PRR southbound at Delco Tower in Anderson - Head End prepares to pick up orders. Kirk Hise Collection.
Nice photo that shows some interesting things. - The train appeared to be left-hand running until I saw the get-serious derail on the near track in the lower left-hand corner. - The siding obviously ends before the orders are handed up, or else the order catcher enjoys hanging out the door in the middle of a two-track main. - The A unit's nose paint doesn't appear to be standard PRR, but that could be the lighting. - The cloud streaming behind the lead truck is curious. It appears to be early spring and the ground looks dry, so it could be roadbed dust. I doubt the engineer would be sanding on the flat, especially with an order pickup. - Lastly, why would the signal mast be on the other side of the siding from the main, unless it was meant for the siding? Roger, you definitely have an interesting store of photos, lots of fun to view. Thanks.
It looks like the train is running wrong main. I think its a big train and that most of the train is coming off a yard track in the background. It looks like notch 8 and sand !! Randy
I hadn't considered leaving a yard, good call. The guy leaning out the door is about to grab orders for the mainline run. I think it's a single track main, and the track nearer to us, next to the signal pipes, is a siding. I doubt there would be a derail on a main.
If I look real close, I think I can see a keystone herald just below the headlight. Look at all of the crossarms on those poles and I'm digging the li'l dwarf signal adjacent to the interlocking connecting rods. Just a great shot.
Track charts seem to indicate that the train in the photo is on "the" main, with the track to the left being a long siding which extended about a mile in each direction from DELCO tower. The track coming in from the right would have been a connection to the NYC, which crossed the PRR just behind the photographer. The cloud could be brake shoe smoke from use of the engine's brakes slowing to pickup orders at the tower and/or dust from the street at the grade crossing.
Yes, the track it is on is the Main while the track on the left is a siding. The crossing of the NYC is behind the photog.
The covered coupler on a freight hog is interesting. I'm surprised to see it that late. Judging by the Pontiac at the crossing, this is 1950 or later.
The following photo, credited as taken in April 1955 at Winchester IN , shows an F7 with the coupler covers still in place: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/prr/prr9829cdb.jpg
