The Pennsylvania Railroad's Middle Division is the creation and artwork of Gary Salzgaber, known far and wide to his many friends as the "Maestro of the Middle Division".
I needed a break from work and life and since it had been a long time since I last visited the Middle Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad I headed to Johnstown, Pa. to do some railfanning on the Pennsy. Here I am in the blue suit surrounded by a sea of Tuscan Red, position light signals and so on. The Johnstown station and yard reeked of Keystones!
The Broadway Limited has just left Johnstown, cleared the yard and is crossing over to number one track at the interlocking east/west??? of Johnstown. Pete White is the operator in ??? Tower. He is usually pretty good, especially if a passenger train is about, and he is not one to delay the Broadway Limited even if he is a New York Central man at heart.
The Middle Division is always fun to railfan as there is a lot of train action and all sorts of excellent photo spots such as these bridges. The Broadway Limited is zipping right along.
We are in an agricultural area so there are several grain elevators along the tracks. The Mountain View is carrying the Broadway's markers on this trip.
I met one of my long-time friends at Johnstown, Joesph L. Smerdlock, and invited him along so we are treated to photos taken from different angles.
The Broadway has made a short station stop at ???????????????????. Since the train is quite long and the station platform very short, two stops are made to accommodate all of the passengers getting on and off.
The stop enables us to get through town to the depot and get a quick shot of the lead E-8, # 5898.
The speed of the Broadway Limited and the narrow, windy roads in this part of the Keystone State combine to prevent us from chasing the train any distance. So we bid farewell to the signature train of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Holy Toledo! We are in luck today. A freight drag comes out of the tunnel with M-1 #6734 on the point. The 4-8-2 Mountain has been working hard coming up the grade but now will coast down to ??????
Here is a really nice shot of the 6734 crossing one of the impressive stone arch bridges found on the Middle Division.
With our 400mm zoom lense and motor drive we zoom in on the 6734. What a magificent sight.
To really appreciate this marvelous steam locomotive we suggest clicking on it to get a full screen view. This could be a ghost train! ---that looks like a reincarnation of Paul Geiger sitting in the fireman's seat.
The Pennsy has such distinctive cabooses, quaintly called "cabin cars" by those of the Keystone persuasion, that we cannot neglect the rear end of the M-1's train. Here, the cabin car is coupled to a nice B&O 40 foot boxcar.
Smerdlock and I sure didn't expect to see this! It got past us before we knew what was happening. A coal train off the Chesapeake & Ohio with a three unit set of F units in the bow wave paint scheme is making a special run with a train of coal that will be tested by an electrical utility in New England. I heard that it was located in Newport, Vermont but that was only a rumor. We will take a short cut and try to get the train coming out of the tunnel in the distance. It looks like another one of our friends is out railfanning --- there is only one railfan that we know of that not only drives a red Blazer, but also drives it along the right-of-way to his desired photo spot. I think that Blazer has more miles along the Pennsy's right-of-way than it does on the highway!
Here comes the C&O coal train out of the tunnel making for a nice photo. Those F units would look good on anyone's railroad.
From a vantage point high up on one of the hills we see the C&O coal train gliding down the grade to Huntingdon. It won't be too long before it is descending the horsehoe curve. Why is it that coal trains never seem to be out of place on a layout?
During a lull in the action we stop by the depot in Huntingdon to take a break and wait for the next train. That is my friend Joe Smerdlock standing by the baggage wagon.
The crew of the Huntingdon switcher, a nifty SW-1 parked next to the depot, is taking a break too.
Rounding the curve west of the Huntingdon depot is a reefer train which has kept is Southern Pacific F units after the train was handed off to the Pennsy.
Here is a good example of how to make a black paint scheme extremely attractive. We have always been a fan of the Espee's "black widow" scheme and it sure looks good today.
Here is a nice view of the reefer train's A-B-A F units as they pull the reefer train up a long grade.
The reefer train passes a packing plant and grain elevator on the lower stretch of a long upbound grade in the central Pennsylvania mountains. Reefer trains were a common sight on the Pennsy and with their perishable commodities were given a high priority over less time sensitve freight.
We hear the sounds of an EMD powered train laboring up the grade in the mountains so head that way and are rewarded with another visitor to the Middle Division. A pair of Erie F units on the head end of a freight pops out of the tunnel and comes around the curve fighting the steep grade.
A closer view of the Erie F A&B units shows the detail of the Erie's famous paint scheme. Those wings really look good curving around the nose of the F unit. The trailing Lackawanna box car portends the future movement of the Erie and Lackawanna to produce the Erie-Lackawanna.
There is no road along the Pennsy up in the mountains so we rush over to Huntingdon and catch the visiting freight there.
The Erie's yellow and black paint scheme is one of those that, in our never humble opinion, makes a black locomotive appear elegant.
We love piggybacks from the 1950's and 1960's so are quite happy to see this Erie flat with two beautiful Erie trailers in the train's consist.
As we see the Erie F units pass the packing plant we see Gary's house off in the distance.
Here we see the Erie train headed up to the mountains and a long tunnel. We head back to Johnstown to see what is happening there.
Holy Toledo! As we get close to Johnstown we see a Pennsy T-1 at the tower outside of town.What a beautiful locomotive. Its train is the ??????? version of the Broadway Limited. The T-1 is entering the crossovers in front of the tower.
A vantage point from a nearby promintory gives us a nice view of the T-1 going by the tower.
WOW!!!!!!! The T-1 and Broadway Limited meet the Erie freight at the interlocking. The Erie is stopped at the position light signal waiting for the Broadway Limited to cross over and clear the interlocking.
Here the T-1 powered Broadway Limited stops at the Huntingdon depot.
A view of the Empire Builder at Huntingdon on the Pennsy's Middle Division.
Closeup of the T-1 at Huntingdon. Looks like it is going to take on some water. The T-1's tender is a work of art with the streamlining and the stripes along the side.
From a nearby hillside we see the ????? Broadway Limited in its entirety while it makes a station stop at Huntingdon.
The T-1 makes its way into Johnstown. Lots of traffic here judging by the crowded yard and passenger station.Here we see a little time warp.
There is a little time warp here, something that happens frequently on Gary's Middle Division. Another Pennsy passenger train, powered by a pair of PA's is sandwiched between the ???? and ???? versions of the Broadway Limited.INDUSTRIES
Here is a look at some of the industries and structures one finds along this segment of the Pennsy.
The Parks Coal & Supply Sand and Gravel Co. is one of the Penny's good customers as the coal, sand and crushed stone is delivered by the railroad. It looks like they just unloaded a custom load of coal off the Norfolk & Western.
There is a small scrap metal operation next to Parks Sand & Gravel. They have been working most of the morning to fill that Pennsy gondola which the local will pick up. In the distance is the ??????????. The Pennsy double dips here with the livestock being delivered in the stock car and the meat being transported by reefer. Must be pretty low grade beef to rate a New York Central Merchants Despatch reefer!
A closer view of the scrapyard.
In the hills above ?????????? is the ??????? mine, one of several coal mines in the hills along the railroad. Coal trains are almost always a common sight when we railfan this stretch of the Pennsy.
ROLLING STOCK--PENNSY
ROLLING STOCK--OTHER RAILROADS
