RPN: Photo of the Week, NKP 765 and Containers @ Horseshoe Curve / Matthew Chapman

[trisonic]

Another interesting pic of the week - from Matthew Chapman.

 

Somehow this encapsulates modern railroads in America. Containers, Steam, Fans/Spotters, Heritage Liveries.

 

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/437676/

 

 

Best, Pete.

[trisonic]

Another pic of NKP 765 + Heritages' crossing the Susquehanna River just outside Harrisburg, PA:

 

 

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=437076&nseq=13

 

 

Lovely "smoke rings" (above the main exhaust).

 

 

Best, Pete.

[dave_long]

Thanks Pete

I think I would have been tempted to drive 700 miles to see that too. Perfect day.

[Adrian Wintle]

That would have been a nice special to see.

 

I have to make another trip out to Altoona - this time preferably when there are trains running. My only visit so far gave me a 2-hour window at the Horseshoe Curve on a Sunday, but there were no trains in that time.

 

I see the Rockville bridge (second photo) more often, but usually from the other side of the river and in passing,

 

Adrian

[trisonic]

Me too, Adrian. I wonder whether it is worth stopping off there for a couple of hours. Do you know if Enola Yard is photo friendly?

 

Best, Pete.

[tornado64]

don't have much intrest in american steamers  but you would have thaught they would have held the container train till it passed the area for photographers !!

[steve1]

Wonder when/why they swapped to two diesels round?

 

steve

[trisonic]

Well spotted. I didn't even notice...................

 

Best, Pete.

[Oldddudders]

Handsome and effective loco, looking modern by steam standards. ISTR classmate 779 was the last steam loco produced by a US commercial builder, certainly for a US Class 1 railroad. N&W were still building their own at Roanoke, no doubt. That was 1949, and still-new BR had yet to start construction of the Standards!

[trisonic]

I've always thought  that the "Britannia" class looked like a Pennsylvania design from the early thirties - but I can't think of the class right now, of course.......

 

Best, Pete.

[pointstaken]

The time machine obviously is very efficient. A top-class steamer working the main line, towing a pair of diseasels (sniff, sniff), and another one of them on a preserved stand to the left of the photo. Everything thus exactly as it should be.

Thanks for the reference, Pete - much appreciated.

 

Dennis

[Adrian Wintle]

I've always thought  that the "Britannia" class looked like a Pennsylvania design from the early thirties - but I can't think of the class right now, of course.......

 

Best, Pete.

 

It is said that Gresley took some inspiration from the PRR K4s when designing the A1. The K4s was the most common PRR pacific, 425 built between 1914 and 1928, in service until 1957.

 

I don't know about Enola yard, but for the bridge I have considered stopping at the little state park in Rockville, north of the bridge on the east side - it looks like it would have good views of the bridge early in the day (later in the day it would be into the sun). Bridgeview (where the shot on the bridge was taken) is on the west side, south of the bridge).

 

Adrian