This photo came through on ebay. I'm thinking it's Harrisburg and was wondering if anyone has more information on the excursion. I think the seller has mistaken mis-labeled it Wilmington and Western because of Red Clay Valley Leasing being an outfit located in Wilmington and possibly having some crossover with W&W people.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111183558370?ss ... 1438.l2649

Any thoughts?

I'll have to check but I'm pretty sure we never ran anything like that up in Harrisburg. It may have come out of the archives some time ago but no one can be certain except someone who was around then... Just my 2 cents.

- Chris B.

1969, not 1966. In 1966, the engines were owned by George Hart and carried CPR lettering. This was the turn-around point for a Baltimore-Harrisburg trip (July, I think) operated by Red Clay Valley over Penn Central. North from Baltimore to Perryville, then up the Columbia & Port Deposit (which was where I last saw the trip). I think it crossed over to the Harrisburg side of the river and then went across Rockville Bridge (this image) and past Enola on the way back to Baltimore.

Howard P.

Trip operated Baltimore-Perryville, up the Port Road and Royalton branches to Harrisburg, on up to Rockville, across the bridge into Enola, then down the Northern Central and back to Baltimore. One of the engines suffered from burned out grates and the other blew a piston packing. At Lemoyne, they finally threw in the towel and a PC SD-45 took the train home. If I remember right, during the Harrisburg layover, NKP 759, just off the Golden Spike Limited, passed light engine through town on the Reading on its way to Lebanon, NJ.

The location is absolutely, positively the west end of Rockville Bridge, with the loco pointed off the bridge towards Enola Yard. For us Central Pennsylvanians, that's as iconic a location for photography as Horse Shoe Curve, Tehachapi, Cajon Pass, etc. Now, which trip this was and which way the loco/train are moving is another matter.

However, having just typed that, I'm looking at an "all-time Baltimore Rail Excursions" list the late Baltimore NRHS member Harry Gesser compiled: it's possible this is a circle trip out of Baltimore run with 1286 and 1238 on May 18, 1969...... no such trip listed for July 1966......

That's it, May 1969. Definitely the circle trip with 1286-1238.

Howard P.