HiDef: Trains and Trouble on the NS Harrisburg Line

Plenty of fast pace movements, as usual, but also, it isn't uncommon for trains to have problems (i.e. broken air hoses, detector problems, engine trouble)... as the case with one of the trains in this video: battery failure.

4-26
64J roars east bound on a nice, but a windy, Spring day.
NS SD40-2 3389
NS SD40-2 3423

4-28
19G sports an ex-Erie Lackwanna SD45-2 in slot three.
NS D9-40CW 9827
NS SD70M 2610
NS SD45-2 1703

4-28
H31
NS GP38-2 5070
NS GP40-2 3038 "Conrail"

4-29
64J has a nice ex-Conrail GP38-2!
NS D9-40CW 9473
NS GP38-2 5358 "Conrail Quality"

4-29
501 stalled on Wyomissint Inerlocking.
NS D9-40CW 9921 (Dead)
NS D9-40CW 9406 (Not Charging)
NS SD50 5416 "Conrail Quality" (Only fully functional unit)

The lead two units started having trouble, 501 powered up the 5416 and tried to shove the train back, no luck. Then from the second unit, he shoved it back to clear Wyomissing so trains could continue through the junction. 501 had to spin the power so the 5416 would lead... I couldn't stay to the time he got back, I know they didn't leave until night-fall. I was glad to see the SD50 operating, especially in notch 8. It's good so see rare motive power take over when the boring ones take a dump.

4-29... trains that pass by the stalled 501, including a Reading and Northern QIT coal train:

20G
NS D9-40CW 9623
NS SD60 6605

684
NS SD70M-2 2685
NS D9-40CW 9028

921
NS D9-40CW 9885
NS D9-40CW 9767
NS D9-40CW 9208

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Norfolk
• Southern
• NS
• Harrisburg
• Line
• conrail
• quality
• EMD
• SD50
• SD60
• electromotive
• diesel
• SD70M-2
• SD40-2
• GP38-2
• freight
• train
• locomotive
• railroad
• GE
• general
• electric
• C40-9W
• Dash-9
• 501
• 64J
• 20G
• SD70M
• Dash-8
• SD45-2
• erie
• lackwanna
• GP40-2
• leslie
• rs3l
• rs-3l
• s3l
• s-3l
• nathan
• K5LA
• p3
• p5
• horn

[GordonTurnerpark]

That 5416 Conrail is a piece of crap. I had to work it. They should scrap that turd. No ditch lights, smells like a sewer. The engineer spent the whole day fighting the dynamic. We were restricted to 20 on the way home.

[o00o00ozy]

@GordonTurnerpark

Your wish came true, they retired it and rebuilt it entirely new into an SD40-E number 6341.

[Guser223]

Where did the units for 501 go to to turn around?

[o00o00ozy]

About 3/10 of a mile east of Wyomissing Junction a line splits off to Allentown and a line splits off to Philadelphia, thus forming a wye. Trains spin power there all the time, like if they need an engine in the lead that is cab-signal equipped for the Pittsburgh Line.

[CarNutandTrainNut2]

@o00o00ozy

On the Conrail motor, whats up with the word Lancaster underneath the road number?

[o00o00ozy]

@CarNutandTrainNut2

A lot of Conrail units were assigned to certain places along each division. This one in particular would have been assigned to Lancaster, PA or the Dillerville Yard and the surrounding local services. I see tons of switchers and GP40-2's labled for Harrisburg, Reading, or Lebanon or other places in New Jersey. Most of the exConrail units, believe it or not, still work in the area where they were assigned 11+ years ago!

[GordonTurnerpark]

@o00o00ozy I just happened to clean out my grip today and found my switch list from that day with my engine number written at the top. It was 5406. Sorry about that. I was just reading some of my earlier posts and it seems like I was arguing.

[GordonTurnerpark]

@o00o00ozy I am sure I just worked on that engine a few weeks ago. I wrote down the engine number so I could look it up and show my boys which engine I worked on that day. I figured it would be easy to find due to the fact that I haven't seen many of them in service. I was in Toledo Ohio working a road switcher. NS doesn't reissue engine numbers. Even if they rebuild, they use the same number.

[o00o00ozy]

@GordonTurnerpark

It was rebuilt in the Juniata shops in Altoona, PA. The 5416 was stripped down at the beginning of July and was done being rebuilt in August. At the time I am typing this, there are only 10 active SD50's: 5401, 5406, 5415, 5420, 5424, 5425, 5438, 5439, 5441, and 5443.

[NS2658]

what does the red label mean on the front of that NS dash9-40cw 9885 ?

[trainman2331]

nice vid

[MrSd40jk]

Great video thank's

[fightingwolf18]

I'm planning on working for either CSX or Norfolk Southern, as I live in Kent, in Northern Ohio. Which one is better?