A day on the Lehigh and Reading Lines

[ssw9662]

I got up early and left my house at 6 this morning for Bethlehem. I was originally planning to spend all of this morning in Bethlehem and then head home, but beautiful weather and rumors of Reading FP7's being hauled on the 34M changed my plans.

I arrived at Bethlehem a couple of minutes before sunrise. I was greeted there by eastbound coal train 508, which was moving past just as I got to theFahy bridge at 6:53AM. The 508 was pulling into Florence yard, where it would later be broken into a couple of trains for the run to the Met-Ed power plant in Portland.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901619


A few minutes after 508 cleared the interlocking at CP-Bethlehem, I4V pulled into Bethlehem preparing to make a set out at the River Yard. I was able to get this shot of it passing the blast furnace at 7:14AM in the early morning sunlight.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901621


I had seen some power from the CP train that arrived earlier laying over on the Freemansburg Industrial track, but I decided not to head over and photograph it until a traffic lull came. Since I4V was clogging the main making its setout, I took the time to head over to the Hill-to-Hill bridge to photograph the locomotives. Much to my surprise, one of the units was a former Santa Fe SD45-2, now owned by NREX (Sorry, this certainly isn't the best photo on earth).
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901622


I returned to the Fahy bridge to photograph a few westbounds that I heard were coming. The first of these westbounds was 19G, seen slowly rolling through at 8:33AM.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901623


24Z managed to squeeze in by entering via the River Yard, where some cars would be set off from the rear. It is seen here passing some crewmembers who would later move the EOTD and uncouple the setout.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901627


21M rolls past a few minutes later.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901628


Trailers on 21M pass a crewmember who is giving the train a roll-by inspection.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901630


11J was running right behind the 21M.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901631


After seeing the 11J, I returned home for a quick bite to eat. During this time, a friend confirmed that 34M departed Abrams for Allentown with two Reading FP7's in the consist. These units would be sent to the East Penn interchange, where they would be used for an excursion that is supposed to take place in a few weeks.  After about an hour, I was back on the road heading for Emmaus, hoping to catch the FP7's. The 34M was late departing Abrams, so I wasn't quite sure if there was going to enough time for me to see it.

Shortly after I arrived in Emmaus, I heard a strange horn that I knew right away was coming from the East Penn local, which runs down the ex-Reading Perkiomen Branch about  two blocks away. I was surprised to find that there were five Morristown and Erie passenger cars behind the ex-Conrail GP10 that is used on this line. These cars are, BTW, being used for the same excursion that the Reading FP7's will be on.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901613
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901616


Right after the East Penn local passed, I returned to the Reading Line to photograph 19G, which had just departed the yard in Allentown. This was the same 19G that I saw in Bethlehem earlier in the day.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901632


38G was next, running west at 12:48PM with a nice C40-8 in the lead.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901633


262 passed in the opposite direction about ten minutes later.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901634


213 westbound at 1:48PM.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901635


By this time, I got another update on 34M. The train was just finishing its work at the yard in Reading, and it was about to head east. I was only able to stay until 3:00, and I expected 34M to be through at around that time. Luckily, 34M had very little trouble maintaining speed on the 50MPH track of the Reading Line, and it arrived in Emmaus at 2:41PM. The FP7's were the fourth and fifth units on the train.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901636

Here's the 902.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901637

And 903.
http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=901638

That's all for today. I ended up seeing thirteen trains (Plus, I saw 19G twice).I hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!

[Hoydie17]

I could have used your help about a week ago Austin. 

I had to work in Valley Forge last weekend, and was trying to get a little bit of foamage in, but couldn't figure out where the best activity was.

I guess Abrams Yard is mostly a nocturnal operation, with very few, if any trains running in daylight hours.  The radio confirmed this as it seemed like they wouldn't shut up after the sun went down with trains coming from every conceivable direction. 

Great set of images, the rollby inspection shot has a very nice feel to it.

Maybe next time.

Sean

[ssw9662]

Thanks!

From what I've seen, Abrams does handle most of its traffic at night. 34M does usually head out of the yard in the morning, but 35A (34M''s counterpart) doesn't get into the yard until after dark.