Despite age and reduced volume, mainline still operational

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A former Conrail locomotive (ex-CR 3356, blt 3/79), CSX GP40-2 4431 mostly saw mainline service in her younger years. This line, the former CNJ Southern Division mainline, then CR Southern Secondary, now Conrail Shared Assets Southern Secondary, generally hosted smaller units, such as the GP38-2, GP15-1, and B23-7 model locomotives during the Conrail years (1976-1999).

Now that the bigger 4-axle units are getting older, this once proud mainline now sees once proud mainline locomotives, as seen here in Farmingdale, NJ, with CSAO symbol SA31 bringing its small train through town on her way south to Lakewood, NJ. This is a bittersweet moment; this line is not nearly what it once was, but it is operational and does see a once-weekly train where there could easily be rusted, overgrown, and abandoned rail for us all to lament over.

Many thanks to Woodhaven Lumber in Lakewood, NJ, for generating enough inbound traffic to keep the trains rolling on this old and historic line.

Image recorded April 29, 2010.

CSAO symbol SA31 bringing its small train through town on her way south to Lakewood, NJ.

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Norfolk Southern train 38G crosses the Lehigh Canal

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Traversing the bridge across the Lehigh Canal dating back to 1916, just west of CP ALLEN, Norfolk Southern train 38G begins its journey to Pavonia Yard in Camden, NJ. Today’s power has a mix of GE and EMD power, with NS 2528 (SD70, blt 12/93), followed by NS 9817 (C40-9W, blt 4/04) and NS 2712 (SD70M-2, blt 12/05). With the train just assembled in Allentown Yard, the engineer will pull another 3/4 of a mile to the home signal at CP BURN to pick up his conductor, and head west to Reading on the NS Lehigh Line.

Image recorded April 24, 2010.

Norfolk Southern train 38G crosses the Lehigh Canal

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Classic EMD locomotives work hard into their golden years

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These two classic EMD locomotives continue to work hard into their ‘golden years’. Norfolk Southern GP38-2 5271 started life as Penn Central 8061, built in February of 1973, and she kept her original number through the Conrail years. CSX GP38-2 began as Conrail 8724, leaving LaGrange, Ill., in June of 1979, to go to work for Big Blue.

This is the Conrail Shared Assets Chemical Coast Secondary, so NS/CSX lashups are common operating procedure in this area; today we have local CSAO crew PR-8 in charge of their short train, making good time on a beautiful spring day, passing CP-PD.

Image recorded April 14, 2010.

Classic EMD locomotives continue to work hard into their golden years

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‘Raccoons’ viewed passing under Hill to Hill bridge

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Known as ‘raccoons’ by many (because of the white painted outline of the front windshields), Norfolk Southern SD70M 2615 is joined by NS C40-9W 9453 as power for today’s train 18G. Passing under the ‘Hill to Hill’ bridge in the background, and the Fahy bridge in the foreground, the crew accelerates slowly after crossing the Lehigh River on the truss bridge seen just to the right of the lead unit, where the middle of the train just happens to be at this moment.

Crews on eastbound trains will negotiate the two fairly sharp curves at the east exit of Allentown Yard with caution, to avoid any problems. The signals seen are the westbound home signals for CP BETHLEHEM, just a few hundred feet behind the locomotives, milepost 88 on the Norfolk Southern Lehigh Line.

Image recorded April 3, 2010.

Norfolk Southern SD70M 2615 is joined by NS C40-9W 9453 as power for todays train 18G

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Union Pacific units pass through Allentown, Pa.

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No, this is not an image from Chicago, nor Memphis, nor Birmingham; surprisingly, this is Allentown, Pennsylvania, on the Norfolk Southern (ex-Conrail) Lehigh Line. On this beautiful day before Easter Sunday in the northeast, the colors are indeed ‘in bloom’, as at least four grey and yellow Union Pacific units will pass through Allentown on this warm spring day.

Here at the west end of Allentown Yard at CP BURN we have NS train 19G with UP 5255 (AC45CCTE) and UP 4799 (SD70M) waiting on the conductor to climb aboard & head west, and NS train 11J with NS 9669 (C40-9W) and NS 9029 (C40-9W) slowing to a stop for a recrew. The van will arrive within minutes with both the 19G conductor and the new 11J crew; with it’s empty auto-rack consist, 11J will get the nod first, followed by the lengthy and slower moving 19G.

Image recorded April 3, 2010.

Union Pacific trains pass through Allentown on Norfolk Southern Lehigh Line

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