949 - Columbia, PA - 3/2/08

[conrailbuff]

I live in Lancaster City. Im always hearing the train during the day between 1pm -6pm and again after midnight. Since I live close Im always around Dillerville yard taking pictures of random cars....

[wrailfan]

I live outside of Lancaster City, and I too hear the NS around the Dillerville Yard & Amtrak going in & out of Lancaster Station. It's nice to see that NS still has [and uses] a caboose in the DY [CR #24000]!

I've taken numerous night shots of NS GP 38-2s 5652 through 5659 along Harrisburg Pike in the DY, along with the two CR SD 40-2s [3419 & 3420] and NS' GP 40-2 [3041] as well.

[conrailbuff]

I've noticed that they use 5652 & 5659 alot for out-of-city travels. The line that crosses OVER Harrisburg pike towards Rohrerstown, I've walked on and I (think) I found the future place where they will be building the Dillerville terminal offices. Right Now F&M Collage owns the area where its at, and they will soon be moving the GP's resting place on the west end of the city.

[keithLD50]

I live really close to Columbia, what is the best time of day to view passing trains from the small river park right next to the bridge there? I've gone down there before in the evening but half the time nothing passes.

[lappdawg27]

Everything pretty much runs at night. I'd say between 8PM and 8AM is the best time.

[nsgevo89]

Nice 5600-series GP38-2 on the lead! That was a strange-sounding horn! Maybe one day NS will build a #5689. That's the digits of my birthday: May 6, 1989.

[Alek9997]

How do those trains get around sharp curves? Wouldn't it bend the rail?

[lappdawg27]

Yes, the rail is bent, but when they lay welded rail on curves it is bent also. There may be a minimum curve radius or something for these trains, but it is probably very sharp (like on an industrial siding or something)

[pahogger]

Amtrak can use all the welded rail it can get, that's a good sign, and a nice video.

[georei]

Nice to see a train pull new rails. A sign of growth for the railraod once more.

[o00o00ozy]

Very nice video! I love rail trains! How often are NS tracks in Lancaster county used? I see tracks and the crossings have NS lables on them, yet I never hear anything about trains, I'd fan there if I had info. Perhaps a train in/out Dillersville yard and a bunch of locals to branching out from there? I'll probably google maps the lines. If you have info I'd like to know.

[lappdawg27]

This line sees H18 daily (usually in the evening), and a local on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The H18 is a big train and brings all freight into Dillerville Yard for the various locals to deliver. NS locals run on Amtrak at night, as well as the Litiz Secondary (M-W-F during the day) and the New Holland Seconday (M-F usually leaving Lancaster between 2 and 4PM)

[o00o00ozy]

Is H18 Enola-Dillerville? When I was at the Harley Factory I noticed one leaving, was that an H18? It was quite large and had 2 SD70's pulling. I'll check it out sometime if I'm in the area, I don't want to drive down and then see nothing for hours.

[lappdawg27]

Yeah H18 is Enola-Dillerville (and back). If you're talking about the Harley Factory in York, that line is the York Secondary and that would have been H95 (Enola-York).

[o00o00ozy]

Ooh, okay. H95 was pretty long.