Alone this time
Yrs Trly visited Allegheny Crossing near Altoona (PA) alone this time.
My brother-from-Boston was unable to come. He had other commitments.
He could have come later, but that was inconvenient for me.
The number of appointments I have seems to have ballooned with increasing age: retiree picnics, and especially medical and rehab appointments.
I had to reschedule just to make this trip; and rehab waits until next week.
I’ll get right to it, mentioning I had two hairballs:
—1) I forgot my hairbrush and comb.
Not a problem; I always leave saying “what did I forget this time?”
I’ve made this trip so many times I rarely forget anything, but I hafta work things just so.
—2) My railroad-radio scanner had given up.
It has a rechargeable battery, and would not hold a charge, or charge, whatever.
Plugged in it worked, but not away from a plug — like trackside.
This is serious; my scanner tells me if I should wait for a train.
Fortunately the railroad is busy enough to not have to wait too long.
But without my scanner I couldn’t tell if one was coming. It was sit and wait, sometimes over an hour.
Nor could I identify a train that passed — the engineers call out the train-number as they pass a wayside signal.
I only have two photographs from my first day, the afternoon after I arrived:
Stacker down One at The Mighty Curve.
One is at Horseshoe Curve, down near the parking-lot, with the railroad up on the mountainsides.
Out of the tunnel atop the mountain.
The other is at Gallitzin (“guh-LIT-zin;” as is “get”), where the railroad tunneled the top of the mountain.
The two lead locomotives are a helper-set.
It was cloudy with occasional rain.
The next day, Thursday August 18th, was sunny = much better for photography.
So my chase began; although it wasn’t much without a scanner.
A CHEAT-SHOT; it’s actually the helper-set on the rear of a train down One (left-to-right).
(This location only works with trains on One.)
Off to Gallitzin, noon-to-2 p.m. light, the only time it works.
Shaddup and shoot! (Eastbound on Two).
Westbound stacker exits tunnel on Three.
Now up north (railroad-east) toward Tyrone (“tie-ROWN;” as in “own”).
Trains have to be westbound into afternoon sun.
My brother and I wanted to try the old Route 220 bridge near Tyrone.
It’s fenced (chainlink) looking west, but not on the east side.
Major problem; to shoot here ya hafta stand right next to the traffic-lane. Cars zipping by at 40-50 mph. One pedal-to-the-metal dude blasted by doin’ about 60-65.
I tried, but it made me nervous.
I walked back down, but got the following pik of solid empty auto-racks. Returning for more fodder for the junkyard behind — is there ever an auto junkyard that doesn’t back up to railroad tracks? How many times have I viewed glittering wrecks from trains?
Solid empty auto-racks. (Photo by Chicken-man.)
It’s probably 11J; seen it before. One unit is usually enough.
Now, up to Plummers Crossing, just east of Tyrone.
Tyrone is where the railroad turned east toward Harrisburg, through a notch in the mountains.
Plummers Crossing is where a private road crosses the tracks. No gates, no flashing lights. Look both ways before crossing.
I been tryin’ to get a westbound at Plummers for years.
The railroad wiggles back-and-forth through the notch, and a signal-bridge is before the crossing. It’s in my pictures.
A picture has to be 4-5 p.m. light, and to get that signal-bridge is telephoto.
Westbound stacker approaches Plummers.
Finally got it, and a second picture was Amtrak’s 07T, its westbound Pennsylvanian.
Westbound Pennsylvanian approaches Plummers.
07T at Plummers is a calendar-pik; my calendar is becoming Amtrak.
Anything from now on is not a requirement.
I finally got my Plummers.
But it’s late afternoon. Trains hafta be westbound into the sun.
I drove to McFarlands Curve, where an old Pennsy signal-bridge is over the tracks.
But I had to shoot the other direction.
The signal-bridge silhouettes the sky, and frames an eastbound.
The only way I know works is cloudy; I haven’t tried morning sunlight yet.
So what I have is the eastern approach to McFarlands Curve.
A local with GP40-2 power came past Plummers as I left, and I beat it to McFarlands.
Small local on the controlled-siding at McFarlands.
But just barely.
I didn’t have time to set up my tripod.
So it’s handheld telephoto. The local is on the controlled siding returning to Altoona.
Amazingly it worked. Steady as a rock! A probable calendar pik.
Eastbound passes McFarlands.
Later an eastbound roared past. But all I could shoot was it going away.
(I’m trying to repeat a picture I took in Lilly once. SD80-MACs looking very imposing.)
I drove to the tiny village of Fostoria.
Final attempt.
In Fostoria there is another old Pennsy signal-bridge with six targets.
Sit and wait.
After a half-hour I left. By then a train woulda been dodging shadows.
The best thing is I managed this entire sojourn without falling. Not even once.
Dreadful footing (rock ballast) combined with lousy balance. I hafta pay attention.
I lost my balance once, but caught my fall = hooked a railing with my arm.
• All photos are by BobbaLew.
My brother-from-Boston was unable to come. He had other commitments.
He could have come later, but that was inconvenient for me.
The number of appointments I have seems to have ballooned with increasing age: retiree picnics, and especially medical and rehab appointments.
I had to reschedule just to make this trip; and rehab waits until next week.
I’ll get right to it, mentioning I had two hairballs:
—1) I forgot my hairbrush and comb.
Not a problem; I always leave saying “what did I forget this time?”
I’ve made this trip so many times I rarely forget anything, but I hafta work things just so.
—2) My railroad-radio scanner had given up.
It has a rechargeable battery, and would not hold a charge, or charge, whatever.
Plugged in it worked, but not away from a plug — like trackside.
This is serious; my scanner tells me if I should wait for a train.
Fortunately the railroad is busy enough to not have to wait too long.
But without my scanner I couldn’t tell if one was coming. It was sit and wait, sometimes over an hour.
Nor could I identify a train that passed — the engineers call out the train-number as they pass a wayside signal.
I only have two photographs from my first day, the afternoon after I arrived:
Stacker down One at The Mighty Curve.
One is at Horseshoe Curve, down near the parking-lot, with the railroad up on the mountainsides.
Out of the tunnel atop the mountain.
The other is at Gallitzin (“guh-LIT-zin;” as is “get”), where the railroad tunneled the top of the mountain.
The two lead locomotives are a helper-set.
It was cloudy with occasional rain.
The next day, Thursday August 18th, was sunny = much better for photography.
So my chase began; although it wasn’t much without a scanner.
A CHEAT-SHOT; it’s actually the helper-set on the rear of a train down One (left-to-right).
(This location only works with trains on One.)
Off to Gallitzin, noon-to-2 p.m. light, the only time it works.
Shaddup and shoot! (Eastbound on Two).
Westbound stacker exits tunnel on Three.
Now up north (railroad-east) toward Tyrone (“tie-ROWN;” as in “own”).
Trains have to be westbound into afternoon sun.
My brother and I wanted to try the old Route 220 bridge near Tyrone.
It’s fenced (chainlink) looking west, but not on the east side.
Major problem; to shoot here ya hafta stand right next to the traffic-lane. Cars zipping by at 40-50 mph. One pedal-to-the-metal dude blasted by doin’ about 60-65.
I tried, but it made me nervous.
I walked back down, but got the following pik of solid empty auto-racks. Returning for more fodder for the junkyard behind — is there ever an auto junkyard that doesn’t back up to railroad tracks? How many times have I viewed glittering wrecks from trains?
Solid empty auto-racks. (Photo by Chicken-man.)
It’s probably 11J; seen it before. One unit is usually enough.
Now, up to Plummers Crossing, just east of Tyrone.
Tyrone is where the railroad turned east toward Harrisburg, through a notch in the mountains.
Plummers Crossing is where a private road crosses the tracks. No gates, no flashing lights. Look both ways before crossing.
I been tryin’ to get a westbound at Plummers for years.
The railroad wiggles back-and-forth through the notch, and a signal-bridge is before the crossing. It’s in my pictures.
A picture has to be 4-5 p.m. light, and to get that signal-bridge is telephoto.
Westbound stacker approaches Plummers.
Finally got it, and a second picture was Amtrak’s 07T, its westbound Pennsylvanian.
Westbound Pennsylvanian approaches Plummers.
07T at Plummers is a calendar-pik; my calendar is becoming Amtrak.
Anything from now on is not a requirement.
I finally got my Plummers.
But it’s late afternoon. Trains hafta be westbound into the sun.
I drove to McFarlands Curve, where an old Pennsy signal-bridge is over the tracks.
But I had to shoot the other direction.
The signal-bridge silhouettes the sky, and frames an eastbound.
The only way I know works is cloudy; I haven’t tried morning sunlight yet.
So what I have is the eastern approach to McFarlands Curve.
A local with GP40-2 power came past Plummers as I left, and I beat it to McFarlands.
Small local on the controlled-siding at McFarlands.
But just barely.
I didn’t have time to set up my tripod.
So it’s handheld telephoto. The local is on the controlled siding returning to Altoona.
Amazingly it worked. Steady as a rock! A probable calendar pik.
Eastbound passes McFarlands.
Later an eastbound roared past. But all I could shoot was it going away.
(I’m trying to repeat a picture I took in Lilly once. SD80-MACs looking very imposing.)
I drove to the tiny village of Fostoria.
Final attempt.
In Fostoria there is another old Pennsy signal-bridge with six targets.
Sit and wait.
After a half-hour I left. By then a train woulda been dodging shadows.
The best thing is I managed this entire sojourn without falling. Not even once.
Dreadful footing (rock ballast) combined with lousy balance. I hafta pay attention.
I lost my balance once, but caught my fall = hooked a railing with my arm.
• All photos are by BobbaLew.
Labels: trains
posted by BobbaLew at 9:56 AM
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