Playing Catch-Up

Seems every year or so we get just one Carolina Wren.  It stays for a few days then disappears.

At one time you could find pheasant in almost every part of Pennsylvania.  But with the loss of farm land due to housing developments most of the birds we see now are farm raised and stocked.

Mourning Doves.

White tail deer walking past the window and hoping we are not looking.

Separated from the flock this hen turkey passes here several times a week all by herself

I'm pronouncing this the official beer of the Prince Gallitzin Rowing Club.

Passengers waiting for the morning train in Altoona.

For the last several months these SPD40-F units have been pulling the Amtrak passenger train from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia.

To celebrate my birthday this year we took a train ride on Amtrak from Johnstown, PA to Harrisburg, PA and back again.

Eastbound freight train pulled by Norfolk Southern Number 8068, an ES44AC diesel, moves through Johnstown at 8:54 a.m. about 5 minutes before the passenger train we were waiting for to begin our Saturday adventure.

The Amtrak 513 pulling into the Johnstown station at 0900 on April 6, 2013.

It's been a long time since I've been on a train.  My, how things have changed.

Passing through the Norfolk Southern plant in the Juniata section of Altoona, PA.

At this facility, Norfolk Southern builds, repairs and re-builds all of their diesel engines.

I've decided that train rides are move fun without leaves on the trees to obstruct your view.

Once arriving in Harrisburg passengers can ride on several other regional lines out of the Harrisburg train station.

Harrisburg's first electric locomotive, a GG1-type, No. 4859, pulled the first scheduled electric train between Philadelphia and Harrisburg in 1938.  It was put on permanent display at the Harrisburg Transportation Center in 1986.  Sitting next to it is a modern day electric train.  Both of these trains receive their electric current from overhead power lines through the use of a pantograph.

Because we were a little ahead of schedule arriving in Harrisburg I was able to get another shot of our lead engine.

Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg, home of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Pennsylvania State Capital as seen from 4th and Market Streets.

This would have been our choice for a place to eat on our hour and a half layover in Harrisburg, but it was closed by the time we got there.  The owner did offer us the pizza he was going to have for lunch with his staff.

Harrisburg Transportation Center.

Rear entrance to Pint's, a local dive.

Amtrak diesel engine 514 has been sitting along the platform for the whole time that we were in Harrisburg.

Inside the terminal on the way to our gate.

Amtrak engine number 73, our ride home, as it pulls into Harrisburg.

Pulling out of the Harrisburg terminal our train passes through a staging yard where trailers are loaded onto intermodal rolling stock and then readied for transportation throughout the United States.  The engine seen here is a GP38-2.

After getting on the train at 9 o'clock Saturday morning, we returned to Johnstown at 6 p.m. Saturday evening.  All in all, it was a good time and a hell of a way to celebrate my 67th birthday.