Five days later in fading light, I returned to the same spot on the other side of the tracks to find the same units working a northbound intermodal train! You'd think NS was a model railroad with just a handful of locomotives.
I took this shot from the pedestrian walkway on the branch to Winchester, VA. It's tricky taking a pic through a chain link fence.
I like how the B&O did what they had to do to reach various destinations as the track exited the tunnel.
Man that is for sure evident in these images. I mean a switch inside a tunnel, and also on a bridge, so much infrastructure and expense in this location, not to mention looks like CTC too. We in the US, I hate to say it, but I wonder if we would put such effort into that kind of infrastructure today. With all the decline in carbon based energy, is all this still in service? I hope it is. Looks like a popular place for folks to go visit, a lot of people walking around there.
Beautiful tunnel photos, guys. I'd love to have that house at the very bottom of the overhead view! Railfan heaven!
Harper's Ferry is historic for the John Brown slave rebellion pre-Civil War. It's not just trains, although the trains get top rating from me. Olden day pictures before the tunnel show the tracks skirting around the bluff in a tight curve and then splitting off. Plus the C&O Canal park is on the far side with the tunnel. I rode my bike 20 miles up the canal tow path from the Monocacy River numerous times passing through Point of Rocks (with it's station, track split to DC and Baltimore, and tunnel), and picture friendly yard at Brunswick, MD. I don't miss working in DC area but I do miss the C&O Canal NP.
The million dollar shot of Harpers Ferry is from Maryland Heights on the other side of the Potomac, looking down on Harpers Ferry. I've never had the time to work the shot, but there's a hiking trail that climbs up and up and up to the location. Thinking of light, I figure it's a morning shot. If any of y'all venture to Harpers Ferry during tourist season, be advised that parking is hard to find in town. The NPS has a parking lot some distance out and provides frequent bus service into town.
CP train 475 crossing the former Milwaukee Road bridge over the Iowa and Cedar Rivers between Columbus Junction and Fredonia, IA March 7, 2021 Most people get drunk, others want sex but as for me, I go Railfanning.