Condemned PRR Position Light Signals, NS Cleveland Line on April 21, 2001

    Shots from NS' ex-PRR C&P Alliance to Cleveland Main

    The weather was dreary and drizzly, but with NS axing all of their PLS on the Cleveland Line in favor of their "Star Wars" style over the next month or so, it's get the shots now or regret it later.

    We started at CP HUDSON (96) and worked our way south to ALLIANCE through the afternoon. The Train Gods smiled on us and provided us with a lot of trains to help make up for the cloudy weather and supply props for a lot of the photos.

    These are the digitals, as the 35mm takes precedence I didn't get all of the trains shot on digital, but did get all of the signals.

    Thanks go out to Don Narris who acted as our tour guide for the line on Saturday!

    All Photos Copyright 2001 Railfan.net

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    1:
    		 Closer view of the signals at HUDSON.
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    2:
    		 Looking north (TT west) at CP HUDSON, MP 96.
    These are modified color PLS (not true CPL :) with the center light blanked out and remaining aspects in RYG.
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    3:
    		 The Hudson, Ohio depot at CP HUSDON.
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    4:
    		 Here comes eastbound 93N with CR B36-7 3610 in the lead at HUDSON at 11:27 am.
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    5:
    		 CR B36-7 3610 going away at HUDSON.
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    6:
    		 NS C40-9W 9100 trails the 3610 at HUDSON.
    Time to move on down the line to the next accessible signals...
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    7:
    		 We made a stop at an underpass between 91.6 and 93.7 and eastbound 20K (TV-10) came roaring through with the 9380 on the point at 11:52 am.
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    8:
    		 We backtracked a mile or so and got permission to drive back through some property right up to the tracks (Thanks Frank!) in time for westbound 21Z to knock down the 93.7 signal with the 8365 leading the 8428 at 12:23 pm.
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    9:
    		 Going away shot of the 20Z.
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    10:
    		 Going away shot of the 20Z.
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    11:
    		 Detail shot of the 91.7 westbound signal.
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    12:
    		 The sentinal at CP 91.7 westbound.
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    13:
    		 CP 91.6 eastbound.
    Once again, gracious neighbors allowed us passage through their property to the right of way.
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    14:
    		 We caught the NS 545 DEEX unit coal train with the 9152 leading the 8145 approaching CP 91.6 at 12:56 pm.
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    15:
    		 Going away shot of the 545 at 91.6 eastbound.
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    16:
    		 The next stop was CP 87.6/87.7.
    There's Don trudging past the 87.7 mast for his shot.
    The bridge in the distance is the same one seen in the 91.6 shot.
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    17:
    		 CP 87.6 close up.
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    18:
    		 CP 87.7 close up.
    Once again the fiber cable work is visible.
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    19:
    		 A quick stop at RAVE to pay our respects.
    The Ravenna RR Historical Society is now the proud owner of RAVE Tower.
    Another one saved!
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    20:
    		 Another look at the tri-light guarding bi-directional track 2 at RAVE.
    The sideways target seems to be guarding a ghost diamond, but is really a harbinger of future signal changes.
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    21:
    		 RAVE cabin hardly seems to be a worthy replacement for RAVE Tower...
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    22:
    		 RN Tower guards the former B&O end of the connection to the PRR in Ravenna.
    The lone bridge pier stands as sole testament to the fact that the Erie Mainline to PRR connection ran through here.
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    23:
    		 We availed ourselves use of the convenient Fraternal Order of Police parking lot to get to the tracks at CP 83.9, showing approach as the fiber crews were a few miles west of here.
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    24:
    		 Signal 83.9 westbound.
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    25:
    		 Signal 84.0 eastbound.
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    26:
    		 Close up of 81.0.
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    27:
    		 Signal 81.0.
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    28:
    		 CP 81.0/81.1.
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    29:
    		 Signal 81.1.
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    30:
    		 CP 81.1/81.0.
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    31:
    		 Side profile of Signal 81.1.
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    32:
    		 We had to walk in about half a mile from Wilkes Rd. to get to 78.4.
    Here the 21Q (TV-1) passes 78.3 westbound.
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    33:
    		 21Q continues west past 78.3.
    I got the head end with the 9510 leading the 9220 on 35mm at 3:23 pm.
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    34:
    		 Close view of Signal 78.4.
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    35:
    		 Going away shot of the 21Q between CP 78.3/78.4.
    The sun played games with us all afternoon, appearing for a few minutes here and there.
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    36:
    		 Close view of Signal 78.3.
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    37:
    		 The next set of signals were in Atwater, MP 75.1 and 75.2.
    The 20A (MAIL-44) with CR C40-8W 8342 and NS C40-9W "Ghost" 8572 came blasting through town at 3:49 pm.
    I got the good shot with the 35 mm :)
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    38:
    		 Signal 75.1 in Atwater with a Conrail AMERICAN crane on the siding.
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    39:
    		 Conrail "AMERICAN DiesElectric" crane 913035 in the siding at Atwater.
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    40:
    		 CP ATWATER with the eastbound 75.2 signal.
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    41:
    		 Signal 75.2.
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    42:
    		 CP ATWATER sign, crane and signal at 75.2.
    It is rumored that NS is going to replace the blue and white "station" signs with black and white versions. It is just stupid sounding enough to be true...
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    43:
    		 Just past the Rt. 183 crossing was this phalanx of new NS "Star Wars" signals apparently for a new CP at MP 73.3...I think...
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    44:
    		 Yeah we know where these go, uh, I think we do, well we thought we did.....
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    45:
    		 If I looked like these things I'd keep a garbage bag over my head too...
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    46:
    		 Laying down on the job. "Psst, hey buddy, anyone wanna buy a signal cheap?"
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    47:
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    48:
    		 Back to the business at hand, we grab Signal 72.1 west.
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    49:
    		 Signal 72.2 east.
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    50:
    		 CP 69.3/69.4 looking TT east with Alliance in the distance.
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    51:
    		 Signal 69.4 east.
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    52:
    		 Signal 69.3 west.
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    53:
    		 At the west end of CP ALLIANCE we caught westbound Amtrak 43 which NS calls PO17T or some such nonsense with Acela (yech!) GE P42 Barney 136 in the lead at 4:46 pm.
    It passed one minute after its departure from the Alliance station stop.
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    54:
    		 Going away shot of 43 at ALLIANCE.
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    55:
    		 Eastbound Track 1 ALLIANCE signal on the Cleveland Line.
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    56:
    		 Eastbound track 2 signal on the Cleveland Line at MP 67 at Alliance, Ohio.
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    57:
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    58:
    		 Frequency traps for track circuit occupancy detection at CP ALLIANCE on Track 1.
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    59:
    		 NS obliged us with westbound 17Q at 4:54 pm with CR C40-8W 8448 hot on the markers of Amtrak 43.
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    60:
    		 Going away shot of the 17Q.
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    61:
    		 Eastbound 22K (MAIL-8) was poking along so we decided to head to the east end of Alliance where I missed it passing under the signal bridge because I turned the camera off instead of tripping the shutter, oops...
    Going away shot at 5:03 pm on the Fort Wayne line to its relay at Conway.
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    62:
    		 22K under the ALLIANCE westbound signal bridge.
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    63:
    		 Slightly closer view of the ALLIANCE westbound signal bridge.
    This bridge uses the modified color PLS signals like HUDSON's.
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    64:
    		 After waiting for the 22K to get by, NS 35N (PIDE Conway to Decatur) crosses over and heads west with coloful NS Dash 9's 9482 and 9555 at 5:11 pm.
    This was probably the best shot of the day for the digitals.
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    65:
    		 Going away shot of westbound 35N.
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    66:
    		 Fallen Flag shot of a C&NW Hi-Cube auto parts boxcar in the 35N's consist.
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    67:
    		 NS 20E (MAIL-8M, 47th St. Chicago, IL to Morrisville, PA) rolls east with another pair of those oh-so-photogenic NS Dash 9's, the 9273 leading the 9130 at 5:30 in Alliance.
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    68:
    		 Going away shot of the 20E with an unidentifed westbound waiting for the signal in the distance.
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    69:
    		 The 20E/WB meet.
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    70:
    		 Here comes the NS westbound on the Ft. Wayne at 5:33.
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    71:
    		 NS C40-9 9271 leads a CR dash 8 west through Alliance.
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    72:
    		 An old International caboose on the fiber train which has been working the Cleveland line tailhoses it down the siding at the east end of ALLIANCE.
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    73:
    		 Toot, tooting past the grade crossing at 5:53.
    Even if it is plain jane MoW grey, it is nice to see a hack in use.
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    74:
    		 Here's the end-of-day bonus, OHCR Conrail GP30 2187 with its number still intact on its CR 1982 blue paint!
    The old chop-nose Geep 9 trailing pales in comparison.
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    75:
    		 Here you can get a look at the spools of fiber conduit running up to the head end feeder machine.
    The last time I saw a CR GP30 still in blue paint was at the dead line in Altoona back in the early 90's!
    The 2187 was the Reading 3619 and the last of 20 RDG units. PC GP30's went from 2188 to 2249 where the GP3's took over.
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    76:
    		 An NS supervisor is done confering with the crew and heads back to his rattle trap ex-crew taxi.
    He had stopped at the grade crossing where I was shooting the crummy crossing the road from about 30' onto NS property, but I ignored him and he went away :)
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