Amtrak from a different point of view

[saxman]

I can't believe it has taken this long for me to post these. I took these in 2007. This was during my job as an aerial survey pilot flying a Cessna 172 around the country.

This is the northbound Crescent south of Hattiesburg, MS. He is slowing to allow the NS coal train into the plant.

Another one

A little closer.

This is the same Crescent approaching Meridian, MS. If you look for the big rounded roof hangar on the airport, the Crescent is the small train to the right of it.

This is along the Hudson River between Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie. Here is northbound Empire Service train. Thats the famous island with the castle on it. The name escapes me at the moment.

A closer view. Assuming the time is right on my camera, this was taken at 11:56 AM if anyone wants to figure out which train this is.

I think this is Croton-Harmon yard and station. If someone knows better please correct me.

Here's the West Side Yard for the LIRR in Manhattan.

And of course can't forget about Acela. This is about 10 miles east of New Haven. He was cooking along pretty fast. I almost missed him when I was looking. This is a southbound Acela taken at 10:57 AM.

And a closer up view...

So hope you like them

Here are the rest. I posted almost all I had. Maybe one day when I fly a small plane again I can go chase Amtrak for some shots. It just happen to be that I was working the area where Amtrak was running. In the case of the Crescent, I happen to be flying down the line when I realized the Crescent should be coming up any minute. I was ready with the camera then.

 

[AlanB]

That would be Bannerman's Castle and that is indeed Croton-Harmon station and the yard leads. Can't really see the shops, as they start just left of the bridge.

 

[Rail Freak]

Really enjoyed those shots, THANX!

RF

 

[Hytec]

Those are wonderful photos, also very nostalgic, I grew up nearby to the Croton-Harmon terminal, now live south of Hattiesburg, and have ridden the Crescent past those locations many times. Thanks for posting your photos.

In place of the parking lot at the bottom of the Croton-Harmon station photo were the New York Central's massive steam locomotive shops, probably razed in the late 50's, early 60's. Also gone, I'm sure, is the turning loop and bridge north of the station out of the photo to the left. Apparently there was no room for a turntable at the engine terminal, so the Central built a loop to turn the locomotives, which bridged above all main and yard tracks.

The incoming steam locomotives would uncouple and pull forward away from their trains at the station so the electric motors could back in and couple on for the remaining ~40 mile trip into GCT. The steam locomotives would then back into the shop area, be serviced, then back upgrade onto the turning loop, bridging over all tracks, and come down on the east side of the outbound tracks to await their next assignment. There was a bluff across from the engine terminal between the station and the turning loop which was a wonderful place for a teenager to spend many summer days gawking at the 30-40 trains the Central ran through Croton-Harmon during daylight hours.

BTW, the Bannerman Castle has an interesting history, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollepel_Island .

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Fantastic Saxman. Very nice and quite a surprise view.

 

[jis]

Great photos saxman! As Alan said the castle is Bannerman's Castle.

The name of the island on which it stands is Pollepel Island also sometimes referred to as Bannerman's Island. The odd story of the castle in birief goes as follows..... The island with a Georgian Mansion on it was purchased by Francis Bannerman VI in 1900 and then the castle was built over the next 17 years and used for storing used military gear including vast amounts of ammunition purchased from the government! Further development of the castle ceased in 1918 upon the death of Bannerman. On 20th August 1920 the powder magazine in the castle blew up, upon which the castle was abandoned by the Bannerman family. Since then it has been sitting there slowly decaying and being reclaimed by nature.