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A recent photo excursion on the Tuscarora Railroad gives us a fresh look at the activities on that sleepy little railroad. The day started (as they typically do) in Neelyton, where the Shade Gap branch breaks off of the Blair's Mill to Burnt Cabins mainline.
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Two of the locals take a moment to catch up on the latest gossip while waiting for the activities to begin.
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The morning freight, led by Tuscarora Timber Co.'s #4 (A "paper" subsidiary of the TRR) crosses a grade crossing on the north leg of the wye at Neelyton, headed to Neelyton's depot. It will cross over Trout Run (immediately in front of the loco) then back into the siding to do its switching there.
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The next town on the line, Shade Gap, is a bit sleepy today, literally. The station agent seems to prefer to take a break, rather than load the freight into the box car.
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Fortunately, that box car is headed east, and our morning freight is headed west, so the the agent has some time.
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We next catch the freight entering Blacklog, the western end of the Shade Gap Branch. This is where the TRR interchanges with the EBT, whose main yard is less than a mile further west, at Orbisonia.
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While we're at Blacklog, we catch the mid-day passenger run getting ready to leave. On the point today is Tuscarora Valley's #5. The usual loco on this run (TRR #2) is down for repairs, so the TVRR is letting #5 fill in.
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TVRR #5 departs Blacklog, crossing the grade crossing to turn on the wye before heading east.
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Having turned on the wye, it passes on the east leg behind the depot.
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Arriving in Shade Gap, we see that our station agent still hasn't gotten to the task at hand of loading the day's freight.
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There must be some big goings-on going on, because the EBT's business car "Orbisonia" is tacked onto the back of today's passenger run.
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The business car arrived on the EBT just a few years ago, and is rarely seen over the TRR's rails.
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Leaving Shade Gap, our train passes by the spur leading to the tannery.
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And another shot of the "Orbisonia," just for posterity.
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Now, getting ready to cross over Shade Creek on its way east to Neelyton.
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Having arrived in Neelyton and turned on the wye, the mid-day passenger train will shortly head back to Blacklog. (There is a second mid-day passenger run to handle the Blair's Mills to Burnt Cabins run.)
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The freight has left Blacklog, and by this time has even finished the switching at Shade Gap. Headed back east, our freight prepares to cross Shade Creek. The steel span is relatively to the railroad, and should hopefully last quite a while.
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Finally, the freight makes its way back into Neelyton, where it will continue south to Burnt Cabins before headed back north to Blair's Mills, where it interchanges with the Tuscarora Valley RR.
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And one last quick shot of the freight as it passes by on its way south captures one of the East Broad Top's newest steel hoppers included in the train. The TRR owns no rolling stock of its own (just locomotives), so the EBT furnishes them all the rolling stock. Typically they get the "sloppy seconds," but recently, more and more of the EBT's newer stock has been gracing the rails.
This day brought two surprises. Not only were we fortunate enough to catch the "Orbisonia" on the passenger run, but...
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A clerical mix-up forced a special evening freight run to Blacklog. Number 4 rolls into town as night has just fallen across the valley.
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Rumors that the "clerical mix-up" involved a left-behind box of cigars from the big-wigs' earlier meeting are largely unsubstantiated...
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And with that, we pack our gear and leave #4 at Blacklog, it's "clerical mix-up" now sorted out. As we left town, the soft smell of coal smoke seemed somehow laced with the sweet aroma of some really fine tobacco... Nah. Couldn't have been...
Later,
K
Two of the locals take a moment to catch up on the latest gossip while waiting for the activities to begin.
The morning freight, led by Tuscarora Timber Co.'s #4 (A "paper" subsidiary of the TRR) crosses a grade crossing on the north leg of the wye at Neelyton, headed to Neelyton's depot. It will cross over Trout Run (immediately in front of the loco) then back into the siding to do its switching there.
The next town on the line, Shade Gap, is a bit sleepy today, literally. The station agent seems to prefer to take a break, rather than load the freight into the box car.
Fortunately, that box car is headed east, and our morning freight is headed west, so the the agent has some time.
We next catch the freight entering Blacklog, the western end of the Shade Gap Branch. This is where the TRR interchanges with the EBT, whose main yard is less than a mile further west, at Orbisonia.
While we're at Blacklog, we catch the mid-day passenger run getting ready to leave. On the point today is Tuscarora Valley's #5. The usual loco on this run (TRR #2) is down for repairs, so the TVRR is letting #5 fill in.
TVRR #5 departs Blacklog, crossing the grade crossing to turn on the wye before heading east.
Having turned on the wye, it passes on the east leg behind the depot.
Arriving in Shade Gap, we see that our station agent still hasn't gotten to the task at hand of loading the day's freight.
There must be some big goings-on going on, because the EBT's business car "Orbisonia" is tacked onto the back of today's passenger run.
The business car arrived on the EBT just a few years ago, and is rarely seen over the TRR's rails.
Leaving Shade Gap, our train passes by the spur leading to the tannery.
And another shot of the "Orbisonia," just for posterity.
Now, getting ready to cross over Shade Creek on its way east to Neelyton.
Having arrived in Neelyton and turned on the wye, the mid-day passenger train will shortly head back to Blacklog. (There is a second mid-day passenger run to handle the Blair's Mills to Burnt Cabins run.)
The freight has left Blacklog, and by this time has even finished the switching at Shade Gap. Headed back east, our freight prepares to cross Shade Creek. The steel span is relatively to the railroad, and should hopefully last quite a while.
Finally, the freight makes its way back into Neelyton, where it will continue south to Burnt Cabins before headed back north to Blair's Mills, where it interchanges with the Tuscarora Valley RR.
And one last quick shot of the freight as it passes by on its way south captures one of the East Broad Top's newest steel hoppers included in the train. The TRR owns no rolling stock of its own (just locomotives), so the EBT furnishes them all the rolling stock. Typically they get the "sloppy seconds," but recently, more and more of the EBT's newer stock has been gracing the rails.
This day brought two surprises. Not only were we fortunate enough to catch the "Orbisonia" on the passenger run, but...
A clerical mix-up forced a special evening freight run to Blacklog. Number 4 rolls into town as night has just fallen across the valley.
Rumors that the "clerical mix-up" involved a left-behind box of cigars from the big-wigs' earlier meeting are largely unsubstantiated...
And with that, we pack our gear and leave #4 at Blacklog, it's "clerical mix-up" now sorted out. As we left town, the soft smell of coal smoke seemed somehow laced with the sweet aroma of some really fine tobacco... Nah. Couldn't have been...
Later,
K
