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| PHOTOS; In The Gorge (1580355) | |||
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PHOTOS; In The Gorge |
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Posted by kp5308 on Sun Jul 11 21:43:45 2021 Between Friday July 2nd and Sunday July 11th the Lehigh Gorge excursion trains operated by the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern (RBMN) between Jim Thorpe and Penn Haven Junction PA were pulled by Light USRA Pacific #425. I drove the roughly 50 miles from Reading on Saturday the 10th to photograph the Blue Mountain Blue 1928 Baldwin in action. We'll start in Jim Thorpe before the 11AM departure: I shot between the ex-Jersey Central bridge over the Lehigh River at Nesquehoning Junction and roughly Milepost 126 on the ex-Lehigh Valley alignment, now shared by Norfolk Southern & RBMN. I probably walked a good 8 miles before the day was over. Here is the 11:20 passage:  Pulling upgrade with clear stack...fantastic!  That is the NS (ex-Lehigh Valley) on the left:  The return passes the NS solar signal #126:  Sounds like a later steam cutoff for the 1PM trip at the Glen Onoko cut:    We hustle down to CP COAL for the return trip. This location is where the Jersey Central from Jim Thorpe and east was connected to the Lehigh Valley alignment in 1965, allowing CNJ to abandon their Lehigh Gorge trackage:  The cantilever appears to be of CNJ heritage but due to a relatively new concrete base I believe it is a transplant:  The train is now on the ex-CNJ to cross the Lehigh River to get to Jim Thorpe while the ex-Lehigh Valley (NS) continues down the hill to eventually pass under the CNJ to run along the west(?) bank of the river to continue east:  Earlier we were told of a location that required standing in the Lehigh River to get into proper position. So here we are in shallow water for the 3PM train. This is the ex-CNJ bridge:  Got cooled off and also got what I consider to be the money shot of the day:  And crossing over the LV to finish the GORGEous day:  |
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