Tag Archives: #Scranton

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Scranton’s Silent Behemoth

Autumn leaves cover the tracks, reminding me of the season past. Before me rests a mass of steel supported by two dozen wheels where is placed to greet visitors to Scranton’s Steamtown.

This machine is an example of the famous Big Boy; an enormous locomotive built by Alco for Union Pacific to singly ascend Utah’s Wasatch range with a solid train of perishable traffic in tow.

Between 2013 and 2019, sister locomotive 4014 was famously restored to service by Union Pacific. Meanwhile, old 4012’s boiler has sat silent for more than 65 years.

How can I capture the majesty of this silent giant without feeling pang of sadness; nostalgia for a time I never knew?

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Big Alcos at Bridge 60

I’ve always admired the contours of Alco’s Century-Series diesels.

We arrived at Steamtown in Scranton, Pa., as the sun was on the western horizon—late sun on November day. A set of Delaware-Lackawanna’s antique Big Alcos were catching the rays near Bridge 60.

In the mid-2000s, I traveled on some of these iconic diesels as part my research for various book projects. Those photos were all exposed on color slide film. By contrast the images presented here were all made digitally using my Nikon Z7-II. (However, for the sake of continuity I also exposed a few Ektachrome slides here.)

D-L C-636 No. 3642 was originally a Penn-Central unit, and later served as Conrail 6792. In the mid-1980s, I recall seeing Conrail C-636s among hundreds locomotives stored in the Selkirk, New York deadlines. I’ll need to go back to my black & white negatives and see if 3642 (nee 6792) was among the locomotives I photographed there.

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Interlude with Antique Alcos

On a recent visit to Scranton, Kris and I paused briefly at the Delaware-Lackawanna’s shop where a variety of antique diesels are kept.

I made these views of the Alco RS-3 diesels stored there. Three were former Delaware & Hudson units painted to resemble their as-built appearance.

Forty years ago, I recall visiting D&H’s Colonie Shops at Watervliet, NY, where some of these engines were maintained.

I find it remarkable that after all these years some of the old RS-3s survive.

Photos exposed using Nikon Z-series mirrror less digital cameras.

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