All things Harrisburg (Keystone) Line

It is very unusual for them to annul a train out there. I presume a crew shortage or the "dead" consist had a problem that prohibited it from being moved past Paoli without repairs. They can swap a dead locomotive out pretty quickly at Paoli due to the interlockings.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:28 am Off topic, but where in heavens did Mr. Blizzard come up with his screenname

The blizzard of January 1996 was right around the time when I first got internet access. We were off of school for a week due to that and I loved it. So that is when I started using that screen name

rcthompson04 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 28, 2022 12:05 pm It is very unusual for them to annul a train out there. I presume a crew shortage or the "dead" consist had a problem that prohibited it from being moved past Paoli without repairs. They can swap a dead locomotive out pretty quickly at Paoli due to the interlockings.

I don't recall seeing a conductor walking past the cars doing inspections, although I was fairly active on my phone texting updates to family members and looking for updates on the train status on Twitter so I may have missed it.
Maybe it just came down to the fact that by the time 663 limped into Paoli, 43 wasn't far behind compared to sending a rescue.

If you have a crew in an inspected, brake tested engine ready to rock at Race Street, it takes a little under an hour doing single lite engine speeds to get to Paoli. Given that the odds of an inspected spare being ready are not necessarily high, particularly on Christmas, the actual time would be closer to 90 minutes once the crew heads out to the engine, does the brake test, and takes off. That, of course, is after management has decided on the suitable course of action, which is a glacial process at best.

I have no doubt that putting the passengers on 43, two hours behind 663, was the quickest option, short of rectifying 663's issues.

Keystone Service and Paoli/Thorndale Line SEPTA service were suspended today due to wire damage near Radnor. Supposedly service to be normal tomorrow, but SEPTA still remains suspended.

Looks like service is still suspended for a good part of the morning commute.

rcthompson04 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 02, 2023 6:27 pm Keystone Service and Paoli/Thorndale Line SEPTA service were suspended today due to wire damage near Radnor. Supposedly service to be normal tomorrow, but SEPTA still remains suspended.

The Pennsylvanian itself did a PGH-HAR run yesterday, resulting in a 2h delay getting back into PGH. I bet Greyhound got some emergency contracts.

Reminds me of what happened a few years ago with my trip up to PGH...

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Mon Apr 03, 2023 6:24 am

rcthompson04 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 02, 2023 6:27 pm Keystone Service and Paoli/Thorndale Line SEPTA service were suspended today due to wire damage near Radnor. Supposedly service to be normal tomorrow, but SEPTA still remains suspended.

The Pennsylvanian itself did a PGH-HAR run yesterday, resulting in a 2h delay getting back into PGH. I bet Greyhound got some emergency contracts.

Reminds me of what happened a few years ago with my trip up to PGH...

My understanding is that it turned at HAR and went back with the passengers bussed to and from 30th Street.

As of 830am, service is still suspended and Amtrak and SEPTA had to return trains stuck this morning when the service was restarted, but suspended again with a SEPTA train making it from Thorndale to Paoli and the first Amtrak of the morning making it to Lancaster before heading back to Harrisburg. Supposedly PECO is at fault and has two major transportation related issues at the moment. 422 is blocked near King of Prussia. I decided to work from home today, but I could have drove as nobody is getting on 76 from 422.

Local railfan captured SPAX engine 52 recovering some SEPTA Silverliner V's but the real tidbit is in the description:

yesterday, me and @Philadelphiareabuff saw SPAX 52 get dispatched to recover 4 stranded Silverliner V cars after a tree fell from a storm and took out the catenary lines around Rosemont Station. Service for both SEPTA and AMTRAK were suspended for the entire day.

It looks like there were multiple issues out there from my Tuesday AM ride inbound. There is a very large tree down by Radnor as well.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Wed Apr 05, 2023 8:46 am Local railfan captured SPAX engine 52 recovering some SEPTA Silverliner V's but the real tidbit is in the description:

yesterday, me and @Philadelphiareabuff saw SPAX 52 get dispatched to recover 4 stranded Silverliner V cars after a tree fell from a storm and took out the catenary lines around Rosemont Station. Service for both SEPTA and AMTRAK were suspended for the entire day.

yes! The guy who posted the vid is my friend who's username on Railroad.net and YT is Halgoonta. My yt channel is Philadelphiareabuff. It was epic to see that unit in action. I'm glad I got to see it before it inevetibly gets retired. The horn and bell were very good sounding and it was nice to see one of septa's hidden gems.

the very next day after AMTRAK/SEPTA service was partially restored a Catenary Maintenance Vehicle returned from rosemont, and as it passed by us one of the guys flexed and said "Take more pictures". by far one of the best days of rail fanning ever.

Amtrak 642 Veterans motor pushing train 661 to Harrisburg from Middletown June 10
http://chuchubob.rrpicturearchives.net/ ... id=6042533

and pushing train 670 from Philadelphia to New York
http://chuchubob.rrpicturearchives.net/ ... id=6042537
http://chuchubob.rrpicturearchives.net/ ... id=6042538

Random question: Does the catenary at Leaman Place require any special treatment to ensure that the steam exhaust from the Strasburg’s locomotives doesn’t cause excessive wear and tear?

TheOneKEA wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 5:45 pm Random question: Does the catenary at Leaman Place require any special treatment to ensure that the steam exhaust from the Strasburg’s locomotives doesn’t cause excessive wear and tear?

No.