Jerry Britton chased The Northern Express on the morning of Sunday, August 19, and shares the following photos and commentary:
I arrived at the Harrisburg (Pa.) station at 5:36 a.m. this morning, just as "The Northern Express" excursion train reported her successful brake test over the scanner. It was still very dark and I was hoping for a quick sunrise to aid in photography.
I was positioned on the wall along the right of way, just west of HARRIS tower. A dozen or so others were on hand for the event.
At about 5:50 a.m., the E-8 at head let out three shorts. Wow! What a beautiful sound! We thought perhaps they were leaving early, but they were not.
At about 5:55 a.m. it came over the scanner that a late arrival had just pulled into the parking lot. Can you imaging missing this one!!!
Shortly thereafter, "NS 21" received approval to head north. The bell came on, three shorts, and then I uttered aloud "Damned ditch lights!" I guess I should have expected it, but I hadn't!
The train passed before my, about forty feet away. Wow! I did snap some shots, but how well they turn out won't be known for a few hours (don't have a digital camera yet). The entire consist was beautiful. I hope someone posts a complete list, but there was one, if not two cars from the California Zephyr. Bennett's PRR #120 brought up the rear.
Knowing ahead of time that they would stop for fuel at Lucknow enabled me to head for the wye at Rockville. I got there with plenty of time to spare and, after a very nice (really) conversation with an NS security officer I got several shots of The Northern Express taking the crossovers onto the Buffalo line and coming past me.
Here's the first shot with enough light to be worthwhile. It's about 6:30 a.m. and NS-21 is negotiating the crossovers at Rockville to head up the Buffalo line.
Starting up the Buffalo line...
...right past me. I wish I could share the sound of the horns!
Unfortunately, this is the best shot I got of PRR #120. Bennett has such a nice gloss on this car that my autofocus mechanism couldn't lock on in the low light with the target underway!
Then came the challenge: the train was accelerating and I had to do some maneuvering to get back alongside... I had to go back down to the old river road, turn north through Fort Hunter, head east, and pick up the 322/22 highway heading west. Once on the highway, speeds were maintained over 80 to try to catch up. If this new stretch of highway hadn't been opened over the past two years, I would never have caught up via the old road through Dauphin.
No sign as the highway started climbing above the tracks, which were going out of sight. I saw a block signal with a STOP indication, so I knew I must have closed within a mile or so.
As the highway descended, I found that I was dead even with the head end. There was not photo op, as I know the highway would cross over in about two miles and there were better positions head. I continued at high speed.
I crossed over and now the tracks were between the highway and the mountain's edge, protected by a slide fence. I passed more than a dozen cars stopped on the road, with their occupants' waiting trackside with cameras.
I pulled over quickly about a mile south of the Clarks Ferry Bridge at Amity Hall. Got out, and had about a minute wait. I got shots as The Northern Express came around the bend and closeups as she came by me.
This next series is taken as the train progresses around the mountain, protected by the slide fence, just south of Clark's Ferry.
Note the dome of the California Zephyr tail car.
Back in the car and heading north again. I left 322/22 and took route (???) towards Halifax, as it parallels the tracks for a few miles. I got behind someone who had no clue what was going on. We were going 60 mph and fortunately they were keeping up with the locomotives. I got a few shots at this speed, looking at the locos through my windshield.
Pacing the locomotives just north of Clark's Ferry.
I then hit a passing zone and fired passed, again at about 80 mph. I screamed ahead as I knew this road would soon flyover the tracks and leave them for an inland route. I made a high speed stop on the bridge, threw it in park, and dove out just in time to snap two more shots.
One final approach...
...and a final goodbye. I'm telling you, that car was really shiny!!!
My original plan was to go all the way to Millersburg, but at the speed the train was maintaining, I knew there would be no way to meet or beat her there given the inland route I would be forced to take. It was time for logic to override emotion and turn around.
Wow, what an adrenaline-filled 60 minutes!!!