMTRAK from Harrisburg to Baltimore without going through Philadelphia. Harrisburg-Baltimore trains used the electrified trackage on the north side of the Susquehanna River to Port Deposit, Maryland, and thence to the main line to Baltimore and Washington DC. *

[Would that this was still possible .... ]

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* While this was under wire, the motive power may have been diesel.

[rfranzosa]

Warren,

LOVE your tag line! I travel frequently to Los Angeles and I am thoroughly amused at their RE-building of an interurban infrastructure along side the conjested highways that replaced the ORIGINAL interurban infrastructure....


Rick

[Warren Thompson]

Thanks, Rick.

The Germans have an excellent word for what happened in Los Angeles: Schlimmbesserung, "to make things worse by improving them."

[JimBoylan]

as late as May 1975, at least, it was possible to take AMTRAK from Harrisburg to Baltimore ... the electrified trackage on the north side of the Susquehanna River to Port Deposit, Maryland, and thence to the main line to Baltimore and Washington DC. * While this was under wire, the motive power may have been diesel.

Almost always a GG-1, to avoid another engine change or Diesels in the Baltimore tunnels.