Grassroots Railroad Sports?

The main track in front of the platform isn't quite long enough, so they have to uncouple the #40 and have it wait on the passing track, then reverse off of that on a spur towards the engine house to allow the diesel train into the yard. The diesel train runs all the way around the passing track down into the yard behind the coaches, and then the #40 runs forward from the engine house, off of the passing track and then hooks onto it's cars to make the trip to Lahaska.

And then off it goes, departing from New Hope.

Approaching the end of the run at Lahaska.

Running around the train at Lahaska

The GP30 climbing towards Upper Mountain Road crossing.

While the morning started off pretty gray and foggy, the sun eventually burned off the fog

Video of the #40 making the climb towards Reeder Road crossing. That is a Southern Pacific 6-chime whistle that it's blowing.

The #8218 headed back towards New Hope.

The #40 crossing Aquetong Creek on the 4pm train. While they were running all the way until 9pm, the sun was going away so I decided this would be the last train before I left.

Having bent the iron, the brakeman swings aboard and #40 moves to hook onto it's train to go back to New Hope.

So, yesterday I swung up to Minersville, PA to see Central Railroad of New Jersey #113 in operation. The #113 is one of only two preserved CNJ steam locomotives, the only active CNJ steam locomotive, and the only operational anthracite-fired large steam locomotive (Yes, Reading #2102 is burning 100% West Virginia bituminous). Since I was coming up from Reading (where I spent the night), and the #113 was operating from Minersville south to Schuylkill Haven, I decided to pre-drive the route and figure out sites. Sadly, the warm and sunny weather I had had the last two days had run out, and yesterday was very foggy and rainy. 

This was at the Schuylkill Haven depot. They were running to a spot south of the depot before making the return trip to Minersville. Reading & Northern owns the tracks and the depot, and runs occasional trips too and from Schuylkill Haven. They also have a bunch of recently acquired passenger equipment stored here as well.

Already owning three RDCs, which they get their use out of, R&N purchased an additional three from Tennesee Valley Railroad Museum a year or so ago. TVRM had bought a couple RDCs and fixed them all up, with intent to use them on off-peak days to spare wear and tear on regular equipment, but ridership on the RDCs was so poor that they decided to get rid of them. They traded them to Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, and I don't think WMSR ever used them before selling them off to R&N. They still wear TVRM reporting marks and lettering, so WMSR certainly didn't keep them around long. From what I've heard, the plan is to put two in service and then part one out for the five that they'll have. I'm guessing that thisRDC-1, an ex-B&M car still in MBTA livery, will be the parts units, as the other two, one of which is here and the other of which is at Port Clinton are cosmetically much nicer.

This car, ex-VIA Rail #1125 Ellerslie, is a streamlined sleeper built by Pullman in 1954 that features an eight-duplex-roomette, four-double-bedroom, four-roomette layout. It will certainly be a unique addition to the Reading & Northern passenger fleet once restored.

The other, much nicer RDC. The matching one is at Port Clinton, although I haven't seen it run yet.

And then there was this old heavyweight coach, lettered for Carolina Southern as the L.L. Crawford. No clue on the plan, condition or history of this car.

I also liked this old cast-iron warning sign. Yes, this absolutely was a concern. When an RPO picked up mail, the mail bag was hung on a crane or gantry, and the RPO car had a hook that would snag the mail bag off of the crane and then the crew would pull it onboard. But, for mail being dropped off at a station, if the train wasn't stopping at that location, then the bag was laid on the floor of the RPO and kicked out the open door onto the ground as the train passed. Usually it was kicked off at the far end of the platform, so as not to hit passengers, but sometimes an RPO worker would screw up, or there would be people standing at the far end of the platform and so the odds of getting clocked by a bag of mail coming off a train doing 70mph was never zero.

Passing by the yard at West Cressona, officially the West Cressona Transload Facility, I saw this odd couple lashup. That is Fast Freight SD50 #5019 in the lead, but behind it is SD38-2 #2003. Once upon a time, the #2003 was the 20th anniversary unit, specially painted with silver trucks and a 20th Anniversary logo, but it's since reverted to being a regular member of the roster. The SD38s mostly hang out on the more far-flung ends of the line, like Good Spring and St. Clair, while the SD50s are usually mainline freight service. The #2003, and the three other SD38-2s, were always considered somewhat of an odd purchase by the R&N, since they came from Grand Trunk Western and were optioned by the GTW without dynamic brakes, and the R&N operates over some pretty hilly territory.

After parking in Minersville and walking towards the station, I noticed this old wooden bridge across the West Branch of the Schuylkill River. Clearly it had two tracks at one point, although the closest track has been removed. The remaining track runs partway into Minersville before deadending at a tree, and where the tracks cross Sunbury Ave to the right, there's a chain link fence constructed across them to discourage people walking across the bridge, although you'd think the bridge condition would do enough convincing. Obviously no trains have crossed this in a loooong time, and there's no businesses along the spur, but maybe R&N keeps the trackage just in case a customer comes along.

A flurry of activity around the big #113 as the all-volunteer crew of Railway Restoration Project 113 preps the 0-6-0 for another day out on the R&N Mine Hill Branch.

Filling the sand dome with a bucket brigade. The 6S46 on the cab is part of the CNJ classing system, which used the wheel arrangement and the tractive effort. So, 6S46 is a 6-wheeled Switcher with 46,000lbs tractive effort. Yes, the #113 generates as much tractive effort as the 2-10-0 at Strasburg on Friday.

The #113 was part of a batch of large 0-6-0s built by Alco for the CNJ in 1923. They had 51" drivers, with a blind (flangeless) center driver, 23"x 26" cylinders and a weight of 197,000lbs just for the engine. They ran until 1951, at which point the CNJ parked them, and then in '53 the #113 was given a second lease on life when it was sold to Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company, one-time owner of the Reading Co., for use at their colliery in Locust Summit. It ran there until 1960, at which point it was parked and left for dead, and went through severe deterioration over the years. It was moved to Wilmington in 1980, but nothing was done with it there, and then was moved back to Minersville when Bob Kimmel acquired it in 1986.

GP38-2 #2014, one of the Admiral Cab-equipped ex-NS Geeps, leads the train south past Westwood Junction, which is where the line to Good Spring splits off from the line to Tremont.

And the #113 in tow.

Heading over the Beckville Road crossing on the outer edge of West Cressona. Oddy, the road is Beckville Road, but the Control Point is named CP Becks

After passing just south of the depot, the train came to a stop, and then #113 took over. And, holy hell, what a show that 0-6-0 put on, as she came storming by the depot at 30mph, going as fast as those 51" drivers would carry her, bobbing and weaving. That commanding whistle that is on it is a replica Lehigh & New England 3-chime, put on specially for this excursion. 

Working out through the north end of the West Cressona yard. That's the Kaytee Products Inc. grain elevator looming over the scene.

Passing by CP Becks

Working through an S-Curve on final approach to Minersville, PA. That's the Tredegar Corp. plant to the left, which manufactures plastic film.

The #2014 leading back south through a rock cut just outside of Minersville proper

Rolling through West Cressona yard, past the #5019 and #2003.