Rear view RFW on Pennsylvanian train #43. Philadelphia to Harrisburg. 6/5/24 

@@NS9213 Amtrak replaced the 1938 catenary poles with utility-style transmission monopoles that are higher than the treeline (plus allowing greater distances than the catenary poles). Amtrak still maintains the catenary poles on the Dale Secondary (and the abandoned Schuylkill Line), however their ultimate goal is to replace the 1915 44 kV/25 Hz AC (power source deactivated in the 1960s) catenary infrastructure on the Keystone Corridor between Paoli and Zoo Substations and replace it with the 1928/1938 PRR architecture, allowing Amtrak to discontinue maintaining the transmission lines on the Dale Secondary and abandoned Schuylkill Line. However, Amtrak is facing very stiff opposition from hoity-toity tree-hugging Main Line NIMBYers, fearing that such will reduce their property values (even though a PECO 110 kV AC transmission line runs along SEPTA's Norristown High-Speed Line; a portion of the transmission line between Havertown and Bryn Mawr going past the Merion Country Club uses the PRR-style architecture); yet Amtrak and SEPTA both say that (and I can attest, as I ride SEPTA every Sunday to my congregation in Paoli, where I am associate pastor) that "voltage sag" exists between Villanova and Berwyn caused by the lack of a proper 25 Hz AC Substation (or even an autotransformer like that found on the ex-Reading side of SEPTA's Regional Rail system), an issue going all the way back to the 1915 44 kV electrification which was fixed by the PRR by the addition of a pair of synchronous condensers near the Radnor station (where the PRR kept water pans for the long-distance NYC-Chicago steam locomotives to take water "on the fly" without stopping to take on water at a traditional water tank).

Yeh, just something about seeing those 1938 Cat Poles which just takes me back to the PRR/PC era when freight traffic soared on the Main and A&S. Truly just a shell of what it once was.

I’m also an Air Force vet

Interesting info

@@3985uprr I love riding on the Amtrak Pennsylvanian, and you actually just missed me by a mere day or two. yeah dude, I took the 43-Pennsylvanian back out to Johnstown on May 31st, and got back to Philly around June 4th. Absolutely love this particular route, i'd say it's equally as good as the Northeast Corridor

Thank you much. A great memory

Ahhhhh. I didn’t think they ran much freight on it

I see Norfolk Southern go by often. I think they sometimes go into the steel mill in Coatesville.

​​@@THF409 any freight traffic using the Keystone Corridor would be for the steel mill; NS trains going to the mill in Coatesville will come out of the Conshohocken mill onto the former Trenton Cutoff (NS Dale Secondary - a "dark territory" line whose RoW is mainly retained for the PRR/PC/Amtrak 25 Hz AC power transmission lines) to Frazer (near Immaculata University and the infamous Duffy's Cut mass grave), in which the Dale Secondary becomes Keystone Corridor Track 2 at GLEN interlocking.

Yes, I watched them added a third bypass track a year ago for the construction of the new Coatesville train station.

The keystone corridor is getting a lot of upgrades rn to get septa service extended to coatesville and a second daily Pennsylvanian train from New York to Pittsburgh!!!

@@nolantherailfan5048 I wouldn't be too surprised if Amtrak (and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) upgrades the Keystone Corridor to mimick NEC operations between Claymont Transit Center and Newark, Delaware with a "Holly"-type interlocking at "Paoli-East" (Tracks 1 & 4 merging into Tracks 2 & 3) with a dedicated new Track 4 from "Paoli-West" being used only by SEPTA akin to NEC Track 1 between dedicated for SEPTA between Wilmington and Newark. Key also for expanded Amtrak and SEPTA service is Amtrak (and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) getting past those hoity-toity tree-hugging NIMBYers along the Main Line (the community) and allowing Amtrak to replace the old 1915 44 kV AC architecture with the 1928/1938 138 kV AC architecture (and substation infrastructure at Bryn Mawr) so that Amtrak and SEPTA can run all-electric trains between Harrisburg and 30th Street (with "Pennsylvanian" trains, especially when Amtrak takes delivery of the SC-42DP locomotives and Airo trainsets, switching from electric to diesel at Harrisburg like PRR trains did when the 1938 electrification came online and either the steam locomotive or ALCO was switched out for the GG1).

Cool, thanks!

Anytime Tim for the memories you bringing to RU-vid for the train railfanners and interesting people who love trains.

Yes, indeed. You were an inspiration. What other trains could I do this in coach without being stymied by the double ended syndrome?

​@@3985uprr 290 between Albany and New York, 69, 68, 29, and 30 as far as the east coast. when I tried to do 290 they ended up wying the train upon arrival into Albany so business was at the back and I could not do the ride. if there are 2 P32s north of Albany, you should be fine but if 290 has a P32 and a P42, they wye the train at Albany so that the P32 is facing NY. you can not do 291 without booking business class. I have not done 69 or 68 though but assuming they don't block off any of the coaches, it should be okay. obviously 43 and 42 as well between Philly and Pittsburgh.

@@3985uprrdon’t quote me on this but the maple leaf might have a coach on the rear

@@3985uprrboth Adirondacks from NY to Montreal (I might do as far as Albany at some point) as well as 290 from Albany to NY after they detach the rear P32. If they run a P32 and P42 north of Albany, they wye 290 at Albany so the P32 is facing NY which happened to me and I wasn’t able to film a rear view on 290.

That is a very unrealistic expectation 😁

In the last few years even with the cab cars leading on the keystones they close the door between the cab and passengers. They don't want anyone out of the normal sitting area

Retired Railfan is a railfanning celebrity in the NYC and Philadelphia metropolitan area. I’m surprised that they didn’t allow him to make a video.

@@Leonard_WilsonI am not God!!!!! 🤨🤨😁😁

@Leonard_Wilson they won't Amtrak has really cut down on our views for video. They expect you to be just another passenger.

Consider the Twentieth Century Limited - it stopped at Paoli.

I’m not entirely a couch potato

​@@3985uprrFar from it.

West of Lancaster they’re doing a lot of work to replace the wooden ties with concrete ties

Yes they did. Flat switching yard.

The train goes to Pittsburgh. They don’t do engine changes at Harrisburg anymore.

The train also has to change directions at 30th Street. It’s a more logical place for an engine change as well.

@@3985uprr you'd be surprised. when I took the train to Pittsburgh and did the westbound RFW as far as Harrisburg, the P42 broke down so I got to witness a P42 to P42 engine change (they connected an ACS-64 at Harrisburg to provide power for the 4 hours we were stuck there). it's not a regular occurrence but it can still happen!

@@3985uprr there is another reason why Amtrak changes engines at 30th Street and not at Harrisburg; the fueling pad at Harrisburg is owned by NS (and located at the Enola Yard) and not Amtrak (whereas the fueling pad at 30th Street is on Amtrak property). It would be interesting on how operations will differ when Amtrak phases out both the P42 and ACS-64 locomotives for the SC-42DP locomotives and Airo trainsets.

Train is being worked on. it must not be moved until blue light is removed.

I’m not sure, might be a bypass track for the new Coatesville station for Septa

NS doesn’t want to run freight trains to Coatesville past the high level platforms at the station.

Yes the P42 or Genesis engine is Amtrak's diesel locomotive but the ALC-42 is in testing to replace these engines. They use the P42 on trains 42 and 43 because west of Harrisburg is not electrified so diesels are required. Conrail did a study years ago about putting wires up in the 60s and 70s but never happened

@@RyanHatterer-Ryanns999 Thanks, I know what the P42/Gennies are as well as the ALC 42….I had forgotten about west of H’burg not being under the wires. Thanks!!!

@@tokugawa12able No problems, I didn't know if you knew because of how you put "A P42"

probably as an overtake when SEPTA is extended

@@nathanjiang100Don't they plans to demolish the 52nd street viaduct?

@@nathanjiang100don't they also have plans to demolish the 52nd street viaduct?

@@nathanjiang100Don't they also have plans to demolish the 52nd street viaduct and the bridge that passed over it on the cynwyd branch?