One of my favorite train trips ever was a run of the mill, not an excursion, trip from Philadelphia in the summer of 1973. It could have been the Crescent, or maybe it was a Florida train I was waiting for. Anyway, the train rolls into the station way late. When we left, we were behind two GG1s, the 4919 and the 4923. I suspect the 4923's boiler (for running the air conditioning and providing steam heat in the cars) had failed, so the 4919 had been added, either at Philadelphia or somewhere between Philadelphia and New York.
When we left, that train took off like a scalded cat. Back then, you could open the dutch doors and watch the world go by. I was timing the mileposts as we ran through northern Maryland. We were going 100. As we went around curves, I could see the sparks between the catenary and the pantographs. The sparking of the catenary against the pantographs had a psychedelic effect. Each sparking pattern made by the 4919's pantograph was duplicated a split second later by the 4923's pantograph.
What a fantastic trip that was. I'm tearing up. If I had a time machine....
I just found, in my computer, a photo of a northbound GG1 taken by the late William D. Middleton at Seabrook, Maryland, in 1963. If I can find it online, I'll run it here.
I found it.
Protecting a GG1
A crossing watchman is out with his STOP sign to warn motorists to stay clear of a fast-moving Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 racing north at Seabrook, Md., in April 1963.
William D. Middleton photo
I've been to Seabrook. That's a few miles north of DC. Northbound trains are totally hauling when they hit Seabrook. I have many pictures that I took there.
Thanks again.
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