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Hello, everyone.  Welcome once again to a late-in-the-day issue of Midweek Photos.  I had a few obligations earlier in the day, but here is some of what I was able to capture during the weekend.  

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President's Day weekend is a good time to get out of the house, especially if you want to ride a train.  The Electric City Trolley  runs in Scranton on this weekend to add to the visitation when they host a meet of model steam train and G-Gauge fans.  People who own live steam trains get to run them on the tracks set up by Warrior Run Loco Works and the Aikenback Live Steamers and the Wyoming Valley Live Steamers.  

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The Trolley ride was about a mile short of it's normal 5 mile route this weekend, due to some track work near the trolley barn at the end of the line in Moosic, PA.  Along the route, the car stopped over the Roaring Brook in Scranton.  This is the view looking towards downtown. 

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When we returned, we took in the sight of this nice piece, which is normally kept inside.  It is a Wilmington, DE one truck car.  

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The car running this weekend is 1926 built no. 76, made for the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Co. "Red Arrow Line."   We catch it crossing Cedar Ave in Scranton. The white wall in the distance is the former Delaware Lackawanna & Western RR, which now is used by Delaware -Lackawanna RR for freight, and sees Steamtown trains run on the line from April through November. 

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The next place I caught the trolley is a few miles South of the downtown, but still in Scranton.  We see the car exiting the 1905-built Edward S. Miller tunnel in South Scranton, by Brook St. 

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It's a rather easy chase to make of the Trolley line.  There are only a few openings like this, so you make the most of it when the car is rolling past.  

How has your week of rail-fanning gone?  Did you catch a train, stop by a museum, or a station?  If any of the real world of railroading crossed your path, add your pictures here.  Until the next time. 

 

 

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Thanks for the great Acela photos, SWIPESY. On another thread about the new Acela, I commented on the jarring transition between the power car and the passenger cars - your photos make that transition even more jarring. In addition, it almost looks like the engine and cars have significantly different profiles... the passenger cars look like they are wider than the engine.

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Yes I saw your post.  I also agree as a few others have stated that it is not very attractive.  A couple of my observations about the photos (1) The nose cone is retracted so that it's coupler can be used.  That makes the front look stubby (2) In my photos the train is heading into a curve and the track is banked where the photos and video were taken.  That may cause some of the out of alignment look.

All in all it is not one of my favorite looking.  Give me back NS's Executive  train.

 

Last edited by Swipesy
Pingman posted:
palallin posted:
J 611 posted:

The new Acela is not attractive at all. Hopefully its nicer looking on the inside than it is on the outside! 

It probably would be if you were another anteater . . . . 

My instant impression:  it's an anteater.

 

It's also weird how the locomotive body is a different shape than the cars. The front is all aerodynamic then you have the sides of the cars sticking way out. Who designed this this thing?

Part of the issue is the paint scheme on the locomotive.  If you look at my posted photos of the locomotive you will note that there is no blue stripe on the lower part of the locomotive.  If you look at the PR photos from the factory you will see the locomotive with a blue roof sweeping down to a blue stripe that matches the blue stripe on the cars.  Those photos blend the locomotive better with the cars.  But, I still agree with those who don't care for the overall design.  I also question the openness of the passenger car trucks.  Doesn't that cause drag?

It's pretty obvious by the graphics that the test train is also an advertisement for Alstom-Bombardier.  Pretty sure the paint will be modified once the set enters service.

As far as the trucks go, sure, they could put a shroud on them, but the reduced drag is probably minimal and outweighed by ease of truck maintenance.  None of the HST's in other countries apparently have shrouded trucks.

Rusty

Uhhh, I thought this was Midweek Photos, not a ranting thread on Amtrak's new Acela.

Allow me to help get this thread back on track.

Here are a few newly forged flexible staybolts for Reading T1 no. 2100. They were placed in strictly for photography reasons.

We have been undergoing a project to replace the inner side sheets on both sides of the locomotive. They have been welded and riveted in place, and we are now fundraising for the forging of new staybolts. There are 560 that need to be made.

For just $10, you can be the one to forge a brand new staybolt for the firebox, bringing the engine one step closer to breathing again.

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  • "Very Soon With Your Help"

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