Trackside Log for Saturday, December 12, 2009

I spent the previous night driving to Altoona, Pennsylvania so that today I could photograph along the former Pennsylvania Railroad. I departed from the Super 8 just after sun rise and drove to Cresson for breakfast before perching atop the Over Bridge Street bridge in Lilly. It wasn't long before the trains began moving.

• 0858 Lilly, PA - NS 21Q west - NS 9673-NS 8883-NS 2613 w/ helper NS 3352-NS 3348
• 0902 Lilly, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9549-NS 8733-NS 8912
• 0909 Lilly, PA - NS eastbound coal - NS 7211-NS 7208 w/ helper NS 6313-NS 6312

Ah, yes. The new helper power was here. I hadn't been to the Cresson area in quite a while. The NS 6300s were displacing the 3300s which meant the last of the Conrail blue SD40-2s were disappearing. Bummer.

• 0927 Lilly, PA - AMTK 42 east - AMTK 92
• 0931 Lilly, PA - NS eastbound coal - NS 6737-NS 6724-NS 6729 w/ helper NS 6303-NS 6315

Whoa! I felt like I'd gone back in time. All three SD60Is were still Conrail blue. Very nice.

• 0935 Lilly, PA - NS westbound - NS 9759-NS 9768-NS 9747 w/ helper NS 3344-NS 3372

I decided to move around the curve a little which proved fortuitous. The trains dried up for quite a while.

• 1121 Lilly, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9821-NS 9894 (video)
• 1126 Lilly, PA - NS eastbound power - NS 7209-NS 7207
• 1132 Lilly, PA - NS 65J west - NS 6301-NS 6307-NS 3435-NS 9872 (video)
• 1138 Lilly, PA - NS eastbound power - NS 7210-NS 7213-NS 7205-NS 7202
• 1149 Lilly, PA - NS westbound coal - NS 9928-NS 7712
• 1210 Lilly, PA - NS 500 east - NS 9568-NS 6783 w/ helper NS 3372-NS 3344-NS 3348-NS 3352 (video)
• 1226 Lilly, PA - NS eastbound - NS 2611-NS 9852 (video)

After the intermodal train I figured the light at Cassandra would be nice so I migrated west a few miles.

• 1308 Cassandra, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9489-NS 8850-NS 9510 (video)
• 1323 Cassandra, PA - NS eastbound - NS 2591-NS 7697 (video)
• 1351 Cassandra, PA - NS westbound - NS 8305-NS 5443-NS 6562

Finally, a westbound! The first two engines were Conrail blue too. A nice touch. Then, just as I was about to leave a second westbound arrived.

• 1402 Cassandra, PA - NS westbound - NS 9837-NS 2556-NS 9793

The lighting was turning sour at Cassandra so I turned east for the Gallitzin tunnels. I did manage to miss one westbound en route. Oh well, that's the way it goes.

• 1435 Gallitzin, PA - NS westbound - NS 9953-NS 8844-NS 9247
• 1448 Gallitzin, PA - NS westbound helper - NS 6315-NS 6303 (video)

The sun was dipping below the trees so I moved to Cresson for the last of the light.

• 1510 Cresson, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9393-NS 9775-NS 5672
• 1522 Cresson, PA - NS eastbound - NS 9174-NS 8366-NS 9905
• 1534 Cresson, PA - NS 422 east - NS 2637-NS 9307 w/ helper NS 6310-NS 6300
• 1537 Cresson, PA - NS westbound - NS 8337-NS 8808

The next train took me back in time even farther. It sure looked like steam was back in the Allegheny Mountains as train 20R climbed into Cresson. I'd say the 2768 "blowed up real good."

• 1542 Cresson, PA - NS 20R east - NS 2768-NS 9664-NS 9669 (photo 1, photo 2)

The 2768 was still running amid all that smoke. After a few photographs and acquiring the unmistakable odour of diesel exhast the parade continued unabated.

• 1551 Cresson, PA - NS helper east - NS 3343-NS 3354 (photo)
• 1555 Cresson, PA - NS westbound - NS 9296-NS 8393 (photo)
• 1604 Cresson, PA - NS westbound helper - NS 3352-NS 3348
• 1615 Cresson, PA - NS westbound helper - NS 3344-NS 3372

The sun was setting so I called off the photography but stuck around to watch the activity since all I'd be doing back at the Super 8 was watching television.

• 1619 Cresson, PA - NS westbound helper - NS 6312-NS 6313

Just after I drove to the south side of the tracks a helper set pulled out of the fuel dock.

• 1628 Cresson, PA - NS eastbound helper - NS 6317-NS 6311

They waited for the 6307 helper set before proceeding eastward.

• 1629 Cresson, PA - NS eastbound helper - NS 6307-NS 6301
• 1635 Cresson, PA - NS 36A east - NS 9131-NS 8822

While waiting for the next train I decided to play with some low light. I took a quick shot of a helper set at the fuel dock. What do you know? It looked rather interesting.

• 1709 Cresson, PA - NS helper - NS 3343-NS 3354 (photo)
• 1738 Cresson, PA - NS 242 east (Triple Crown) - NS 9709-NS 9620

I waited around for a while longer but nothing else showed up so I drove back to Altoona. Driving down Route 22 I spied the lights of a westbound climbing the east slope. It had been an awesome day with beautiful sunshine and I accomplished my primary goal: relaxation.