Trains on the Norfolk Southern Harrisburg Line March 2013

Winter becomes Spring on the Harrisburg Line as a variety of weather conditions signifies that transition, which is matched by the variety of train types, locomotives, and locations along the route between Reading and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Sunny weather dulls into ominous skies and rain, then breaks back into sun with strong winds and white, puffy clouds, with the only constant being the fast flow of freight trains pounding the high iron several dozen times each day. This video captures oil trains coming from the great west with foreign locomotives, ballast trains gearing up for another season of maintenance, fast pace auto and intermodal trains, locals, and odd moves including large transformers.

January 9, 2013
Under hazy skies, as the sun tries to burn off the winter frost, a loud Leslie horn pierces the stiff air. As the westbound empty auto train approaches the crossing and 81 signals, the defect detector at 79.9 announces 'no defects'. One nice thing about the stiff, barren air of winter is that the sound carries for several miles, as is the case with 11J, which can be heard blowing for the many crossings in Lebanon as the rear end fades into the distance. At the same time, intermodal train 20K is coming east through the Prescott interlocking, where the head-ends of the trains meet. Even as 20K approaches and passes, the loud ring of 3437's Conrail-era Leslie echoes across the valley.

0:00 - 11J, Doremus, NJ - Detriot, MI
NS SD40-2 3437
NS SD60M 6786

3:06 - 20K, Chicago, IL - Croxton, NJ
NS D9-40CW 9616
NS SD70M-2 2766
NS D9-40CW 9476

March 10, 2013
The days are getting longer, which allows more trains in the cover of daylight, such as the newly reinstated 35Q, which been cancelled for over four years because of the economic downturn. Despite daylight reaching 12 hours in length, 35Q scathes the setting sun passing one of the many fields of dairy cows in Eastern Pennsylvania.

6:11 - 35Q, Allentown, PA - Linwood, NC
NS SD60 6709
NS SD60M 6798
NS D9-40CW 9128

March 12, 2013
A couple days later, a warm wave of weather brings a layer of soft rain. This wouldn't stop me from heading out to a surprising locomotive consist on a train of MW ballast hoppers, some surviving from the era of Erie Lackawanna, only altered by nature's weathering of steel.

7:26 - 93M
NS SD60 6522 (Yellow)
NS D9-40C 8852
NS GP38-2 5669 (OLS)
NS D9-40CW 9861
NS SD70 2522
NS D9-40CW 9829

NS 6522, is one of many former HLCX ex-Union Pacific SD60's that Norfolk Southern bought in 2011 to rebuild into SD60E's. As of 2012, these locomotives are technically retired until they are rebuilt; however, with the overload of rebuilding projects going on in the Altoona Juniata Shops, some of these locomotives are held in Enola Yard. I assume a power shortage led this locomotive back into non-revenue service.

Later that day, I went to the station in Lebanon to see the progress of the second bridge being built for the southbound lanes of PA 72. To my surprise, there was a large puddle from all of the recent rail fall. But first, the H33 local from Reading heads west with a push-pull pair of GP38-2's. Then, 098, a dimensional load of transformers heads east by that station.

8:52 - H33
NS GP38-2 5303 (OLS)
NS GP38-2 5304

9:51 - 098
NS D8-40CW 8338
NS SD40-2 3372

That afternoon, thinking the clouds would part, I went up to Hershey to shoot 507 passing the train station in the small borough of Swatara. While waiting for 507, a 64W Bakken Crude oil train from BNSF snuck up from the west, leaving Harrisburg giving me no time to change locations. It was not where I wanted a shot, but regardless, part of the Hershey and Reeses building makes the backdrop. I wish there was an olfactory option on YouTube, because this place smells like chocolate and peanut butter.

10:50 - 64W, Chicago, IL - Westville, NJ
NS SD70 2576
BNSF ES44AC 6140
BNSF SD70MAC 8957
BNSF SD70MAC 9587 (BN)

12:46 - 507, Carney's Point, NJ - Shire Oaks, PA
NS SD40E 6350
NS D9-40CW 9884
NS D9-40CW 8928
NS SD70M-2 2669

March 13, 2013
The cloudiness continuing, but so does interesting locomotives consists, as 19G passes the FM Brown feed mill in Sinking Spring after departing Reading Yard. The long, heavy train works up hill with four standard cab EMD locomotives.

14:56 - 19G, Oak Island, NJ - Conway, PA
NS SD70 2535
NS SD70 2542
NS SD70M 2630
NS GP38-2 5269

March 14, 2013
The sun finally shines, but not without the brutality of wind gusts of up to 25 MPH. This train of loaded Herzog ballast cars is parking on the siding at Womelsdorf; it is rare that trains of this size use the siding, which is comprised of jointed-rail.

17:31 - 928
NS SD0E 6336
NS D9-40CW 9223
NS SD40E 6341

That afternoon, 202 high balls eastbound with yellow locomotives.

21:26 - 202, Memphis, TN - E-Rail, NJ
UP AC45CCTE 7409
UP AC45CCTE 7833
UP SD70M 4250

22:14 - Later, train 19G heads the opposite direction with a new ES44AC leading.
NS ES44AC 8129
NS ES40DC 7658
NS SD40-2 3376

Thanks for Watching!