Earlier this year, the crew at the Strasburg Rail Road (near Lancaster, PA) substituted one of it’s steam engines in place of it’s EMD SW-8 switcher to bring a carload of freight back from it’s interchange with Norfolk Southern (9 mile round trip) at Leaman Junction. The event was such a success both with the railroad, railfans and customers alike, that manage- ment elected to run that way all through the Summer and Fall with a schedule that saw drop offs on Tues and Thursday afternoons and pickups Wed and Friday starting at 6 AM.
I was fortunate enough to capture the event with #475 on August 24th (when the sun rose early), once again in September with 2-10-0 Great Western #90, and then one last time on October 24th which turned out to be the season finale wrapping up with an 8 car steam powered double headed mixed train which featured both 2-6-0 CN #89 and 4-8-0 N&W #475!
Here are some pics from the August and October runs:
August 24th - Sunrise in the yard with N&W #475:
August 24th - PIckup at Leaman Junction under catenary wire featuring N&W #475:
August 24th - The Abingdon Creeper - Strasburg style - with N&W #475 and a mixed train:
August 24th - N&W #475 backlit returning with a Railbox car, coach and caboose:
October 24th - Preparing for the double header under the stars featuring CN #89 & N&W #475 (6 AM):
October 24th - An in-the-dark flashed caboose hop double