Tag Archives: #GP38-3

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Fifty Five Year-Old on the Main

After the passage of Amtrak Keystones in both directions. A Norfolk Southern local freight pulled out onto the Harrisburg Main Line to reverse directions and return to Lewis Yard (Dillerville) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

To simplify switching and ease reverse moves such as this one, NS had locomotives at both ends of the short freight.

On the west end was a lovely antique.

When the local stopped to change directions at BP74-1 in Landisville, I made photos from the adjacent Amos Herr Park.

In addition to these digital images exposed with my Nikon Z cameras, I also used the opportunity to expose several 35mm Ektachrome slides using my father’s Leica M4. Evening sun made for nice light on the old locomotives.

Norfolk Southern GP38-3 5608 was built as a GP38AC for Norfolk & Western in 1971; it was rebuilt to its current configuration in 2005.
Fifty-five years old and still working for a Class-I railroad. That’s pretty cool!

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Fresh Paint on a Classic EMD

The GP38 was introduced the same year as me, which gives me a certain fondness for this EMD classic diesel. Amtrak’s GP38-3s represent an upgrading of old GP38/GP38-2 models to more modern standards.

In March, I was visiting with my friend Doug Scott on the station platform at Newark, Delaware. We heard a distant whistle and after a while and unscheduled train approached Davis interlocking (east of the station) on a secondary track. This was an Amtrak maintenance-of-way move carrying a Loram ballast cleaning train and some freshly shopped Amfleet cars.

The train entered the mainline, pulled up to the station and stopped in front of us to change directions. This was a nice surprise. Leading was Amtrak GP38-3 744 wearing fresh Phase 7 paint. It was the first of this class of locomotives that I’de seen wearing Amtrak’s latest interpretation of its classic livery.

The locomotive, now 54 years old was built new for Penn Central as its 8032 in 1972. Gosh, it is an antique!

In addition to this selection of digital photos, I also exposed a few slides, and in fact finished off the roll of Ektachrome the I’d loaded into my dad’s old Leica M4.

A lot of Amtrak color in this photo; GP38-3 744 holds on the mainline as an eastward (northward) Regional train zips by with ACS-64 642 at the back. This was painted to support America’s Veterans.

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Amtrak Work Train

Over the last few months Amtrak has been performing heavy maintenance on its electrified Harrisburg Line west of Lancaster, Pa.

This has resulted in bus subsititutions for many of the Keystone trains Monday-Thursday to allow work crews to repair and replace tracks.

A few weeks ago I caught up with one of the work trains that was tied down on the main line. This was a good opportunity to make photographs of the sharp looking GP38-3 diesels that Amtrak assigns to work train service.

Photos were exposed with my Nikon Z6 with 70-200mm lens. These are among the images in consideration for my latest book project that profiles Amtrak locomotives and Rolling Stock.

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