BALTIMORE AND OHIO
PHILADELPHIA TO WILMINGTON, DELAWARE
This page will cover the original B & O mainline from Philadelphia, PA to the yard just north of Wilmington, Delaware. Following the end of passenger service, this line was single tracked with a few sidings. The B & O conducted most of their interchange traffic in Philadelphia with the Reading Railroad. Through trains to the New York area used the Reading to Bound Brook Jct, NJ and then over the CNJ to Jersey City.
The main B & O freight yard is called Eastside. Located along the east banks of the Schuykill River, the yard is rather awkward in it's location. All trains must either pull up through the Grays Ferry tunnel and back into the yard or westbound trains must to the same to get out of the yard.
The south side of Philadelphia is home to numerous petro-chemical plants and cargo terminals.
GP40 4144 sits with some former Reading GP39s on July
11, 1976. The Reading units went to the Delaware and Hudson with the start
up of Conrail on April 1, 1976. The D & H was granted extensive
trackage rights to maintain some rail competition in the northeast. Having
a direct interchange with the Chessie System (B & O) in Philadelphia allowed
the D & H to have a through Montreal to Philadelphia haul.
Veteran GP9 6549 with it's original Baltimore and Ohio lettering fading through.
Also July 11, 1976.
A few more images of D & H units in 1976 and 1978..
GP9 6671 and a switcher are parked by the yard tower and office. July 25,
1976.
Also on July 25, 1976, two GP40's sandwich a GP35.
GP38 4811 leads an eastbound train into town. The moveable bridge spans
the Schuykill River.
A local street spans the tracks over the very east end of the yard and allows
one to view the short, but narrow Grays Ferry tunnels. They go under
several local streets. It is these tunnels that restricts double stacks
movements today. August 28, 1976.
Another veteran GP9 6563 on a set of power in the late afternoon sun of November
14, 1976.
Some Chessie System family visitors also present on November 14, 1976.
An evening visit on November 21, 1976 yielded these cool shots.
Two GP40's in the cold and snow on January 9, 1977.
An example of what I mentioned above. 4105 backs its train out of the yard
and after getting the signal accelerates briskly westward. Photos taken at
the footsteps of the yard tower. This yard is rather restricted in it's
access, but I never encountered any difficulty there. Being adjacent to a
large refinery, it no doubt is more secured today.
Two GP30's bracket a GP40 down in the service area on May 8, 1977.
A view of standard B & O power from the early 1970's. Royal blue and
yellow four-axle power. 8-4-77.
On September 21, 1981 C & O 614 pulling the Chessie
Steam Special arrived in town. Now, I don't remember exactly, but I think
that dome did not fit into the tunnels.
614 was cut off from the train, turned on the turntable and serviced during a
layover. The second picture is kind of funny in that despite over a
hundred fans swarming all over, that one poor guy had to coax the turntable
along. A caption for the third shot might be, how many people does it take
to back up a steam engine? Answer, anybody who wants to look important and
get his picture taken.
These units got their fair share of attention this day as well.
With most fans focusing on 614, the WM unit snuck out of town on train
#85. That is a swing span bridge.
My first glimpse of things to come. Gray ghost CSX painted 6599 on January
3, 1988.
Also on January 3, 1988, GP30 6917 awaits a call.
A few weeks later on January 30, 1988, GP40-2 4406 sits by the turntable.
Believe it or not, the table was fixed up.
A CSX renumbered GP40 sits by two US Air Force critters. January 1992.
August 1992 has the beginnings of the GE widecab's.
Back to 1977 and GP40 4188 heads west out of the yard and over the river enroute
to Baltimore. 7-3-77.
Just as the rear end of the train, caboose and all, clears 4256 comes east.
GP9 6449 on a ballast train working near Chester, PA. August 28, 1976.
A RF&P unit, # 122 brings CSX train 403 west along I-95 near Chester
on 4-2-1989.
The same train crosses Brandywine Creek on a magnificent stone viaduct.
Just north of Wilmington, Del.
Two eastbound trains crossing the viaduct on November 21, 1976.
4143 leads train # 90 at the east end of Willsmere yard. This the area
known as Elsmere Jct. 8-28-76.
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