This website has been archived from TrainWeb.org/eastpenn to TrainWeb.US/eastpenn.

Some interesting foreign power lash-ups are reported on Conrail this afternoon.  SPL-802, essentially an ML-440X is being led by Conrail 6424, CNW 8638 and SP 8244.  TV-12 was being led by Conrail 6139, UP 9702, and SP 7409.  The SPL-802 was by Tara on the Harrisburg Line at 17:38 ET and the TV-12 was by Banks on the Pittsburgh Line at 17:44 ET. -Kevin Burkholder

OCS SCHEDULES (UPDATED 4/12/98 at 21:45 ET)

Conrail's OCS will be taking an East Coast whirlwind tour over the next two weeks.  The trip departs Altoona, PA next Tuesday April 14 for Philadelphia.  Departure from Philadelphia on Thursday April 16 will see the train operated to interchange with CSXT at Baltimore, then CSXT to Miami, FL.  The CSXT portion of the trip is now up!  The train departs Miami, FL on April 19 and heads north to a Philadelphia interchange with Conrail. The train returns to Conrail on April 19 and continues on a huge circle trip via Selkirk and Buffalo, NY.  Click HERE to see the ENTIRE schedule.  - Kevin Burkholder

SD70MAC UPDATE

Conrail SD70MAC's 4130-4133 continue to hold down jobs that keep them from cab signal territory.  4130 and 4131 are reported on INEL-2B; 4132 and 4133 are reported on ML-403Y; and the 4134 continued road testing yesterday between Altoona and Cresson, PA.  The 4135 should be released early this week and paired with the 4134. -Kevin Burkholder

CSX WRECK FORCES DETOURS

There has apparently been a more than minor accident on the CSX in Florida, and traffic for West Palm Beach and points south to Hialeah (Miami) is being detoured over the FEC from Jacksonville to Miami. This clear Easter morning witnessed FEC 510 leading CSX 7710 and 5631 with approx. 85 cars passing Ft. Lauderdale southbound at 09:10 ET. (FEC unit leading for ATC signals.)

Our beloved trainmaster indicated that there are 45 auto racks destined for the CSX GM ramp in W. Palm Beach at the Camp Murphy siding. These cannot be interchanged thru Miami due to a low bridge on the CSX, thus, they will have to be handled thru the  interchange in West Palm Beach. -J.L. Hollahan

  CSX DERAILMENT AT RO "TAKE TWO"

A CSX freight train derailed over 20 cars this morning at RO, the site of last July's CSX/Amtrak sideswipe/ derailment that severely affected the rail route south out of Washington, DC, for several weeks. Today's event was a CSX-only one. Hulchers arrived around 15:30 ET to start picking up the pieces.

Amtrak is turning trains at Washington and Richmond, and busing passengers between those cities. One train, north of Richmond when the derailment occurred, was terminated in Alexandria.

Train 51 departed Washington over three hours late, and is presently heading northwest to Shenandoah Junction where it will turn onto the NS to Front Royal and then back to Manassas to regain it's normal route. Reportedly, today's Crescent (train 19) and yesterday's 50 will also use this long, scenic detour.

The current estimate of when one track will be open is midnight, and both tracks should be open by the rush hour on Monday morning.

This is not Amtrak's only CSX-inflicted problem on the Washington-south routes. A derailment near Okeechobee is forcing Amtrak to bus passengers south of Orlando. -D.C. Warner

MUSEUM HAPPENINGS

SOUTH CAROLINA RAILROAD MUSEUM HOLDS RAILFAN WEEKEND

On April 18-19, 1998, The South Carolina Railroad Museum, Inc. will offer its anual Railfan Weekend. Photo freights will be operated on Saturday with five different locomotives (possibly six). All passenger accomodations will be vintage cabooses. Tickets are $20.

On Sunday, the Museum will offer its anual "jungle run" on the unrestored western portion of its railroad, the former Rockton-Rion Ry.  This motor car adventure will cost $7.00 and will terminate at Milepost 7.

For more information, please visit the Museum's website (URL below) or email John Parker at jprker742@aol.com or Matt Conrad at jmconrad@InfoAve.Net. -Matt Conrad

Please check this location daily, as new information will be posted, as it becomes available. If you have news to report or information regarding railroads in the Eastern United States, please send e-mail to Kevin Burkholder at KBurkholder@psghs.edu