This adventure starts out Sunday afternoon. Due to wild fires along the Reading and Northern's main near Solomon's Gap, PA the regularly scheduled trains were held and some were even rerouted. We first see NS 39Z, CP 257, sitting on the controlled siding at Caty in Catasaqua, PA. The train arrived here in the wee hours of Sunday morning and departed shortly after 3PM on Monday. Once the train departed Caty we shot him rolling past the Mauser Mill Company in Treichlers, PA.

After Treichlers, traffic prevented us from getting a shot at Lehigh Gap, so we headed directly for Lehighton. Wtiness 39Z rolling on to the Reading and Northern's main through CP-Lehighton. The speed limit through the interlocking is a mere 10MPH so we were easily able to get ahead of him. For our next shot we chose the the sweeping curve at the Jim Thorpe Market. Unfortunately the sun was less than perfect here.

Again, due to slow speeds, we were able to get ahead of him and in position for this shot of him crossing the Lehigh River at Glen Onoko, PA in the Lehigh Gorge State Park. Shortly after he was gone we heard an eastbound train give the westbound CP and good rollby. A few moments later we heard the NS Lehigh Line Dispatcher talking to the RBMN PILE turn about working Lehighton.. There were hardly any well-lit locations available for eastbounds so we settled on this side shot from across the river.

We hurried down to Lehighton Yard just in time to catch the pair of SD50s pulling down the NS main. The NS dispatcher also mentioned that there was an eastbound CP train behind the RBMN that would hold at Packerton Junction until he was done working the yard. With the sun light quickly fading we headed back to this spot to shoot the eastbound NS 38T, CP 258.

The RBMN finished their work at Lehighton fairly quickly. We were set up for another shot of the train returning north past the Jim Thorpe Market when we heard the PILE mention heading home via Jim Thorpe. We crossed the river and got into position for this shot of him coming by the old CNJ signal and into the station on the Reading and Northern Panther Valley Branch. After the PILE finished his work at Lehighton the 38T was able to drop down to Lehighton interlocking to wait for the northbound NS 12T. With the sun already down and the useable light nearly gone we started our trek back home. We stopped in Weissport, PA to wait for the 12T. Here she is rolling north with a trio of NS units in command.

This ends today's round of photos. For a complete run down of the trains, times, and engine numbers, check out the 2009 Train Log. Thanks for looking and please enjoy the rest of the site.

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