Orange switcher near Norristown

I was travelling on the PA turnpike to Strausburg RR museum with a friend and I noticed near Norristown, there is an orange switcher with some freight cars. This was just west of the Norristown exit and I did not get a good look at it from the turnpike. Any idea on who owns this engine and how would I be able to get some pics of it without pulling over on the turnpkie(directions to its location)? Thanks in advance for any information.

Did it look like this?...


That's the Chester Valley Railroad's #9008, an NW2 built in 1947 for the Texas & Pacific. Until recently, she was Upper Merion & Plymouth.

She sets out and picks up cars in Bridgeport a few times a week. I caught her on a Friday morning around 10:30 or 11:00. She has to cross Rt 23 (4th Street in Bridgeport) to make her setouts, and they have to flag her across. This pic is actually a block or two west of that Xing, as she makes her way thru town.

I used to work at the FedEx Ground facility near Bridgeport, and one morning I was driving in around 5:30, not entirely awake. I approached the 4th street grade crossing, and as I'm about to fly over it, I hear this deafening horn blast from a locomotive, which scared the living crap out of me, but naturally it was coming from an NS loco on the main line. Sure was enough to stop my heart for a second or two though.

Urban D Kaye wrote:Did it look like this?...


That's the Chester Valley Railroad's #9008, an NW2 built in 1947 for the Texas & Pacific. Until recently, she was Upper Merion & Plymouth.

She sets out and picks up cars in Bridgeport a few times a week. I caught her on a Friday morning around 10:30 or 11:00. She has to cross Rt 23 (4th Street in Bridgeport) to make her setouts, and they have to flag her across. This pic is actually a block or two west of that Xing, as she makes her way thru town.

That would be the one. Thank you. Nice shot, thanks for posting it. Now I am going to have to make a trip out there to get a few shots. Any idea on what time they begin and end work out there? How much trackage do they run on and is that the only engine this railroad has? Thanks again.

nolifeCRchaser-

Can't really swear to their schedule...I've seen'm late morning, also early afternoon. Fridays seem a good bet.

They run a small stretch of ex-Reading trackage (formerly the Chester Valley Branch) of only 4 miles or so. There's an industrial customer at the end that moves a few boxcars a week, but I've never been down there. As you know, they interchange with NS in town..there's a li'l deli on 4th Street at the Xing. Sometimes the crew takes a lunch break.

Another nice photo. I will definitely head out there one of these days. Thank you again for the information and for posting the photo. Take care.

I passed the King Of Prussia Yard 3-15-09 and saw the switcher, box car and tank cars parked on almost all of the available rails. Does anyone know if the tankers are revenue or in storage? Thanks

All the cars on line are for storage. As of right now, we have no customers on the line.

rob216 wrote:All the cars on line are for storage. As of right now, we have no customers on the line.

So the recycling plant no longer a customer? If so, when did they stop?

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1

It stopped when BFI became Allied Waste. The new owners of the plant want nothing to do with rail service.

Must be something recent, Allied has owned BFI for quite a few years now.

A few years ago I got lucky and got a video of the train going from Bridgeport to King of Prussia.

Enjoy!

EPRY 9008 Part 1 - crossing E 4th Street, Bridgeport PA, April 10 2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynFN8lyt4RM

EPRY 9008 Part 2 - crossing Mill St, Bridgeport PA, April 10 2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qirqdFYc4ac

EPRY 9008 Part 3 - crossing RT 202, Bridgeport PA, April 10 2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z3pdIlzLD8

EPRY 9008 Part 4 - along side Rt 23, going under the high speed line, Bridgeport PA, April 10 2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8zrvcYqU0M

EPRY 9008 Part 5 - crossing RT 202, King of Prussia PA, April 10 2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGOeu2iBFQY

Long live the Reading's Chester Valley Branch to Downingtown!

The switcher is currently stored at the BWI plant just north of 276 in King of Prussia. There's also a "Lancaster Northern" MoW utility truck there.