FLC OF A B737 CLBED IN RESPONSE TO THEIR VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE PRECEDING ACFT AND A TCASII RA. ATC DID PROVIDE A TA AND INSTRUCTED THE RPTR TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH THAT ACFT.

Narrative

CLRED FOR TKOF FROM PHL RWY 27L. THE PRECEDING ACFT WAS STILL ON RWY. WE WAITED TILL HE WAS CLR; THEN SET TKOF PWR. AFTER FLAPS WERE RETRACTED ATC ASKED IF WE HAD TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK IN SIGHT. WE REPLIED YES. ATC ASKED US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. WE AGREED. NOW THE ACFT IN FRONT WAS BANKING L AND WE WERE CLRED DIRECT WOODSTOWN. WE STARTED OUR L TURN. THE OTHER ACFT ALSO SAID HE HAD US IN VISUAL CONTACT. WE REALIZED THE OTHER ACFT WAS EXECUTING A SMALLER RADIUS TURN AND ALSO ATC HAD GIVEN HIM THE TURN BEFORE OUR CLRNC. WE CLBED STEEPER AND ATTEMPTED TO NOTIFY ATC THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN SAFE VISUAL SEPARATION IF THE OTHER ACFT KEPT TURNING TOWARDS US. OF COURSE ATC WAS TALKING AND WE WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY ABLE TO NOTIFY ATC. WE DID NOT KNOW THE OTHER ACFT WAS CLRED BY ATC TO TURN TO A POINT FROM 1 O'CLOCK TO OUR 9 O'CLOCK DIRECTLY ACROSS OUR FLT PATH. THEN WE GOT A TCASII RA 'CLB.' WE ALREADY HAD OUR CLB RATE ABOVE WHAT THE RA REQUESTED. THE OTHER ACFT APPARENTLY HAD A 'DSND' RA AND WE PASSED OVER HIM AT 1000 FT OR BETTER. WHEN WE ACCEPTED THE VISUAL SEPARATION WE THOUGHT THE OTHER ACFT WOULD BE PARALLELING OUR COURSE; NOT XING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. NO MORE VISUAL SEPARATION FOR ME IN THE TERMINAL AREA OR ELSEWHERE.