#sd45-2

Joliet with Texas Eagle, Part Two

Following up on my previous post on Joliet: only twenty minutes later we see another Texas Eagle, this time the southbound Number 21. I had a quick, friendly chat with Fortier who was working the train.

And I've included a vintage shot here as well: the Santa Fe Super-C, seen in 1975. This is the only train (back then) I had images of going in a southerly direction.

As stated before, the tower is now a railroad museum with a new transportation center attached. Not sure what is happening with Union Station, but it's good to see it well taken care of.

Once again, the Amtrak train is on the former GM&O, now Union Pacific. And now we have evidence of the other double track main beging that of the former ATSF. The Rock Island Railroad crossed the two other lines here (see next post).

Westbound from Avon

The first image here shows a westbound train ready to depart Avon Yard (in the distance, on the left hand side of the frame). We're on the former Big Four/NYC west of Indianapolis.

Conrail is two months old when these pictures were taken so the power standing off to the side is interesting—three units of the Erie Lackawanna along with a Penn Central unit with a Pennsy logo peeking out. Two of three EL units (SD45-2 and SDP45) were purchased with the idea of having larger fuel capacity for long runs from the east to Chicago without refueling.

The second image has the train down the line about six miles, directly south of Danville, Indiana. We're looking down on the railway from State Road 39.

As the intense heat scorches the region, Santa Fe SD45-2s No. 5673 and 5687, SD45 No. 5383 and C30-7 No. 8044 lead a fast manifest across New Mexico bound for Chicago.

Conrail 6666 at Cresson, PA.

Working with a Leica M3 fitted with a 50mm Summicron, I exposed this photo of Conrail SD45-2 6666 on the wye at Cresson, Pennsylvania in July 1989. I loaded the camera with Kodak Plus-X (ISO 125). Interestingly, back then I rarely used this once-popular film in the 35mm format as instead I tended to prefer either Kodak’s Tri-X (ISO 400) or Ilford FP4 (ISO 125). I don’t recall why I opted for…

July 30, 1987: Conrail SD45-2s downgrade at Bennington Curve.

Less often photographed than the famous Horseshoe Curve, is Bennington Curve further up the old Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line grade toward Gallitzin, Pennsylvania.

Back in July 1987, my pal TSH and I camped near the curve. I was kept awake by the roar of uphill diesels and the ear-piercing flange squeal of wheels in the curve. A sunrise I was track side to photograph the action.

One of my…