Uploaded November 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Amtrak Autumn Express ran an excursion from 30th Street Station in Philadelphia to Harrisburg, PA and back on Saturday and Sunday, November 8th and 9th, 2014. This was the first ever Amtrak train to traverse the Norfolk Southern Harrisburg Line (west of Reading, PA) and the first legitimate passenger excursion between Reading and Harrisburg in almost 3 decades! Many gathered to watch this train the beautiful November weekend. The train consist features Amtrak Veteran's Locomotive, P42DC 42, and Amtrak Phase I Heritage Unit, P42DC 156, followed by 15 Amfleet coaches and Metroliner 9800 on the rear. We will also see Amtrak's Pennsylvanian and a Norfolk Southern train later on in the video. More information about the locations and routing are listed below.
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See the links below for some other great Amtrak videos!
Amtrak trains in Vermont during the fall.
youtu.be/XdGT8b3oW1Q
Fast Amtrak trains through Crossings on the Keystone Corridor.
youtu.be/xiBwWuNwzo0
Saturday, November 8, 2014: The Autumn Leaf Express departed 30th Street Philadelphia at 9:45 in the morning, making it to the Reading, PA area between 12-1pm. The symbol for the westbound move was NS 064, with the recrew for the eastbound being 065. This train was also known as Amtrak Special 803.
0:00 - Our first shot on Saturday is along the busy Norfolk Southern Harrisburg Line in Sinking Spring, Milepost 64.6, passing the FM Brown feed mill.
With no way to catch up the the train which had a straight shot to Harrisburg, we hit the interstate, heading to Rockville, where the train will turn around by pulling head-end onto the Rockville Bridge and then backing the train at WYE (the name of the control point) onto the Buffalo Line, then proceeding back east toward Harrisburg.
1:00 - Metroliner 9800 now leads as the train backs from the Rockville Bridge, northward onto the Buffalo Line. We will see the train on the Rockville Bridge on Sunday, later in the video.
3:00 - Ready to depart south off the Buffalo Line, and east into Harrisburg, Amtrak 42 one again leads the train slowly through WYE. Notice the Pennsylvania Railroad signals that still stand guard here.
4:55 - The last shot on Saturday shows the train passing the Reading Railroad Station in Palmyra, which was a fitting way to end the day. A scene of passenger trains by this station was once familiar until 1962.
Sunday, November 9, 2014: The train was running a bit later because of the High Line being closed in Philadelphia, but the weather stayed sunny for the whole day. Our first shot would be taken along the Harrisburg, and then up to Harrisburg to watch the train cross the Rockville Bridge, as well as the Amtrak Pennsylvanian, and a Norfolk Southern intermodal train, as well as some wildlife.
5:45 - The Autumn Leaf Express heads through Lincoln Avenue in Lebanon, providing enough distance for a great vantage of the train.
7:15 - It was then straight to Harrisburg. While the train was getting a new crew at the fuel pad, the westbound Amtrak 43 "Pennsylvanian" crosses the Rockville Bridge with Phase IV Dash-8 513 leading.
7:50 - A colorful Norfolk Southern marine container train 24W then heads east across the bridge. Several shots were taken of the train, including the Susquehanna River and a Blue Heron resting on a rock in the middle of the River.
9:15 - 24W's end clears the Bridge as the Autumn Leaf Express makes its way onto the Susquehanna River, in preparation for it's turn around. Several different shots will be had of the train crossing and sitting on the bridge, and ends as the train backs off of the bridge.
Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoyed this video! Don't forget to comment or like, and subscribe for dozens of other great railroad and railfan videos!
The Amtrak Autumn Express ran an excursion from 30th Street Station in Philadelphia to Harrisburg, PA and back on Saturday and Sunday, November 8th and 9th, 2014. This was the first ever Amtrak train to traverse the Norfolk Southern Harrisburg Line (west of Reading, PA) and the first legitimate passenger excursion between Reading and Harrisburg in almost 3 decades! Many gathered to watch this train the beautiful November weekend. The train consist features Amtrak Veteran's Locomotive, P42DC 42, and Amtrak Phase I Heritage Unit, P42DC 156, followed by 15 Amfleet coaches and Metroliner 9800 on the rear. We will also see Amtrak's Pennsylvanian and a Norfolk Southern train later on in the video. More information about the locations and routing are listed below.
Like us on Facebook!
facebook.com/CentralPennRailProductions
Fan funding: The icon in the upper right corner allows you to make donations to this channel. We'd be more than thrilled by your extra support!
See the links below for some other great Amtrak videos!
Amtrak trains in Vermont during the fall.
youtu.be/XdGT8b3oW1Q
Fast Amtrak trains through Crossings on the Keystone Corridor.
youtu.be/xiBwWuNwzo0
Saturday, November 8, 2014: The Autumn Leaf Express departed 30th Street Philadelphia at 9:45 in the morning, making it to the Reading, PA area between 12-1pm. The symbol for the westbound move was NS 064, with the recrew for the eastbound being 065. This train was also known as Amtrak Special 803.
0:00 - Our first shot on Saturday is along the busy Norfolk Southern Harrisburg Line in Sinking Spring, Milepost 64.6, passing the FM Brown feed mill.
With no way to catch up the the train which had a straight shot to Harrisburg, we hit the interstate, heading to Rockville, where the train will turn around by pulling head-end onto the Rockville Bridge and then backing the train at WYE (the name of the control point) onto the Buffalo Line, then proceeding back east toward Harrisburg.
1:00 - Metroliner 9800 now leads as the train backs from the Rockville Bridge, northward onto the Buffalo Line. We will see the train on the Rockville Bridge on Sunday, later in the video.
3:00 - Ready to depart south off the Buffalo Line, and east into Harrisburg, Amtrak 42 one again leads the train slowly through WYE. Notice the Pennsylvania Railroad signals that still stand guard here.
4:55 - The last shot on Saturday shows the train passing the Reading Railroad Station in Palmyra, which was a fitting way to end the day. A scene of passenger trains by this station was once familiar until 1962.
Sunday, November 9, 2014: The train was running a bit later because of the High Line being closed in Philadelphia, but the weather stayed sunny for the whole day. Our first shot would be taken along the Harrisburg, and then up to Harrisburg to watch the train cross the Rockville Bridge, as well as the Amtrak Pennsylvanian, and a Norfolk Southern intermodal train, as well as some wildlife.
5:45 - The Autumn Leaf Express heads through Lincoln Avenue in Lebanon, providing enough distance for a great vantage of the train.
7:15 - It was then straight to Harrisburg. While the train was getting a new crew at the fuel pad, the westbound Amtrak 43 "Pennsylvanian" crosses the Rockville Bridge with Phase IV Dash-8 513 leading.
7:50 - A colorful Norfolk Southern marine container train 24W then heads east across the bridge. Several shots were taken of the train, including the Susquehanna River and a Blue Heron resting on a rock in the middle of the River.
9:15 - 24W's end clears the Bridge as the Autumn Leaf Express makes its way onto the Susquehanna River, in preparation for it's turn around. Several different shots will be had of the train crossing and sitting on the bridge, and ends as the train backs off of the bridge.
Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoyed this video! Don't forget to comment or like, and subscribe for dozens of other great railroad and railfan videos!
