Norfolk Southern flagman Bob
Rockey watches eastbound 268 pass 19th and Cascade
Streets in Erie, PA - J. Alex Lang
TRACKSIDE:
Erie, Pennsylvania
by Melanie Good
and J. Alex Lang
Eastbound Conrail TV-14
passes BNSF C44-9W's and UP AC4400CW's on the interchange
track at the General Electric Plant in Lawrence Park. -
Kevin Burkholder
The following article appeared in the August, 1998 issue of Eastern
Railroad News; an internet magazine dealing with railroading east of the Mississippi River
(more or less). For more information about
ERN, check out their website.Reprinted with permission.
Erie, PA is an interesting and unique
railfan location. In this quaint city, one can watch trains on
Conrail's Chicago Line, on Norfolk Southern's Cleveland District,
and on the Allegheny & Eastern. The Conrail and NS lines are
within blocks of each other, so finding a strategic location and
listening to the scanner can prove to be a fruitful railfan
endeavor, full of variety.
The NS line features a
particularly rare piece of history frozen in time. The tracks run
directly through Nineteenth Street in the middle of town. This
was done in 1882 to complete the Nickel Plate line from Cleveland
to Buffalo. Because the city of Erie would not give the Nickel
Plate permission to complete the line through the city, the
railroad chose to construct the approximately ten blocks of
in-street track on a Sunday, since the courts would be closed,
and there would then be no legal way to stop the work. The most
feasible solution for the railroad was to lay the track down the
middle of 19th street, where the track remains today.
NS 310 passes the crossing
shanty at Cascade Street on May 29, 1998. - J. Alex
Lang
Because
Nineteenth Street is a residential road, the railroad
speed restriction is 10 mph. There are three crossing
shanties along 19th Street. NS employs crossing watchmen
to guard the crossings during the school year, upon
request from the city of Erie. These shanties can be
found at Cranberry Street, Cascade Street, and Cherry
Street. The Cascade Street shanty has been earmarked for
preservation by the city of Erie. The future of the other
shanties is unknown.
Between ten
and twelve trains per day run through this trackage,
which is single track the whole length of Nineteenth
Street. Traffic is primarily east-west, to and from
Buffalo. Much traffic is interchanged with CP Rail and
the Susquehanna (NYSW) at Buffalo. Some of these
runthrough trains, such as 268, often have CP or NYSW
power in the consist.
To the west lies the Cascade
siding, and to the east lies the Dean siding. The NS
radio frequency is 161.250, and end-of-train devices can
be heard at 161.115. Remember, Norfolk Southern crews are
required to "call" each signal, reporting train
symbol and lead engine number. In combination with
dragging equipment detectors located several miles to the
east and west of Erie, the railfan has ample notice to
set up a shot of an approaching NS freight.
As a condition
of the Conrail split-up, NS will be granted an easement
along what will become CSXT's Chicago Line. On this
easement, NS will build a new track through downtown
Erie, bypassing the dangerous and slow in-street trackage
on Nineteenth Street. The merger could become effective
as early as August 23, 1998. Anytime after that point,
construction of the new trackage could begin, paving the
way for the abandonment of this relic of the past.
NS 309 traverses the
street-running trackage on 19th Street in Erie. 309
typically picks up GE units interchanged via NS for
western railroads. Transportacion Ferroviana Mexicana
AC4400CW 2613 was in the consist of 309 on May 29, 1998.
2613 wears the colors of parent company Kansas City
Southern. - J. Alex Lang
Conrail's Chicago Line
is one of the busiest segments of their system. The
Chicago Line hosts over 40 trains daily, featuring a
variety of motive power and freight. This former New York
Central route runs from Chicago to Albany, NY. Traffic
includes every type of train Conrail runs from
intermodals to unit steel coil trains. Most trains do not
work at Erie, however there is some interchange traffic
to the Allegheny & Eastern. Sheet metal and other raw
materials are sent to the General Electric Transportation
Systems locomotive plant in Lawrence Park. In Erie, there
are also several industrial branches to the Port of Erie,
over which several local freights switch.
Conrail HEBU-9X approaches
CP-85 with an extra train of steel coils. Two SD50's
powered the train on May 29, 1998. - Melanie L. Good
Conrail COBU-6 switches the
GE Plant at CP-83 on July 16, 1998 behind Conrail
"Ballast Express" C32-8 6610 and C36-7 6623. -
J. Alex Lang
Railfanning
Conrail's Chicago Line is not difficult: find a spot and
wait! Scanner-equipped railfans will want to monitor
Conrail Radio Channel 3 (160.860 MHz), as the Albany
Division's "Lake Shore" dispatcher controls
this territory from MP 2 (at Buffalo) to MP 97 (10 miles
west of Erie). A hotbox/dragging equipment detector is
located in downtown Erie at milepost 88.7 (Click
to listen to the Erie DED) Conrail refers to it's
dispatcher-controlled interlockings as "Control
Points". There are three in Erie, all controlling
crossovers and access to yard tracks: CP-89 is at the
west end of Erie, CP-85 controls access to Erie Yard.
CP-83 is located in Lawrence Park adjacent to the GE
plant.
For many railfans, Erie is best
known as the home of General Electric Transportation Systems'
locomotive plant. Here, all GE locomotives are assembled,
painted, tested, and set out for interchange and delivery. The
newest GE units can be photographed here in the GE
"backlot". The plant is located in Lawrence Park
(eastern Erie), adjacent to U.S. 20 (Buffalo Ave) and PA 5.
Immediately adjacent to both Conrail and NS, many railfans prefer
to view trains at or near the GE plant. GE's switching railroad,
the East Erie Commercial, operates a three-mile test track for
the testing of new or experimental locomotives. The EEC track is
equipped with overhead catenary for electric locomotives for
those occasions when electrics must be tested. The test track is
also multi-gauged for testing of foreign units.
Photography
or access within the plant is not permitted, however,
much activity can be viewed from public property. New
units set out for delivery via Conrail can be seen from
the Franklin St. overpass at the west end of the plant.
Units interchanged via NS can be viewed off of Wesley
Avenue. East of the plant there is a "railfan
parking lot", across U.S. 20 from the Harborcreek
Township building. Here, CR, NS, and the test track can
all be photographed. Near this area there are several
fast food restaurants providing necessary railfan
replenishment.
Union Pacific AC4400CW 7118
awaits delivery at the GE backlot.- J. Alex Lang
Erie
Radio Frequencies
Conrail
Road 1
161.070
Conrail
Road 2
160.800
Conrail
Road 3
160.860
Conrail
Road 4
160.980
Norfolk
Southern (N&W)
161.250
Norfolk
Southern (EOT)
161.115
Allegheny
& Eastern
160.290
Bessemer
& Lake Erie
160.830
Bessemer
& Lake Erie
161.310
The two other players
in Erie's railroading are the Bessemer & Lake Erie,
and the Allegheny & Eastern. The B&LE main line
runs from North Bessemer (northeast of Pittsburgh) to
Albion, where it splits to run either to Fairview or to
Conneaut, OH. Traffic to Erie used NS trackage rights
east of Fairview. The majority of the B&LE's traffic
now runs to Conneaut, OH. The B&LE line from Albion
to Fairview is slated for abandonment.
The Allegheny & Eastern runs
from Erie to Emporium, PA on a former PRR line. Conrail
runs unit pulpwood log train HPA to Erie from Lock Haven,
PA (Buffalo Line) using trackage rights over the A&E.
The HPA trains are generally nocturnal but can sometimes
be found during daylight. The A&E is part of the
Genessee & Wyoming family of railroads. Power on the
A&E varies; any power from GWI roads can be found
there.
Erie has other attractions for
railfans and non-railfans alike. Swimming, hiking, and biking are
available at Presque Isle State Park, noted for beautiful sandy
beaches. Presque Isle is also known as a migratory "rest
stop" for many rare birds (not just BNSF units!). The Port
of Erie has a lookout tower across Presque Isle Bay, views of
CR's port area trackage can be had from here. Also, the Waldemeer
amusement park near Presque Isle can bring fun to the kids if no
trains are running.
NS, TFM and BNSF (in primer
paint) units await delivery- Kevin Burkholder
With three active
railroads and the GE plant, Erie will remain an active
railfan location. With the removal of the 19th Street
trackage and associated new NS construction, the Conrail
split-up will change the landscape somewhat. There will
be some benefits from the merger, including increased
traffic on the Cleveland District. In a few years, NS and
CSX hotshots will race side-by-side through downtown
Erie.