Mike's Rails

Conrail Days But Not Conrail

2009-07-03T05:00:00.002-04:00

This locomotive is not from Conrail but is visiting the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania on the occasion of Conrail Days, May 29th to 31st, 2009. NS number 7581 GE ES40DC represents big power on one of Conrail's successors, Norfolk Southern. Its 4,000 horsepower compares to the 5,000 horsepower of older EMD SD80MAC #7211 coupled ahead of it and is a result of a decision at NS to buy lower horsepower units for better matching to train loads and to reduce engine maintenance costs. It was built in Erie, Pennsylvania in 2006. Welcome to Strasburg, big Thoroughbred!

Conrail Days in Black

2009-06-26T13:36:00.003-04:00

Big power comes to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania's yard in Strasburg, Pennsylvania on the occasion of Conrail Days May 29th to 31st, 2009. Norfolk Southern 7211 is a 5,000 horsepower EMD SD80MAC which had been assembled at Conrail's Juniata engine shops in Altoona, Pennsylvania; one of 17 assembled there. This type represents the peak of power in Conrail days. They are also the biggest power in the current NS roster. I have not photographed a blue SD80MAC but you can find many examples on the web at places like The Conrail Historical Society.

Conrail Days in Blue

2009-06-19T05:00:00.004-04:00

I'm proud to be a "Big Blue" fan. They were the people who saved freight railroading in the part of the USA where I live. My arrival in Pennsylvania from the West preceded Conrail by about three years. I was cheered by the new blue paint appearing on engines scarred by Penn Central's awful black scheme. Not that the color black is awful, Norfolk Southern does it very well, but the PC paint scheme was totally without an effort at looking good. It seemed to signify a railroad that had surrendered. The new Conrail colors seemed to signify a hope in a brighter future, something that came to be realized.
Below I have climbed up on CR 5644 EMD SD60I to take a look at the cab. This locomotive is actually Norfolk Southern 6757, wearing its old Conrail number for Conrail Days at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, courtesy of the Conrail Historical Society. Number 5644 was assembled at the Conrail Juniata Shops in Altoona, PA.

Conrail Days

2009-06-12T05:00:00.006-04:00

May 29th to 31st were Conrail Days at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, PA. In addition to the museum's Conrail 2233 GP30 the event folks from the Conrail Historical Society treated visitors with 3 Pennsylvania-built locomotives, the most powerful from Big Blue's fleet. They were:

NS 6757 EMD class SD60I assembled at Juniata Shops in Altoona, PA and still painted as CR 5644
NS 7581 GE class ES40DC built in Erie, PA (and too young to be ex-Conrail)
NS 7211 EMD class SD80MAC assembled in Altoona

The big engines were pulled to Strasburg from the Leaman Place junction with Amtrak's Keystone Line by the Strasburg Railroad's ex-NYC SW8.

I decided to post something a bit different here since there are so many photos of this event posted elsewhere on the net. They include some great shots from the Friday 5/29 night photo shoot session.

Does Passenger Rail Cost Too Much?

2009-06-05T05:00:00.001-04:00

We don't hear much right now from legislators and economists who expect Amtrak to be a money-making operation. Strange isn't it how no other mode of transportation is expected to return a profit? Let me know if you know any interstate highway or passenger airport that's turning a profit.

Last year (2008) the federal subsidy to Amtrak was $1.4 Billion. Highways received more money in 2008 than Amtrak has received over its entire lifetime.

The Cars Come From All Over

2009-05-29T10:57:00.003-04:00

Outside the feed mill on Woodrow Avenue, Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania there are always a couple of covered hopper cars spotted on the plants spur. The railroad is Norfolk Southern, but the cars are usually from Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern or the BNSF empire. I always assumed the cars had been built some place like Johnstown, Pennsylvania. I was a bit surprised (and pleased) when I got up close to this DME car and discovered the maker's plate was the National Steel Car Company of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. DME was purchased by Canadian Pacific in October, 2008.

High or Low They Work the Same

2009-05-22T05:00:00.003-04:00

Both of these units are 2,000 horsepower EMD GP38-2s. Above Norfolk Southern #5070 is working a local job Westward out of Reading, Pennsylvania. More than 200 of the NS GP38s have the high short hood. Below NS #5309 sits in Dillerville Yard, Lancaster, Pennsylvania showing the look of the low short hood. Whether you like one look over the other is up to the viewer. They both do the same work.

Amtrak Pennsylvanian at Rockville

2009-05-21T15:13:00.001-04:00

Seen here on the afternoon of September 17, 2007, Amtrak's Pennsylvanian heads west over the Rockville bridge behind P42 No. 140. This shot was taken from the boat ramp at the west end of the bridge. This site is problematic from a lighting standpoint, but the beauty of this great stone structure is unequaled in any other spot.

Railroad Bridge Nuclear Blast Damage

2009-05-15T05:00:00.002-04:00

Above is a Department of Energy photo of a railroad bridge about 1,800 feet from "Shot Priscilla", a nuclear weapons effect test in Nevada on June 24, 1957 as part of the operation "Plumbbob" test series. The 37 kiloton explosion was detonated hanging from a balloon 700 feet above the ground. The bridge was subjected to overpressures exceeding 450 PSI that severely distorted the steel girders. The MK-15/39 weapon used was from the DOD stockpile and measured some 27 inches in diameter by 27 inches long.

Shoot a Better Railroad Video

2009-05-12T18:12:00.005-04:00

I don't follow all of these rules all of the time but I try. Most of this also applies to still photography.

Use a Tripod - the more telephoto you're using the more important this gets. My 9 year old Sony Digital-8 camera zooms up to 25x optically and up to 450x digitally. I think digital zoom is practically useless since the image "pixalates" more and more as you increase digital zoom. I would avoid digital zoom unless it's a once-in-a-lifetime shot. Having your camcorder on a tripod also leaves your hands free for shooting with your still camera. I shoot a lot more stills than video.
Edit your shots severely. I use Pinnacle Studio software for editing. I also use Windows Movie Maker that come with Windows XP and Vista if I just want a Windows Movie (wmv) file. If you have an analog digital camcorder you can find adapters like Pinnacle's "MovieBox" that will take analog video and audio and convert it for input to one of your computer's USB ports. Digital camcorders connect to your computer with USB or Firewire ports. Adapters are also good for digitizing your old VHS tapes. The severity of editing becomes more important if you're shooting for the web. You can lengthen the time of the finished video for home viewing.
Use The Sun - Good illumination comes from your position relative to the train you're shooting. That means have the sun behind you so the train is not in the shadows. This is not always possible due to terrain or property restrictions or a number of other things but try. On East-West tracks this means shooting from the South side of the tracks (if you are in the Northern hemisphere - down under, reverse all this). On North-South tracks shoot fro the East side in the morning and the West side in the afternoon. I find this rule the hardest of all to follow.
Shoot Low, Shoot High - Camera positions looking up at the subject will make it look larger. Camera positions looking down at the subject will enhance speed. Mix it up, don't make every shot look like it was shot from the same position and height. I often forget this in my photography.
Wave - A wave for the train crew will get you a horn toot in response more times than not. I almost always get a toot from the engineer when I'm on a passenger platform or I'm easily visible on a road overpass bridge above the tracks. If you're at a grade crossing you are going to get horns anyway where permitted.
Prepare - Have the camcorder and tripod in the car with you as much as possible. You just don't know when a unique photo opportunity is going to present itself.

Short Line at Work - Lancaster Northern

2009-05-10T10:09:00.004-04:00

We start with a long telephoto shot from in front of the former Reading Company Sinking Spring Depot as we see Lancaster Northern's GE U23b #2204 round the curve to their junction with the NS main. The engineer pulls up to the grain mill at Woodrow Avenue and drops off the conductor to handle the switching. The engineer then backs up to clear Woodrow Ave. and wait for clearance from the NS Harrisburg East dispatcher. We move to Woodrow Ave. and watch as #2204, after receiving the dispatcher's highball, moves slowly onto the NS main, picks up the conductor and proceeds East to Reading Yard with their boxcar and two covered hoppers.
Lancaster Northern, part of the Pennsylvania Eastern group of short lines, is reported to be down to running two days a week from Stevens, PA to Reading. They serve a variety of feed mills, building supply yards, and a steel fabricator.

Norfolk Southern at Sinking Spring PA

2009-05-03T08:21:00.006-04:00

Woodrow Avenue in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania USA is my favorite place for watching and photographing the Norfolk Southern Railroad. The tracks are the former Reading Company Lebanon Valley Line and the place is milepost 64.6.
This was my first video outing in 2009 and I could detect the effect of the economy on train traffic. The trains were shorter and there were fewer of them to watch. Note the high hood GP-38 and its distinctive horn leading the local job. In two days of visits to this spot I did not see any auto racks, although that's from a three hour daily sample. The Eastbound merchandise freight passing at approach medium speed was carrying a mix of ethanol tankers and steel, both in coil cars and as heavy plate in gondolas.

Norfolk Southern in West Lawn

2009-04-30T11:49:00.007-04:00

A trailer Hot Shot and a local job both as seen from the Dwight Street overpass in West Lawn, Pennsylvania. The locomotives blew the photographer's hat off. This spot is just East of the Springs signal on the Lebanon Valley line, the main East-West NS tracks though Pennsylvania. Shot on 4-17-2009.

If you are connected to the internet by dial-up, click the 'play' button, after the 'pause' button appears click it and let the whole video download, then click on 'play' again. Streaming video needs a bandwidth of 512 Mbps or faster.

Old GE Diesel Stll Working

2009-04-18T08:51:00.008-04:00

Today I've invited my grandson Andrew to post the picture and say something about it.

This picture was taken yesterday at Woodrow Avenue in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. The railroad is the Lancaster & Northern and the diesel is a General Electric U23b number 2204. They are waiting on their company track for clearance from Norfolk Southern's Harrisburg East dispatcher to take the main line into Reading Yard to switch two grain hoppers and a boxcar.

Woodrow Avenue is two miles from my school and three miles from my house and it's a good place to watch trains.

Looking at the Economy on the Rails

2009-04-17T08:47:00.004-04:00

Click here for Good article about seeing the economy by looking at the trains in Elkhart, Indiana. I see the same sort of economic effects on rail transportation in Pennsylvania. I will be posting photos and videos later this month.

B-RI Museum, Teague, Texas

2009-04-15T05:00:00.002-04:00

Visited October 6, 2007 and re-visited on October 11, 2007. This little museum is a real jewel. The old depot in Teague has been preserved along with much of the station and office equipment. Teague, today, is on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe at the start of the Gulf Division. In addition to Railroad Memorabilia there are rooms in the 2-story building for Schools, Veterans memorabilia, doctors, genealogy, Boy Scouts, businesses, and more.
See details on the museum, the town, and their 1925 Baldwin Mikado, "Big Mike" at their website.

Buda, Texas

2009-04-10T12:36:00.002-04:00

Buda, pronounced BEEOOdah, lies along the old I&GN (UP) railroad about 30 miles South of Austin. The town has a charming Main Street with open businesses and a quaint Old Texas look. Buda is also home to the Jardine food packing plant, home of mouth-watering salsas, sauces, and related foods. There is also a Cabelas store along I-35, about equal in size to the town center itself. October, 2007.

The War in Iran

2009-04-06T08:18:00.000-04:00

During World War II Iran played a part as an eventual ally against Germany. From 1943 to 1945 more than 5 million tons of supplies were moved across Iran to the Soviet Union. Much of this moved by rail from Persian Gulf ports like Bandar Shapu and Bushir to border cities Tabriz (the one famous for its carpets) and Bandar Shah. Seen here at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, PA, this Alco RS-1 in the colors of Alaska Railroad No. 1034 played a part in the war pulling supply trains in Iran. Built for the Army Corps of Engineers in 1941, number 1034 was modified with a slimmed cab (for European loading gauge) and 3-axle high adhesion trucks. On loan from the Smithsonian Institution since 1983, this pioneer road switcher is alone worth a visit to one of America's premier railroad history institutions.

Hot Spot - Sand Patch

2009-04-03T05:00:00.000-04:00

One of the great rail fan hot spots in North America is the Sand Patch grade in southern Pennsylvania. Here, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad conquered the Allegheny mountains in 1871 on its route from Baltimore to Pittsburgh and the West. The east side of the grade winds along Wills Creek from Hyndman to the summit at Sand Patch Tunnel. In these photos taken at Fairhope, a few miles west of Hyndman, a rail fan shows good train-watching accessories: a cigar, a cold beverage, and a 4-wheel drive truck. Also from this little platform we see CSX 5111, a GE AC4400CW, leading an eastbound coal drag down the grade at 25 mph.

The Old Lingers On in Maryland

2009-04-01T05:00:00.001-04:00

I strolled to the North end of the Washington Metro station platform in Greenbelt, Maryland to see what looked like some very old railroad signals. Sure enough, on the adjacent CSX tracks, used by MARC commuter trains during the week, are these two old Baltimore and Ohio color position signals. About a quarter mile to the left, beyond the MARC passenger platforms, are the in-service searchlight signals used by CSX.

Will Trains Get a Stimulus?

2009-03-27T05:00:00.002-04:00

So far it looks like highways and airports will get a much bigger slice of planned infrastructure spending.

I'm eager to see how well the new OneRail Coalition fares in advocating for more rail investment. The coalition membership includes American Public Transportation Association, The Association of American Railroads, Amtrak, the National Association of Railroad Passengers, The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Railway Supply Institute, States for Passenger Rail Coalition, and the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership.

Read up on the subject at the above links and learn more about the complicated network of business and government interests.

A Very Basic Question

2009-03-25T16:44:00.006-04:00

As we learn that American International Group (AIG) is a major rail rolling stock lessor here's something to consider.

Should any nation allow a business to be "too big to fail"?

This is a very basic question both for free market capitalists and government control liberals alike.

It seems to come down to whether a business that's "too big to fail" is a threat to a nation's security. What do you think?

Email Mikesrails

What's Your Favorite Station?

2009-03-25T05:00:00.002-04:00

I have many to choose from as my own favorite. I'll start with El Paso Union Depot, Los Angeles Union Station, New York Grand Central, and others that have had a place in my life.

My favorite: 30th Street Station Philadelphia. A grand architectural monument with very busy train activity. I could have picked Grand Central but did not since it is now only a commuter rail station. 30th Street hosts Amtrak long distance trains in addition to SEPTA and TNJ regional rail services.

What's your favorite? Let me know by email and I will post some of the results in about a month. Email Mikesrails

Inaugural Train Tradition

2009-03-23T05:00:00.001-04:00

A good number of presidents have ridden the rails to their inaugurations. They include:

William Henry Harrison, who rode from Frederick MD to Washington via Baltimore on Feb 6 and Feb. 9, 1841
Abraham Lincoln, arriving disguised on Feb. 23, 1961
Franklin D. Roosevelt, arriving on Mar. 1 ,1933 on a B&O special from Jersey City, NJ.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, arriving Jan. 18, 1953 on a PRR special from New York City three days after the Pennsy's runaway Federal crashed into the Union Station concourse.

City Employees FCU Saves Historic Station

2009-03-22T05:00:00.002-04:00

San Antonio, Texas, October 22, 2007. Abandoned in 1970 when Missouri Pacific discontinued passenger service to San Antonio, and again later when Amtrak consolidated its operations at Sunset Station, The International & Great Northern station on Medina Street was restored in the 1980's by the San Antonio Employees Federal Credit Union. Noted for its Moorish design, copper dome and stained glass windows, this fine example of early 20th century station architecture lives on for us to see today. The NRHS Gulf Chapter has a PDF document online from their 2005 tour of the area.