Railfanning - 6/29/2013

Hi, Jim Kleeman and Tom Bunjon joined us at the motel Friday evening.  We spent the next day chasing the excursion as a group.

After breakfast at the motel we headed back to Steamtown.  There was some sun on the Alco lineup so we took some more photos.  Our intent was to photograph the special as it moved into the station to pickup passengers.  However, it was at the east end of the yard and was blocked by one of the DL power sets.  As the first shot Jim, Tom and I wanted required about a 1/4 mile walk in we left before the train was positioned at the station.

The sun was in and out at Elmhurst Reservoi, just west (all directions are based on the railroad time table) of Moscow, PA.  It was gone from here in the next 30 seconds.

From the reservoir we went to Tobyhanna, PA, where the train was scheduled to stop to receive passengers.  We arrived about a minute or two before it did.

There is an old DL&W tower here in addition to the station.  I would have liked to have gotten further back but there was another railfan right next to me and he was there first.

We had plenty of time at Cresco, PA even though there was a long detour.

After detraining passengers at Delaware Water Gap, PA the train proceeded a few miles east to Slateford, PA where there is a siding that allowed the engines to run around the train.  The train is shown below about a mile from the siding.

The DL ran its train to Slateford later in the day.  It spent about an hour and a half waiting at Analomink before moving about a mile east to meet the returning passenger train.

We next returned to Cresco.

Just east of Tobyhanna PA route 611 crosses the tracks.

In spite of the short distance involved we arrived in Tobyhanna in a dead heat with the train.  Once again it stopped; this time to let off passengers.

We left ahead of the special and beat it to Moscow.

Our last photo opportunity was near the University of Scranton.

Thanks for looking.

Railfanning - 6/28/2013

Hi, I joined friends Bill Kalkman and Rodney Peterson for a trip up to Wilkes-Barre, PA to be in position to photograph an excursion out of Scranton, PA the next day with the Delaware Lackawanna & Western Painted F units.  On our way we decided to attempt to find some action on the Reading & Northern to shoot.

A short time after reaching where we began our search we located the R & N's Mount Carmel returning to Tamaqua, PA.  Our first picture was taken at Gilberton, PA.

Three cars of Anthracite were picked up at Blaschak Coal in Mahanoy City, PA.

Our final photo of the train was obtained at East Mahanoy Junction.  Here the line in the foreground which reaches a number of other branches, including Jeddo and Jim Thorpe, connects with the line from Mount Carmel.

We then broke for lunch.  After lunch we located a local at Glen Summit, PA returning to the yard at Penobscot, PA.

The train was photographed at two additional locations; one just east of the yard

and the other at the east end of the yard.  The building on the left is the yard office.  While we were there the marketing manager for the railroad came out and the four of us chatted for a short while.

Our next to last stop for the day was at Steamtown. When we arrived 7 Alcos were parked just east of Bridge 60.  This RS3 and its short freight were on display.

Delaware Lackawanna had 6 additional Alcos parked here, including C420 #405 and two RS3s.  The tower at Bridge 60, which houses the DL dispatcher's office is at the right.

While we were photographing these locomotives the last run of the Electric City Trolley Museum's Peter Will Car arrived and prepared to head for the car barn.

Also, during this time a four unit set headed by former BC Rail M420 #2042 arrived and was tied down.  Behind the M420 were an RS32 a C424 and a C420.  On the far right is an M630,  C424, C425 lash up.

We then moved to where former Reading T-1 4-8-4 #2124 and a pair of former Reading FP7s were on display.

On our way back to Wilkes-Barre we stopped at Taylor, PA but got nothing worth sharing.  Thanks for looking.