I arose at the Radisson Lackawanna Hotel in Scranton and went down to see what was available for a light breakfast, buying a small cinnamon roll and then returning to the room to work on stories for a few minutes. I then packed and went down to the boarding area behind the hotel for the trip to Sudbury. Here I waited with many of my NRHS friends, whom I only see once a year. Bart Jennings was here so I knew when we boarded the train to stay close to him. The train arrived late and only two doors were used for loading. I followed Bart to Central of New Jersey coach 550 and sat in front of him for our trip.
Trip BackgroundOur first 2010 NRHS Convention Trip, a rare mileage trip, will depart Scranton and traverse the Canadian Pacific "Sudbury Sub" from Scranton to the outskirts of Sudbury, Pennsylvania. This scenic route follows the Susquehanna River for much of the 70 miles trip southwest. This line has not seen a passenger train in over 50 years.
The TripThe train consisted of Delaware & Hudson GP38-2 7312 and 7304, coaches Cental of New Jersey 1152, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 589, 550 and 580, Central of New Jersey 1157 and 1026, Cenctral of New Jersey combine 303, Nickel Plate Road 211 "City of Lima" and Lehigh Valley caboose 353.
We departed at 8:46 AM and were off for Sudbury.
Crossing the main road into Scranton from Interstate 81.
Lackawanna Station tower.
Steamtown as we rolled west.
Delaware-Lackawanna C-425 2452, ex. British Columbia Railway 802, nee Erie-Lackawanna 2452 built by American Locomotive Company in 1964.
Delaware-Lackawanna C-425 2461, ex. British Columbia Railway 811, nee Erie-Lackawanna 2461 built by American Locomotive Company in 1964.
Delaware-Lackawanna C636 3642, ex. Conrail 6792, exx. Penn Central 6342, nee Delta Bulk Terminal 1000 built by American Locomotive Company in 1968.
Delaware-Lackawanna C-420 405, ex. Indiana High Rail Corporation 310, exx. Delaware and Hudson 405, nee Lehigh Valley 405 built by American Locomotive Company in 1964.
Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern C-425 2453, ex. British Columbia Railway 803, nee Erie-Lackawanna 2453 built by American Locomotive Company in 1964.
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Delaware-Lackawanna RS32 211, ex. Tishomingo Railroad 211, exx. Delaware Valley Railway 211, exxx. Eastern Tennesssee 211, exxxx. Municipal Docks 40, exxxxx. Crystal Car Lines 4402, exxxxxxx. Southern Pacific 4002, nee Southern Pacific 7302, built by American Locomotive Company in 1962.
Delaware-Lackawanna C-425 2423, ex. New York and Lake Erie 6101, exx. Morrison-Knudsen 6101, exxx. Conrail 5062, exxxx. Conrail 2423, exxxxx. Penn Central 2423, nee Pennsylvania Railroad 2423 built by American Locomotive Company in 1965.
Reading RS-3 467 built by American Locomotive Company in 1952.
Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 4012 built by Lima in 1940. It was retired in February 1962 after logging 1,029,507 miles in service and was donated to Steamtown in 1964, when it was hauled to North Walpole, New Hampshire the collection's first site. In 1967, it relocated with the collection to Bellows Falls, Vermont and then in 1984 to Scranton. After ten years on display in front of the downtown Lackawanna Station Hotel, it was moved to the Steamtown yard.
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Bridge 60 tower.
Crossing the Lackawanna River.
Problem! Delaware and Hudson 7304 derailed one wheel and our train came to a quick stop, which was my first derailment in over 1,248,000 rail miles. A plan was quickly devised and Nickel Plate 514 from Steamtown would pull us back into the Steamtown station where we would all detrain but return by 11:30 AM to resume the trip.
Being pulled back to the Steamtown by Nickel Plate Road GP9 514.
We left the Delaware and Hudson units at the derailment site.
Thank you to Nickel Plate 514 for helping us out this morning. I went to the Steamtown Mall for a Cinnabon then walked back to the hotel to get my computer.
On the way back to the train was the Electric City Trolley ready to make its first run of the day. I reboarded the excursion train and worked on the Steamtown story, finishing it just after we left Scranton at noon for the second time today.
Sarah Jennings as we departed. After some switching moves, we used the north leg of the wye and reversed around it. With the engines now facing towards Sudbury, we were off and running.
The train curved into Canadian Pacific's Taylor Yard.
Taylor Yard where we were stopped by a red signal.
Canadian Pacific GP9u 8244, nee Canadian Pacific 8834 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1959, on a local which moved out of our way and we were off again.
Crossing the Lackawanna River. We passed the Reading and Northern connection at Minooka Jct then went by CP Carbon, the Delaware-Lackawanna connection before passing Avoca station.
Travelling over the Reading and Northern Line that we would be on Saturday and by CPF 679, the Reading, Blue Mountaina and Northern Allentown Line connection.
Views as we passed through Hudson.
The first crossing of the Susquehanna River.
The second crossing of the Susquehanna River.
North Wilkes Barre with the Endless Mountains.
The Susquehanna River.
Nanticoke.
The Susquehanna River.
The road bridge on the way to Nuremburg.
There are normally trees between the tracks and the Susquehanna River.
Plants under the power lines.
The Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Plant is known as a cloud maker.
Two more views of the Susquehanna River then at Bluff, we stopped for a photo runby.
Reverse move one.
Photo runby one.
Reverse move two.
Photo runby two. We all reboarded the train and we were off to Sudbury once more.
Views from the train.
Danville across the Susquehanna River.
A large industry along our route.
Abundant greenery.
Two more views of the Susquehanna River. We stopped and waited for a Norfolk Southern train to pass before the power ran around the train and pushed us back as far as we were allowed to go.
This is as far west as we went.
The Susquehanna River.
Photographers were out along our route today.
After receiving track warrants, we started the trip back to Scranton.
Good friend Bart Jennings.
My friend from Louisville, Kentucky, Jim Bergent.
Views on the way back.
Reading Railroad station at South Danville built in 1876.
This young man proposed to this young lady and she said "Yes!", another first for me on a train. Later they had to cut out the brakes on our passenger car and we met another Norfolk Southern freight.
Crossing the Susquehanna River for the final time at Wilkes Barre. We returned to the Steamtown wye before reversing to the boarding area, arriving there at 9:12 PM, after which I returned to my room for the night.
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