As a follow-up to my October 2020, post on Seaford, DE - here's what the location looks like today (on November 4, 2020) at the former Southern States, now Perdue plant.
Welded rail has replaced the jointed rail & you can also see the track structure - no weeds!
Seaford, DE Perdue Plant on November 4, 2020, by J.F. Walder
PRR Class H9s 1296 at Seaford, DE in 1939, by an William Grant, North East Rails collection.
PRR Class H9s (2-8-0) 1296 at Seaford, DE on the Cambridge Secondary Track in 1939, by William Grant, North East Rails collection. The station's roof can be seen in the background (above the tender). The Main Line (between Wilmington, DE & Cape Charles, VA) can be found in the background, just below the telephone pole on the extreme right side of the photo (the Nanticoke River bridge is off the photo, to the right).
Follow along as I try to narrow down what train this could be: Being the photo's from 1939, but without an exact date, one can assume it's from late April to September 1939 (because the leaves are still on the trees in the background). Also, with how the sun is striking the locomotive in the photo, this has to be in the afternoon (from the west, behind the photographer - we're looking east). Without a date, we can't narrow down what day of the week it is, so that's a complete guess on my part.
So, looking at just the April 30, 1939; June 1, 1939; and September 24, 1939, PRR Public Timetables, this could either be Train #492 (weekdays) or #494 (Sunday only). In both the April & September Public Timetables, the train would arrive in Seaford from Cambridge, MD at 2:55 PM. In the June Public Timetable, the train would arrive in Seaford at 2:09 PM.
So, this has to be the train returning from Cambridge in the afternoon to either let off passengers or to get in position for the next day's run [Train #493 (weekdays) or #495 (Sunday only)].
Man! If I only knew the exact date, it would make life a lot easier.
The 1296 was assigned to the Delmarva Division from as early as May 1939 (& possibly earlier) until November 1944.
