Another visit to Hotel across from Enola Yards in Pennsylvania

[dwil89]

Just arrived for another quick stay at the Quality Inn Enola..I am looking out my hotel window and just watched a highhood NS GP38 and NS SW1500 pull a heavy cut of cars over the hump to the east end. Earlier, I watched a a pair of switch engines shove a cut back over the hump and watched the cars cut off and roll down the hump to their respective trains. The hump area is well lit at night, so you can sit at the window and look across Rte11/15 and watch the action. Ask for a 2nd floor room facing the railroad..in the low 200's and you will get a decent view of the yard, especially when leaves are down. Here is a link to the hotel: http://www.calle.com/world/US/PA/enola/quality-inn-riverview.html Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown

[dwil89]

Got the hotel window open and the heat on. The GP and SW have begun shoving another cut over the hump...I am watching more cars being cut off and rolling down the other side...and then can hear the bam! when cars couple to their respective new cuts. A good size cut of cars is waiting to be humped right now...The crest of the hump is straight out from my window. Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the ideal hotel. [:)]

[dwil89]

QUOTE: Originally posted by macguy

Sounds like the ideal hotel. [:)]

Yeah...you have to get a room in the right location to get the best view....there is a road between the hotel and yard. Its a couple of hours closer to home for me than my other favorite trackside hotel in Cresson, the Station Inn, but Enola makes for a nice short weekend place for me to stay when I don't have the time to make the longer run to Cresson and back just for a day or two. Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown

[dwil89]

Now in daylight, looking out the window, classification continues, watching switchers shove from right to left a cut of cars to the crest of the hump, straight out from my vantage point...cars are drifting individually, or in groups of 2 or 3 cars down the other side of the hump. Enola Dieselhouse is visible out to the right. Primarily Conrail Blue and NS Black there, though a couple of UP GE widecabs are visible too. Now to get out and about...first stop..the Iron Railfan Bridge overlooking the West end of the Yards.....Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown

[dwil89]

Had a pretty good day down here at Enola. Started out at the Iron Bridge overlook. When I arrived, there were four separate puller crews working the`West end'. 3 crews had consists consisting of a NS High Hood GP38-2 coupled to an SW1500. The 4th crew had a '4 banger'...Two High hoods were coupled to 2 SW's! What a sound they made when they started shoving heavy cuts of cars back into the yard at Run 8. Once things settled, it was down to two puller crews on the West end, and another crew working from the east shoving cars over the hump. It was up to Rockville Bridge next for a couple of Intermodals. The Susquehanna River is running high. Those familiar with Bairs Tackleshop, his parking lot was mostly covered in water, as well as most of his land. Water was receding however....perhaps a foot deep at one point on his parking lot. Then it was up to Cove and Duncannon. At Duncannon, I parked near a stone arch viaduct and caught a couple of trains. Then back to the Iron Bridge for awhile, and back to the hotel, where I am watching more classification over the hump from my room window. Back home in the morning....Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown