The Empire Link

[Michael Wierowski]

Hey Matt,

Thanks for sharing those photos. I'll keep my eye out and ears on the scanner while I am out and about on the weekends.

Thanks,
-Mike

[Matt L]

I'm not done yet!  ;D

There is more to share from upstate NY. One of the more unusual trains on I've seen on the Rochester & Southern is this windmill train parked at Brook Avenue Yard. The blades and shaft were assembled at a plant in Dansville (NY). Later that day, they were sent down to Silver Springs for interchange with Norfolk Southern.



Photo taken by me Monday 6/13/2011 in Chili, NY.

[Matt L]

Wait a minute... what's creeping in towards the "windmill" train?



Photo taken by me Monday 6/13/2011 in Chili, NY.

[Matt L]

Answer: the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville RR local is making a reverse move into the R&S yard. A pair of Alcos was shoving the consist.



Photo taken by me Monday 6/13/2011 in Chili, NY.

[Matt L]

So... here's the story about the LA&L. They are a great and early example of a shortline taking over tracks spun off by a Class 1. The LA&L was founded in 1964 to purchase and operate a segment of the former Erie Rochester Division that was facing potential abandonment by the Erie Lackawanna. The LA&L ran excursions until the late '70s- I actually rode their trains 3 times in 1976 and '77.  After the excursions ended, the freight traffic began to grow... which necessitated the purchase of this Alco C425 (ex-NH/PC/CR) in 1981.



Photo taken by me Monday 6/13/2011 in Chili, NY.

[Matt L]

Speaking of Conrail, the LA&L expanded in 1996 by purchasing more of the ex-Erie Rochester Division and about 3-4 miles of the former Lehigh Valley Rochester Branch. This led to the purchase of #420 and several other Alco Centuries. Here we see #420 leading the LA&L across Jefferson Road on the former LV.



Photo taken by me Friday 12/16/2011 in Henrietta, NY.

   

[Matt L]

The Livonia, Avon & Lakeville RR currently has 2 interchange points. This location is Genesee Junction, where the LA&L interchanges with CSX.



Photo taken by me Fri 11/2/2007 in Chili, NY. 

[Matt L]

After the LA&L expanded in 1996, interchange was exclusively with Conrail at Genesee Junction. Back in its heyday, the NYC, Lehigh Valley, B&O and Pennsy swapped cars there.

As a condition of the LA&L accepting the CR split in 1999, it was granted trackage rights on the Rochester & Southern to access Brooks Avenue Yard. Here we see an LA&L shove move on the R&S.



Photot take by me 11/2/2007 in Chili, NY.

[Matt L]

So... how does Norfolk Southern fit into the picture? The R&S acts as a bridge carrier between NS and the LA&L. A couple of interestings facts:

1. The Rochester & Southern is using part of the former B&O 4th Sub to connect with NS in order to compete against CSX for interchange traffic with the LA&L!

2. The LA&L is one of 2 shortlines in the Empire Link which doesn't connect directly with NS. The other is the Ontario Central RR.

Here we see #420 and #425 running light as they leave Brooks Avenue Yard on a beautiful spring day.



Photo taken by me Mon 6/13/2011 in Chili, NY. The LA&L family of shortlines are among my favorite shortlines to chase. I'll share more more shots as time permits.

[Matt L]

While #420 and #425 are the LA&L locomotives I've seen most often over the past 16 years, there are other Alcos on the LA&L.

For example, C425 #428 was paired with #425 earlier this winter.



Photo taken by me Monday 1/16/2012 in Henrietta, NY.

[Matt L]

Number 428 crosses Lehigh Station Road, which is actually crossed twice by the LA&L. I'll explain the other crossing at another time.



Photo taken by me Monday 1/16/2012 in Henrietta, NY.





 

[Matt L]

It was pretty cool to see a pair of Alco C425s operating together. I think the last time I saw that would've been been the latter days of the Erie Lackawanna (when I was a kid).



Photo taken by me Monday 1/16/2012 in Chili, NY.

[Matt L]

The Livonia, Avon & Lakeville RR's shops also works on Alcos for two affiliated shortlines- the Bath & Hammondsport RR and the Western New York & Pennsylvania RR. This former NYC C430 had several trial runs on the LA&L before being sent to the WNYP.



Photo taken by me Monday 2/16/2009 in Henrietta, NY.   

[Matt L]

Number 432 operates on "home rails" for a short distance. This ROW is part of the former NYC West Shore which connects the former LV  Rochester Branch with Genesee Junction.



Photo taken by me Monday 2/16/2009 in Henrietta, NY.  I hope y'all are enjoying this pictorial. I'll share even more shots as time permits.   

[Matt L]

The Livonia, Avon & Lakeville RR has a couple of interesting customers. The first one we'll look at is Matthews & Fields Lumber. Their siding is located at the south end of the Mortimer Industrial Track, which is a remnant of LV's Rochester Branch. Speaking of the Lehigh Valley, Matthews & Fields has been receiving shipments by rail since at least the late 1960s.

Last spring, I caught the LA&L local servicing Matthews & Fields. The train is crossing Lehigh Station Road. Now you know how this road got its name- the depot used to be on the other side of the tracks.



Photo taken by me Moday 6/13/2011 in Henrietta, NY.

[Matt L]

The Alcos shove the boxcars up the spur. They are passing a feed mill that rarely gets rail shipments.  



Photo taken by me Monday 6/13/2011 in Henrietta, NY.

[Matt L]

The boxcars are being shoved into the lumber yard. BTW, the Rochester & Southern RR occasionally services another Matthews & Fields spur in the City of Rochester, but this location gets most of the shipments.



Photo taken by me Monday 6/13/2011 in Henrietta, NY.

[Matt L]

Unlike the ex-Lehigh Valley branch, the spur itself lacks lights or gates where it crosses Lehigh Station Road. Therefore, the LA&L usually has an additional crewman protect the crossing with the MOW truck when the local switches Matthews & Fields.



Photo taken by me Monday 6/13/2011 in Henrietta, NY.

[Matt L]

The ex-LV branch has another interesting crossing at Route 15.  This road is a busy 4 lane highway near a mall, so traffic lights are used to control both the highway traffic and the railroad. The engineer in #420 must wait for a green light before he can proceed.



Photo taken by me Monday 6/13/2011 in Henrietta, NY.

[Matt L]

LA&L #420 heads across Route 15. The local uses this branch 1 or 2 day per week, so catching this trip was a rare treat for me. 



Photo taken by me Monday 6/13/2011 in Henrietta, NY. When I resume this series, we'll head south on the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville RR. 

[Matt L]

Before heading southward, let's take a quick look a couple moethings at the north end of the LA&L. This center beam flat car is getting pushed into the R&S yard by the LA&L local. The Matthews & Fields lumber traffic comes in from Norfolk Southern via the R&S.



Photo taken by me Monday 1/16/2012 in Chili, NY.

[Matt L]

This the CSX local that interchanges with the LA&L at Genesee Junction.



Photo taken by me Mon 2/16/2009 in Chili, NY. 

[Matt L]

On the other side of the Genesee River, CSX and the LA&L run side by side for a couple miles. The bridge over the river makes a good photo location.



Photo taken by Monday 2/16/2009 in Henrietta, NY.

[Matt L]

Heading southward, the LA&L uses a connecting track (built by CR circa 1979) to move from the former LV to the ex-Erie Rochester Division. The local usually runs non-stop until it reaches Avon, where several customers are located. The former Erie yard there sees switching action 4-6 days per week, including some weekend drills.



Photo taken by me Saturday 12/16/2011 in the Village  of Avon, NY.   

[Matt L]

The former Erie depot next to the LA&L yard is now a restaurant.



Photo taken by me Friday 12/18/2011 in the Village of Avon, NY.