A Nickel Plated Horseshoe - NKP 765 On The NS Pittsburgh Line

August 20, 2012 - My reason for being trackside could be summarized in three digits, as it could for everyone else that converged on the Pittsburgh Line this morning -765. Everything else, including the twin Schnabel car move seen the day before, was just gravy on the proverbial potatoes.

My plan was simple - start from an early position east of Altoona, then use the fuel stop and crew changes in Altoona and Cresson to leapfrog between locations. I began the day at milepost 228, situated between Bellwood and Tipton. Starting with only a crowing rooster in the yard across the road behind me for company, the crowd built steadily through the morning (and unfortunately, so did the weather) until a distant ghostly scream washed a wave of silence over everyone and the 765 blasted past with its train.

Next up was the fuel stop (for 765) and the west leg of Horseshoe Curve (for me). I may have questioned my sanity once or twice during the climb up the slope in the rain, but I knew I was in the right spot as more photographers arrived and I discovered I was sharing the ledge with Norfolk Southern company photographer Casey Thomason, an NS road foreman, a CSX engineer, and a few other assorted NS employees plus one or two non-railroad folks like myself. Once again a distant ghostly scream, now accompanied by a barking staccato exhaust, brought all conversation to a halt - and also the rain it seemed.

Like Ulysses navigating the mythical ocean, I found myself between a rock and a hard place as I joined the caravan towards Cresson - empty trash train 64J was approaching with the Penn Central heritage unit in the lead. I already had two shots of 765 in the bag; did I give up on a third and turn my attention to the PC unit? The Heritage units are just getting started in their careers, I reasoned, and who knew when I might get a chance to see the 765 operating again, much less operating on the Pittsburgh Line?

The chase of 765 continued.

After catching a glimpse of the insanity taking place in Cresson, I fully expected the same sort of mob when I arrived at my final stop, the Cassandra Overlook. Much to my surprise, it was not the case. Yes, there were a lot of cars crowding the narrow gravel road and a lot of people on the bridge and in the park, but the hillside was surprisingly clear and I had no problem at all finding a good spot to set down the tripod. There was no distant ghostly scream to announce the approach this time - just a triumphant, awe-inspiring one as the 765 flew around the curve and under the footbridge, now in full sunlight.

And with that said, I will defer the rest of the story to a voice far more articulate than my own. Turn up your speakers and listen closely.

#trains #train #railfanning #railroad #pennsylvania

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