Railfan Trip to Cresson, Harrisburg & Philadelphia Pennsylvania May 7-12, 2013
I returned on Sunday afternoon May 12 from my week long trip of rail-fanning and riding Amtrak after a long drive from Harrisburg to Ashland.
Spent a good time at the Station Inn B&B in Cresson, Pa. watching trains on the PRR mainline (NS horses have taken over now).
Our group had dwindled considerably with heath issues and family matters so there were four of us in the Black River & Western room, two guys in the Reading Room, and a few other guests in two or three other rooms.
Arrived on Tuesday afternoon after a drive of about 4.5 hours from Ashland. Decided to take I-80 to I-79 and down to Cresson via Rt 422—Kittanning –Indiana—Ebensburg, Pa. A nice drive, some four-lane and some beautiful scenery in the Allegheny River valley. Ken was sitting on the porch at the Station Inn keeping an eye on those NS locos, while the others were out and about in Altoona and the Horseshoe Curve. After getting squared away in my room, I joined him for some serious photographic pursuits (with my Kodak Easyshare**
Supper at PJ’s is an annual ritual and we all headed up the hill around supper time for some good food and storytelling.
The evening brought some chilly temps outside but a plethora of trains moving in the night. A few braved the porch for night viewing while I sought a TV around 8 for my favorite NCIS programs.
Wednesday started with some great French Toast prepared especially for my sensitive stomach by Sandy. The breakfasts at the Station Inn are a highlight of the stay and Sandy is a gem who takes care of our culinary needs each morning with a smile. Our Innkeeper, Tom, was about, sharing his insights on train movements and PRR history.
After breakfast I took the Amtrak from Altoona to Harrisburg with friends Bill & John. Found a parking spot in the garage and purchased tickets with plenty of time to spare. We walked up on the overhead bridge for a brief respite and then returned downstairs to board. Our Pennsylvanian #42 was on time and headed by Amtrak P-42 loco # 191. Train was not too crowded and I took a window seat on the south side of the train. A nice ride with stops in Tyrone, Huntingdon and Lewistown before arriving in Harrisburg around 12:45pm. We had lunch at the Gingerbread Man Bar & Grill which is a nice place where many state workers go for lunch. A short walk from the Amtrak station on a warm day. Repairs to one of the platforms prevented a close up view of the GG-1 and old PRR caboose today. Amtrak #43 arrived on time at 2:30 pulled by P-42 loco #185, this time carrying a rather full load and boarding a school group of kids in the front car as well. I had a window seat again, while John babysat a crying child farther up the row. :help: I received my double Amtrak Rewards points for the trip as we progressed back to Altoona. Another supper at PJ’s and an evening of train watching highlighted a busy day.
Thursday morning started with some oatmeal, pastries, fruit and English muffins. I decided to take a morning drive down Rt. 53 to Portage to check out the coal loading facilities there. Plenty of dump trucks bringing in coal, but no trains here this morning. Decided to catch Amtrak #42 at the curve in Portage and made my way back to Railroad Street to the site. We are all a little leery of NS police patrolling right of ways these days so tried to stay off RR property. Called Julie and the Pennsylvanian left Johnstown on time so only a short wait before the headlights of Loco # 185 appeared on the horizon. This, of course, was our engine from yesterday’s trip. Not a lot of power stored anywhere around Pittsburgh these days.
Had hoped to have lunch at Sassy Sisters in Portage, but found out it closed last December as the “sisters” wanted to retire and no one took over. Miss those great soups and sandwiches and especially the pie.
Headed on down the road to South Fork, but rail construction and a snooping SFPD officer made it difficult to get close to any action. Started to rain so decided to head north on Rt. 219 to Ebensburg to check out the antique mall. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much there and it resembled a flea market more than antique haven. Back to Cresson where a consensus sought to head for Altoona for pretzels, chocolate and Texas Hot Dogs.
Yes, I had the mac & cheese (no sauce) and a calm hot dog but the experience is a gem with railroad memorabilia on the wall and a familiar waitress who had worked there for several decades.
But now it is time to enjoy Big Rat Alley on the east side of the tracks in Altoona. Named for a large rodent found wandering in the area, it serves as a safe and legal area to watch train action up close along the NS ROW just north of the Amtrak station. Dodging a few rain drops, we encountered some interesting freight action for the early afternoon. A brief stop at the Juniata NS engine shops and turntable, but no special units could be found today.
Next stop was the model railroad shop. Full Steam Ahead usually has a variety of HO locomotives and freight car kits as well as a few used buildings to tempt our wallets. I found an old warehouse building that needed a little TLC and a couple of freight cars for my 1920’s layout.
Reese picked up a very nice lease locomotive unit and Bill found some trailers for his stack trains. After a full day of railfanning, it was time to head west toward Cresson. Dinner tonight was at the Cresson Springs Restaurant just a few blocks from the Station Inn. Since they do not serve alcoholic beverages, our group tends to avoid eating here often, but it is a nice break from TJs. I had the sliced turkey, smashed potatoes and a salad. Others tried the baked ham and the steak/seafood combo dinners. Mine was excellent, but there was some concerns over the quality of some items on the menu. Back to the Station Inn porch for some evening train viewing.
Friday, we had pancakes for breakfast and then I said goodbye to Tom and Sandy as I left for Harrisburg. Stopped by Duncansville Antique Mall, but it is now only open on weekends for its flea market. Not much left there anymore. Took US 22 over the mountain to Huntingdon so I could get a morning photo of Amtrak there. The old station is now an antique mall—flea market. I found a like-new Dietz 999 in blue with red Corning globe and new pot sitting in the window. No RR marks but know it usually went to only three railroads painted blue—NYC, P&LE or B&O.
Went over to the Amshack and talked to the “station lady”. She had to euthanize her little dog in December because he had so many health problems. She always brought him with her to the station and he will be missed. A large crowd of passengers getting on the eastbound, mostly college students going home to east coast. Train was running late and the conductor tried to hurry everyone onboard. A nice photo of locomotive #160 as it sat waiting for its new riders.
Took off from there along US 22. Thought about heading up the Big Valley, but wanted to make better time so stayed on the freeway around Lewistown. Down in the Juniata Valley I could see the Amtrak train sitting at the Lewistown Station, still running about a half hour late today.
I worked my way down Rts 322 and 15/17 and ended up at Keith’s Bridgeview B&B around noon. Keith and Dick were waiting on me, so we went to lunch at The Waterfront Bar & Grill on the river overlooking the Rockville Bridge. Good food and large servings. Nice deck and live music in the evenings highlight this eatery.
Then Keith took us to some of his photo haunts up on a mountain, climbing over and under trestles and bridges and got some nice photos of traffic going in and out of Enola Yard and over the bridge. Saw the NS Heritage Loco for the Interstate RR. We spent much of the afternoon shooting trains and then we headed back to the B&B in the late afternoon to catch traffic on the Rockville Bridge from his deck in back. Got a pizza for supper delivered and watched some TV.
Saturday morning we got up and drove over to Harrisburg Station to catch a Keystone to Philadelphia. You may have seen on the news that a tanker truck overturned on the RT 322 bridge over I-83, exploded and burned so intensely that the bridge decks were severely damaged by the heat. They had to close I-83 and 22, so traffic in and out of Harrisburg was a mess on Friday night. :help:
Keith knew another bridge to use and we got to the station in plenty of time to buy our tickets. Took some photos of the GG-1 and other equipment in the yards and then boarded our train for Philly. We were pulled by Amtrak “Toaster unit” # 939.
Arrived in Philly around 11, decided to have lunch before standing in line to see the display equipment. We went to a good hoagie and cheesesteak place and after getting through about 3/4 of the sandwich I noticed I had broken off a part of a back molar tooth. Yikes!! :help: It didn’t hurt, but was obviously leaving a hole in the tooth.
Decided to take the tours and see all the displays and go out on the SEPTA platform and take pictures of the yards and incoming trains. There were several interesting tours of Amtrak equipment including the new 8400 diner and some private varnish to enjoy. Lines were no too long and except for one small delay, we were able to take our time and enjoy the tours. A roster is found below of what we saw:
Philadelphia National Train Day Displays
Amtrak Equipment
Left on the 2:45 Keystone lead by Amtrak Loco #927 electric to return to Harrisburg. This train stopped at a few different stations than our eastbound had earlier in the morning. Beautiful scenery through Amish country. Arrived around 5 in a pouring rain. But it lasted only about 20 minutes and then we made it back to the car. Stopped at Harris Tower and took a quick tour since the guys who run it were finishing up their NTD event. It is a really neat tower with everything still intact just like when it was operating. Dick had not been in it previously so it was a highlight for him as well.
Had supper at the Waterfront B&G. Thanks to Dick for supper. Back to the B&B for more train watching and conversations with the four or five new guys staying there for the evening.
Up early on Sunday to catch the NS Exhibit Train heading west over the bridge and some other interesting trains. A unit train full of John Deere combines was headed to Enola with cargo bound for foreign shores. I left Keith’s about 8:30 and had a nice sunny drive up the Juniata River valley to Lewistown and State College, then on I-80 across Pa. Ran into some snow flurries when I crossed the mountains but nothing big.
Overall a great trip. Saw lots of trains of varying types. Learned much about the shipments of petroleum and coal headed east and enjoyed the company with friends who also like watching trains. National Train Day in Philadelphia was great with lots of displays, model railroad layouts and some interesting equipment to view.
Our stay at Station Inn is always a joy, even with those eastbound coal drags at 3 am in the morning… and the Bridgeview is a delight with first class rooms and a view that can’t be beat. Hoping to return some day for another visit.
I returned on Sunday afternoon May 12 from my week long trip of rail-fanning and riding Amtrak after a long drive from Harrisburg to Ashland.
Spent a good time at the Station Inn B&B in Cresson, Pa. watching trains on the PRR mainline (NS horses have taken over now).
Our group had dwindled considerably with heath issues and family matters so there were four of us in the Black River & Western room, two guys in the Reading Room, and a few other guests in two or three other rooms.Arrived on Tuesday afternoon after a drive of about 4.5 hours from Ashland. Decided to take I-80 to I-79 and down to Cresson via Rt 422—Kittanning –Indiana—Ebensburg, Pa. A nice drive, some four-lane and some beautiful scenery in the Allegheny River valley. Ken was sitting on the porch at the Station Inn keeping an eye on those NS locos, while the others were out and about in Altoona and the Horseshoe Curve. After getting squared away in my room, I joined him for some serious photographic pursuits (with my Kodak Easyshare**
Supper at PJ’s is an annual ritual and we all headed up the hill around supper time for some good food and storytelling.
The evening brought some chilly temps outside but a plethora of trains moving in the night. A few braved the porch for night viewing while I sought a TV around 8 for my favorite NCIS programs.
Wednesday started with some great French Toast prepared especially for my sensitive stomach by Sandy. The breakfasts at the Station Inn are a highlight of the stay and Sandy is a gem who takes care of our culinary needs each morning with a smile. Our Innkeeper, Tom, was about, sharing his insights on train movements and PRR history.
After breakfast I took the Amtrak from Altoona to Harrisburg with friends Bill & John. Found a parking spot in the garage and purchased tickets with plenty of time to spare. We walked up on the overhead bridge for a brief respite and then returned downstairs to board. Our Pennsylvanian #42 was on time and headed by Amtrak P-42 loco # 191. Train was not too crowded and I took a window seat on the south side of the train. A nice ride with stops in Tyrone, Huntingdon and Lewistown before arriving in Harrisburg around 12:45pm. We had lunch at the Gingerbread Man Bar & Grill which is a nice place where many state workers go for lunch. A short walk from the Amtrak station on a warm day. Repairs to one of the platforms prevented a close up view of the GG-1 and old PRR caboose today. Amtrak #43 arrived on time at 2:30 pulled by P-42 loco #185, this time carrying a rather full load and boarding a school group of kids in the front car as well. I had a window seat again, while John babysat a crying child farther up the row. :help: I received my double Amtrak Rewards points for the trip as we progressed back to Altoona. Another supper at PJ’s and an evening of train watching highlighted a busy day.
Thursday morning started with some oatmeal, pastries, fruit and English muffins. I decided to take a morning drive down Rt. 53 to Portage to check out the coal loading facilities there. Plenty of dump trucks bringing in coal, but no trains here this morning. Decided to catch Amtrak #42 at the curve in Portage and made my way back to Railroad Street to the site. We are all a little leery of NS police patrolling right of ways these days so tried to stay off RR property. Called Julie and the Pennsylvanian left Johnstown on time so only a short wait before the headlights of Loco # 185 appeared on the horizon. This, of course, was our engine from yesterday’s trip. Not a lot of power stored anywhere around Pittsburgh these days.
Had hoped to have lunch at Sassy Sisters in Portage, but found out it closed last December as the “sisters” wanted to retire and no one took over. Miss those great soups and sandwiches and especially the pie.
Headed on down the road to South Fork, but rail construction and a snooping SFPD officer made it difficult to get close to any action. Started to rain so decided to head north on Rt. 219 to Ebensburg to check out the antique mall. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much there and it resembled a flea market more than antique haven. Back to Cresson where a consensus sought to head for Altoona for pretzels, chocolate and Texas Hot Dogs.
Yes, I had the mac & cheese (no sauce) and a calm hot dog but the experience is a gem with railroad memorabilia on the wall and a familiar waitress who had worked there for several decades.
But now it is time to enjoy Big Rat Alley on the east side of the tracks in Altoona. Named for a large rodent found wandering in the area, it serves as a safe and legal area to watch train action up close along the NS ROW just north of the Amtrak station. Dodging a few rain drops, we encountered some interesting freight action for the early afternoon. A brief stop at the Juniata NS engine shops and turntable, but no special units could be found today.
Next stop was the model railroad shop. Full Steam Ahead usually has a variety of HO locomotives and freight car kits as well as a few used buildings to tempt our wallets. I found an old warehouse building that needed a little TLC and a couple of freight cars for my 1920’s layout.
Reese picked up a very nice lease locomotive unit and Bill found some trailers for his stack trains. After a full day of railfanning, it was time to head west toward Cresson. Dinner tonight was at the Cresson Springs Restaurant just a few blocks from the Station Inn. Since they do not serve alcoholic beverages, our group tends to avoid eating here often, but it is a nice break from TJs. I had the sliced turkey, smashed potatoes and a salad. Others tried the baked ham and the steak/seafood combo dinners. Mine was excellent, but there was some concerns over the quality of some items on the menu. Back to the Station Inn porch for some evening train viewing.
Friday, we had pancakes for breakfast and then I said goodbye to Tom and Sandy as I left for Harrisburg. Stopped by Duncansville Antique Mall, but it is now only open on weekends for its flea market. Not much left there anymore. Took US 22 over the mountain to Huntingdon so I could get a morning photo of Amtrak there. The old station is now an antique mall—flea market. I found a like-new Dietz 999 in blue with red Corning globe and new pot sitting in the window. No RR marks but know it usually went to only three railroads painted blue—NYC, P&LE or B&O.
Went over to the Amshack and talked to the “station lady”. She had to euthanize her little dog in December because he had so many health problems. She always brought him with her to the station and he will be missed.
A large crowd of passengers getting on the eastbound, mostly college students going home to east coast. Train was running late and the conductor tried to hurry everyone onboard. A nice photo of locomotive #160 as it sat waiting for its new riders.Took off from there along US 22. Thought about heading up the Big Valley, but wanted to make better time so stayed on the freeway around Lewistown. Down in the Juniata Valley I could see the Amtrak train sitting at the Lewistown Station, still running about a half hour late today.
I worked my way down Rts 322 and 15/17 and ended up at Keith’s Bridgeview B&B around noon. Keith and Dick were waiting on me, so we went to lunch at The Waterfront Bar & Grill on the river overlooking the Rockville Bridge. Good food and large servings. Nice deck and live music in the evenings highlight this eatery.
Then Keith took us to some of his photo haunts up on a mountain, climbing over and under trestles and bridges and got some nice photos of traffic going in and out of Enola Yard and over the bridge. Saw the NS Heritage Loco for the Interstate RR. We spent much of the afternoon shooting trains and then we headed back to the B&B in the late afternoon to catch traffic on the Rockville Bridge from his deck in back. Got a pizza for supper delivered and watched some TV.
Saturday morning we got up and drove over to Harrisburg Station to catch a Keystone to Philadelphia. You may have seen on the news that a tanker truck overturned on the RT 322 bridge over I-83, exploded and burned so intensely that the bridge decks were severely damaged by the heat. They had to close I-83 and 22, so traffic in and out of Harrisburg was a mess on Friday night. :help:
Keith knew another bridge to use and we got to the station in plenty of time to buy our tickets. Took some photos of the GG-1 and other equipment in the yards and then boarded our train for Philly. We were pulled by Amtrak “Toaster unit” # 939.
Arrived in Philly around 11, decided to have lunch before standing in line to see the display equipment. We went to a good hoagie and cheesesteak place and after getting through about 3/4 of the sandwich I noticed I had broken off a part of a back molar tooth. Yikes!! :help: It didn’t hurt, but was obviously leaving a hole in the tooth.
Decided to take the tours and see all the displays and go out on the SEPTA platform and take pictures of the yards and incoming trains. There were several interesting tours of Amtrak equipment including the new 8400 diner and some private varnish to enjoy. Lines were no too long and except for one small delay, we were able to take our time and enjoy the tours. A roster is found below of what we saw:
Philadelphia National Train Day Displays
Amtrak Equipment
- Acela Express Train set
- Amfleet I Business class Coach
- Amfleet I Club-Dinette
- Conference Car 9800
- Viewliner 8400 Prototype Diner
- Viewliner Diner
- Amfleet II Coach
- Engineering Catenary car
- Juniata Terminal 9275
- Juniata Terminal 8850
- SEPTA
- New Jersey Transit
- Braddock Inn
- NYC 38
- Chapel Hill
Left on the 2:45 Keystone lead by Amtrak Loco #927 electric to return to Harrisburg. This train stopped at a few different stations than our eastbound had earlier in the morning. Beautiful scenery through Amish country. Arrived around 5 in a pouring rain. But it lasted only about 20 minutes and then we made it back to the car. Stopped at Harris Tower and took a quick tour since the guys who run it were finishing up their NTD event. It is a really neat tower with everything still intact just like when it was operating. Dick had not been in it previously so it was a highlight for him as well.
Had supper at the Waterfront B&G. Thanks to Dick for supper. Back to the B&B for more train watching and conversations with the four or five new guys staying there for the evening.
Up early on Sunday to catch the NS Exhibit Train heading west over the bridge and some other interesting trains. A unit train full of John Deere combines was headed to Enola with cargo bound for foreign shores. I left Keith’s about 8:30 and had a nice sunny drive up the Juniata River valley to Lewistown and State College, then on I-80 across Pa. Ran into some snow flurries when I crossed the mountains but nothing big.
Overall a great trip. Saw lots of trains of varying types. Learned much about the shipments of petroleum and coal headed east and enjoyed the company with friends who also like watching trains. National Train Day in Philadelphia was great with lots of displays, model railroad layouts and some interesting equipment to view.
Our stay at Station Inn is always a joy, even with those eastbound coal drags at 3 am in the morning…
and the Bridgeview is a delight with first class rooms and a view that can’t be beat. Hoping to return some day for another visit.
