Off The Trail

The first Heritage locomotive I crossed paths with on this trip was, surprisingly, on the Delaware Lackawanna here, east of Scranton, PA at Moscow! Earlier this year Michael Thomas had invited me down to shoot the partly nocturnal Portland Turn which runs out to East Stroudsburg from Scranton, returning in darkness near Scranton. I emailed Michael about my upcoming trip and how I would look up the job tonight while I was passing through. So here I am, at nine pm, first night out, having slept a few hours in a nearby State Park, set up and waiting trackside in Moscow, contemplating the locomotives I will get to shoot on this job. Reminding myself how this would be a first for me, to shoot an ALCO under the lights at night. LOL! I was prepared for a four or six axle Century. It never entered my mind that they would lead with one of their trio of RS-3s! Nine thirty passes, and aware the crew outlaws at eleven, I’m wondering if I missed them. Just before ten pm I am relieved to hear train sounds, real ones, not created by my mind, as flanges squeal and a rail or two groans off upgrade to the east. Then headlights through the trees and the faint sound of idling ALCO prime movers. The head end rolls slowly around the curve, the engineer gives me a couple of toots, and I focus on the ditch lights as the pilot plow drifts up to my spot. In the pitch dark I had no clue of the presence before me of an as-built ALCO RS-3. When the lighting went off I glimpsed it, and watching the image appear on the camera lcd monitor left me speechless! By this time 4068s cab is passing across from me and I wave into the darkness. The crew didn’t really need to see me, they have seen the expression I was wearing on the face of many ALCO fans they have run by in the past! LOL! At night, not knowing what is coming, the impact of the moment is tremendous! The crew stopped below me to set out several lumber loads, backing up to where I was, next to the stepladder. I mumbled a thank you to the conductor, who climbed down off the car and set the hand brake before walking up to the next car. I thought I knew the heritage of 4068, as being an original Delaware & Hudson RS-3, but..............in checking on the net for this photos caption, I am overjoyed to realize 4068 also spent time working in Vermont as Lamoille Valley 7801! My favorite among the Lamoille Valley RS-3s for retaining its high short hood, I had lost track of the engine after it was bought by the York-Durham Railroad up in Ontario. Who would have thought we would cross paths again in the future................in 2012? What a way to begin this trip! Shot in Moscow, PA on May 1, 2012 at 22:04 with special thanks to Michael Thomas! Please enjoy! Comments are welcomed.

All The Best In 2012;

Gary Knapp