Ballast Train on R3 Elwyn

I know theres an Amtrak Ballast Train that runs to the Glen Mills quarry. Does anyone have a general time frame of when they run. I hear it a lot at night but never know when it is scheduled to run. I'm assuming it runs as required but I'm not sure. Also does anyone have video or pictures of the Amtrak ballast train? Any info or pictures would be great, Thanks!

Hi r3 kid, that ballast train usually but not always runs after train 395 gets on the Line so in general I will say anytime after 11.I remember about 2 years ago, I was bringing up train 398 and I was stopped at lansdowne and it came flying by me.it was a nice sight

From perhaps late October through early December, this train was heading out to Glen Mills between 7-8 PM, and returning in the 11 PM hour. R3 runs right behind my house, so I definitely feel it coming through.

I haven't been around at that hour the last two weeks to tell you that's still the case. This past night (wee hours of 12-18) it rolled out well after midnight - it was rather speedy, I actually got out of my chair- and returned approx 3 AM.

Hi Quinn. The stone train does not run to glen mills any earlier then what I stated. There is a job sign up time and it's not early. The diesel train you would hear coming by earlier in the pm is the gel-wash train which runs during the fall leaf season.the stone train generally doesn't make it on the line until sometime after 11pm

The one I was referring to running earlier in the evening always had #602 on the tail end- that's the gel train? Thank you for setting me straight.

Quinn wrote:The one I was referring to running earlier in the evening always had #602 on the tail end- that's the gel train? Thank you for setting me straight.

Yes thats the Gel train. I wish Amtrak would run that stone train earlier in the evening so I can actually get decent video of the thing. Septa wont really allow it until the RRD is almost shut down. The 1 night when that train passed me when I was bringing train 398 back into Phlly, the stone train passed me at Lansdowne going west, doing decent speed and laying on the horn. The lead unit was a Geep and the 2nd unit was a P42 which isnt even allowed on the line because of weight. It sure was nice to see.Unfortunately, I work for Amtrak out of NYC and dont really know anyone in Philly to ask when this thing runs.

BuddSilverliner269 wrote:

Quinn wrote:The one I was referring to running earlier in the evening always had #602 on the tail end- that's the gel train? Thank you for setting me straight.

Yes thats the Gel train. I wish Amtrak would run that stone train earlier in the evening so I can actually get decent video of the thing. Septa wont really allow it until the RRD is almost shut down. The 1 night when that train passed me when I was bringing train 398 back into Phlly, the stone train passed me at Lansdowne going west, doing decent speed and laying on the horn. The lead unit was a Geep and the 2nd unit was a P42 which isnt even allowed on the line because of weight. It sure was nice to see.Unfortunately, I work for Amtrak out of NYC and dont really know anyone in Philly to ask when this thing runs.

It had a P42? That's pretty rare, I would really like to get some decent video of it as well but since I don't have a good idea of when exactly it runs, I wouldnt want to be sitting down at the station in the middle of the night. Thanks though for the information!

Finally caught up with the Amtrak ballast train on the R3. Westbound at Primos at about 20:40. Heard the return around 23:00. Power was a pair of MP15D's running push-pull.

Great pic. It makes the train look ghostly, or an artsy fartsy pic.

One more pic...tried to pan with the lead loco...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that unit in the second pic isn't an MP15. It's either a one of Amtrak's kitbashed GP15s or a GP38.

CNJGeep wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong, but that unit in the second pic isn't an MP15. It's either a one of Amtrak's kitbashed GP15s or a GP38.

It's a Motive Power kitbash, hence the thought to call them MP15; Amtrak calls them GP15D.

Did you see the ballast train on that Saturday or was it a weekday? If it was Saturday, I'm assuming it went through ahead of train 4329 which is scheduled at Primos at 20:40?

Photos from Wednesday, September 2nd, about 20:30 at Primos.

In the last week or so I've seen the ballast train come through with 576 & 722 (together), and also 720.