Clean-up

A westbound charges through Tyrone. (Photo by BobbaLew.)

One more trip to Altoona (PA).
But this time I was alone, although I had Phil Faudi (“FOW-dee;” as in “wow”) calling me.
My brother-in-Boston, who is still working, was unable to get away.
Phil is the railfan extraordinaire from Altoona who used to lead me around chasing trains.
He called ‘em “tours.”
He used to be the one driving; he was doing it as a business.
Then he gave that up following near-accidents, but then led me around with me driving.
Then he gave that up, because his wife Rita has Multiple Sclerosis, and he was afraid of her falling with him not around.
So now he stays home, but still monitors his railroad-radio scanner, and calls my cellphone.
But this wouldn’t be a normal “tour.” That is, an attempt to photograph as many trains as I could.
I feel like I’ve maxxed out Allegheny Crossing. I’ve shot all the good locations.
But there were still a few spots left where I thought I might do better, plus a new spot.
Phil would call to report a train having just left Altoona, but I would stay put. I was more interested in the location.
I figured I’d try the new location first, since that was morning light.
What I needed was eastbound, and Phil can’t get that. He’s on the other side of the mountain.
Phil called to report a loaded westbound slab-train was coming, all gondola-cars with steel slabs for a rolling-mill.
I shot that, but what I needed was eastbound.
Finally one appeared, 534, a loaded coal-extra.
It was very heavy and slow. Two helper-sets, four additional locomotives; two helper-sets in the back pushing.


534 at milepost 250, north (railroad-east) of Cresson. (Photo by BobbaLew.)

(“KRESS-in”)
I shot it, and then thought “can I get to Ledges before 534?”
The Ledges are the other side of the mountain, but very hard to climb up to — a difficult rocky uphill trail.
534 will be going slow. I guess I can drive to Ledges and get up there before 534 appears. My location near Cresson to Ledges is 40-45 minutes, but 534 is going slow over about 12 miles of railroad.
I’ve shot Ledges before, but always felt I could do better. Ledges was on my clean-up list.
I made it. 534 was calling the “MG” (mid-grade) signals as I was halfway up to Ledges — still about seven miles away.
I set up and waited. After 20-25 minutes 534 appeared, going slowly downhill toward Altoona.


534 approaches Ledges. (Photo by BobbaLew.)

It then stopped below me. It didn’t have clearance yet into Altoona.
A train came up, and I shot it. Then another came down, and I thought I might get a double, but 534 departed as the other train appeared. 534 had been cleared into Altoona.
Then another came up, and I noticed with the earlier westbound I had to be sitting to not have the signal-bridge obscure the locomotives.


Westbound double-stack up The Hill. (Photo by BobbaLew.)

I heard the following chatter on my railroad-radio scanner: “Hey Tommy, there’s a guy up on the rocks takin’ pictures. You’ll be an Internet sensation tonight!”
Next stop Tyrone (“tie-ROWN;” as in “own”), about 10-15 miles north of Altoona (railroad-east). Tyrone has always been difficult, but I knew angles that worked.
Another stop on my clean-up list.
534 was passing through as I appeared, switched to Nittany & Bald Eagle on which NS has trackage-rights.
Nittany & Bald Eagle is the shortline that operates Pennsy’s old Bald Eagle branch.
534 was coal going up to a Pennsylvania Power & Light generating-station.
A westbound appeared as soon as I pulled in. Scratch that one.
Phil called and told me eastbounds were coming, but the light was better for westbounds.
The sun had also come out. The day started cloudy, and would cloud up again.
My lede picture is a westbound at Tyrone. I was trying to repeat a shot I took last winter that seemed fuzzy.
The lead engine is displayed in side-elevation, so I was trying the repeat that.


Motor-drive. (Photo by BobbaLew.)


Eastbound = wrong light. (Photo by BobbaLew.)

I decided to try motor-drive, multiple shots about 1/10th of a second apart. One might look good.
But I’m not used to motor-drive. Plus my old camera, my D100, had it, and would puke out after about four shots.
So my first attempt at motor-drive was too early, and the locomotive only fills a small portion of the frame. (The picture is above = crop city.)
Phil called to report nothing coming, so where to next?
I decided to try Pinecroft, which was nearby.
I’ve avoided Pinecroft, because it seemed unphotogenic.
An overpass leaps over the railroad, but the railroad is arrow-straight on both sides.
But there’s also an access-road to the tracks.
I took it, and a long wait began.
Phil called to tell me Amtrak’s westbound Pennsylvanian was coming. But I had already shot it. It was the first train I saw after 45 minutes.


Amtrak’s westbound Pennsylvanian. (Photo by BobbaLew.)

It was starting to get cloudy again, but westbound still worked.
Phil, in Altoona, is somewhat outside scanner-range for where I was, but my scanner worked.
Finally I had a westbound. But it was C40, a short local-freight with a GP40-2 on the point.


Local-freight C40. (Photo by BobbaLew.)

I then tried motor-drive on another eastbound. A train passing at 60 mph might be slightly ahead of what looks good when the camera shutter trips.
Plus 1/400th was not fast enough. The engine blurs slightly. Who knows if 1/1000th would stop a train passing at 60 mph. Go that fast and you’re also limiting your light-input. I shot at 1/400th f11 because it was cloudy — although at the lowest ISO setting, which I don’t like to exceed.
Even then, a train blasting past looks dorky, although ya never know what might work.
I got another westbound, and it had a Union Pacific engine in the consist. And a third engine was ex-Union Pacific, still in UP colors, but now Norfolk Southern.


Westbound at Pinecroft. (Photo by BobbaLew.)

But pretty much nothing was coming, so I quit.
What I like most about this entire foray, is -1) I finally seem to have my scanner figured out, and it’s helping me chase trains.
And -2) I thought I had time to beat 534 to Ledges, and I did. This is what Phil used to do.
I still have one more shot I’d like to try, the MIGHTY CURVE (Horseshoe Curve), the BEST railfan spot I’ve ever been to.


Station-Inn’s Curve shot.

Horseshoe Curve is the centerpiece of Allegheny Crossing, still being used, and if it weren’t for Horseshoe Curve, the crossing of Allegheny Mountain might not have been possible, at least not in 1850.
But repeating the picture above would be near-impossible for an oldster. It would involve -a) jumping a fence from the viewing-area, or -b) climbing up a 250 foot debris-filled embankment, or -c) a long hike through forest and underbrush.
My brother and I checked it out, and it looks vaguely possible. But it would probably be the only location I shot.

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I have one more picture — my brother likes it.


An eastbound stacker drifts away from its helper-units, now that The Hill is past. A westbound empty crude-oil train roars toward The Hill. (Photo by BobbaLew.)

I took it the previous day: Thursday, August 6th, the day I had driven to Altoona.
It has “Altoona Pipe & Steel” in it, which my brother tried to get, but failed.
But I’m not that happy with it — it’s not calendar-quality.
The stacker is too far away.

• “Station-Inn” is a bed-and-breakfast for railfans in Cresson. I’ve stayed there.
• “The Hill” is what the railroad calls the grade up, over and back down Allegheny Mountain. Helper-locomotives are often required.