Best Place to Railfan in PA

I am looking to take a weekend trip to PA. Location is not important I just want to find a spot that has a lot of freights coming through. Usually I head to folkston ga but I cant make it this year so I am looking for someplace similar. Any suggestions?

Horseshoe Curve would be my first answer........probably anywhere on the Pittsburgh Line!

Charlie

Lots of places along the Pittsburgh Line. As was mentioned, Horseshoe Curve is a great spot to watch the trains go by. If you're going to photograph though, I'd head a little west of Horseshoe to the West Slope. Lots of easily accessible spots between Gallitzin and Johnstown to watch trains.

Jay

The Altoona area is a good base. I usually stay at the Super 8 right off I-99 and it's easy to access Horseshoe Curve, Cresson, Cassandra railfan spots. The parking area behind the Medical Center off 17th street is good, a lot of local fans congregate there in the evening.

Kevin

My personal favorite is Sand Patch. You get some nice freights out in the mountains of PA..and Cumberland, MD is just a stones throw away.

Really nice place..and every time I visited I met some really nice local people.

I used to live right behind the tracks in Lemoyne (isn't there some sort of yard there?) and there were constant movements. It's right across the bridge from Harrisburg.

If you're in the Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem under the Hill-to-Hill Bridge is a good spot.

Definitely agree with everyone who says along the Pittsburgh Line.

In Cresson, PA:

http://www.stationinnpa.com/

mediccjh wrote:If you're in the Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem under the Hill-to-Hill Bridge is a good spot.

You're right about that. Everything that comes eastbound or westbound through Allentown/Bethlehem has to pass that spot. Although, it was way better when the Reading Bethlehem branch was still in full operation and the diamond was there. If you want another good spot in the Lehigh Valley, check out Allentown's Canal Park off of E. Walnut St. Just follow E. Walnut accross the tracks and along the river to the tressel over the Lehigh Canal. You can get really good shots of anything heading eastbound into the yard or westboud out of the yard on the old Reading line towards Allentown.

Also, check out W. Canal Street in Easton. There's a spot between the old Lehigh Valley station and Larry Holmes' Training Center where the track and street are level.

Hands down altoona, its a 2nd home to me lol. strasburg, pa is nice too, rockville, enola (never stopped there to see action in the ns yard. Sand Patch i heard is great too for CSX, never seen that too.

Drove up past Enola in Harrisburg Wednesday afternoon. Something was moving in that yard the whole time I was there and I did a quick park and grab a little ways north on 11 when I saw a stack train heading my way.

I really like Mile 70 on the Water Level route in North East pa (northwest corner) Have both the CSX main from Chicago to NY and the NS ex NKP line next to each other in rolling wine country. There is a nice place to sit off the road in between both lines. Westbounds have a little better light for photos VS eastbounds.

I like Bethlehem along the canal. You can catch the trains going over the Reading bridge to the Lehigh. The cement local passes on other side of the canal at JU and then you can chase him up the old L&NE. You can see the trains on the old Lehigh Valley bypassing the yard across the river.
There are a couple of spots between Florence and the LV station that you can shoot from public grounds.Looked pretty busy out there this morning.
Found that Canal park between the yard and Burn and it a great place too. Hoping to go back Sunday and get some in sunshine.
Emmaus is good. I found a parking lot where no one bothers you and it right along the tracks off NS property.
Macungie was usually decent. They had a gazebo there to railfan from.Haven't been there in years.
There are a bunch of spots along the old RDG East Penn line as a matter of fact.
Hoping to check out the old RDG Lebanon Valley line soon. Want to go from Sinking Springs to Harrisburg.
How about the old RDG Reading to Philly main line? How many trains can you get there? Where are best places ?

Just reviving this topic. Good to use for pointers on where to railfan.
Topton is cool. There is s deli in the old Reading station. The breakfast sandwiches smelled GOOOOOODDDDDD !!!
WARNING: Be careful if you want to railfan Fleetwood. Rash of burglaries in area. Police are supposed to be watching any "suspicious" activity. We all know that railfanning is usually considered "suspicious" by the authorities.

I used to live in the Philly area, I would suggest Ridley Park in Delaware County west of Philly where you can catch Amtrak/SEPTA NEC action at the station, then head down to the nearby former B&O now CSX mainline which is pretty busy, and the Red Arrow trolleys run nearby also if you are into that. Another location is Fort Washington where the NS (former PRR Trenton cutoff) crosses SEPTA's Lansdale Doylestown line.

Jon

How about Fairmount park? I seen old pics from there and wondered if it is still a good place. I snagged a couple of shots form the parking street by ZOO tower a few years back when we went to the zoo. Also got a trolley by zoo also.