Friday, November 17, 2017

Trackside in Mt. Joy on Amtrak's Keystone Corridor on a cold day

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Headed out to Mount Joy (PA) to photograph Amtrak's "Pennsylvanian" which had the PRR sleeper-lounge car 'Colonial Crafts' bringing up the rear markers near MP 77.7. It was a special excursion trip that was to terminate in Pittsburgh and then Colonial Crafts would return on Sunday's Pennsylvanian. Looking at the two people standing in the vestibule of that car, they had to be cold as the temperature hovered in the lower thirties.
 
Image 1:  The eastbound Pennsylvanian, led by Amtrak's 96, is running a few minutes late as it approaches what used to be the Eby Chiques grade crossing. That crossing has been closed off and the Maibach Lane Bridge now carries vehicular traffic over the tracks.
 
Image 2: PRR's Colonial Crafts heads west past the siding for Esbenshade Mills. In the vesitbule stands two people taking in the passing landscape. 
 
Image 3: Amtrak's 663 passes beneath the Maibach Lane bridge with its next stop being Mount Joy.
 
Image 4: An added bonus was having Lancaster Propane Gas's SUEX 919 repositioning some tank cars. Normally when I come to this spot all is quiet at that facility. Fortunately that was not the case today. 919's heritage is unknown at this time.