Owing to a combination of factors, NS traffic on the Southern Tier Mainline almost ground to a halt around the end of last month. Two of the causes are to be expected. CP Draw at Buffalo is a bottleneck. There is also a seasonal spike is grain, salt and gas traffic. Add in a lack of crews on connecting CP lines and it's a recipe for a serious slowdown.
There were signs of trouble brewing before my vacation day... but I had no idea that I would see next to nothing. It also affected the Bath & Hammondsport RR, who kept their Alcos in the engine house owing to a lack of interchange traffic. NS 13T had nothing to drop off for the B&H and 12T didn't arrive at Gang Mills until after sunset.
however, it was not a total loss. I caught 309 refuelling in the Gang Mills Yard. A GE Rialcar switcher was tucked in behind the widecabs.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi857.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab139%2FErielackawanna%2F2014%2FOct%25202014%2F1024%2520AM2%2520Gang%2520Mills%2520NY%2FDSC01831.jpg&hash=e720c45f51698563f4c280b08f7987ad3d7645ad) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Oct%202014/1024%20AM2%20Gang%20Mills%20NY/DSC01831.jpg.html)
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi857.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab139%2FErielackawanna%2F2014%2FOct%25202014%2F1024%2520AM2%2520Gang%2520Mills%2520NY%2FDSC01833.jpg&hash=dc42c68a02ff74e67ba79c185ea410b6219b06c4) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Oct%202014/1024%20AM2%20Gang%20Mills%20NY/DSC01833.jpg.html)
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi857.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab139%2FErielackawanna%2F2014%2FOct%25202014%2F1024%2520AM2%2520Gang%2520Mills%2520NY%2FDSC01836.jpg&hash=498175efe97ba360b276dc425047e79d672410ec) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Oct%202014/1024%20AM2%20Gang%20Mills%20NY/DSC01836.jpg.html)
All photos in this post were taken by me Friday 10/25/2014 in Gang Mills, NY. NS H12 had picked up the little EMD a day earlier and she headed west that afternoon with 309.
Speaking of H12, I caught that train working early in the afternoon at the former LV yard:
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi857.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab139%2FErielackawanna%2F2014%2FOct%25202014%2F1024%2520PM1%2520Sayre%2520PA%2FDSC01841.jpg&hash=2420aa86843e4e82e3be47816c5f8df8bd69c053) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Oct%202014/1024%20PM1%20Sayre%20PA/DSC01841.jpg.html)
Heading out of town at the Bradford Street crossing:
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi857.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab139%2FErielackawanna%2F2014%2FOct%25202014%2F1024%2520PM1%2520Sayre%2520PA%2FDSC01855.jpg&hash=ebddd597e9b06fad7511cc70785ce7fa539df0c0) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Oct%202014/1024%20PM1%20Sayre%20PA/DSC01855.jpg.html)
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi857.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab139%2FErielackawanna%2F2014%2FOct%25202014%2F1024%2520PM1%2520Sayre%2520PA%2FDSC01856.jpg&hash=0e0d7f641ebc3ed816cd45e0b2ff1b4afe2cf1d5) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Oct%202014/1024%20PM1%20Sayre%20PA/DSC01856.jpg.html)
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi857.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab139%2FErielackawanna%2F2014%2FOct%25202014%2F1024%2520PM1%2520Sayre%2520PA%2FDSC01864.jpg&hash=72562583ce6c11039a0b08dd30b864f574162353) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Oct%202014/1024%20PM1%20Sayre%20PA/DSC01864.jpg.html)
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi857.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab139%2FErielackawanna%2F2014%2FOct%25202014%2F1024%2520PM1%2520Sayre%2520PA%2FDSC01867.jpg&hash=0dea7f1f8b8ca0a0c48d747bc989ec221592d39d) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Oct%202014/1024%20PM1%20Sayre%20PA/DSC01867.jpg.html)
All photos in this post were taken by me Friday 10/25/2014 in Sayre, PA.
I should have seen the S&A heritage unit on 23K that day but owing to a power shortage, #1965 (and 2 other NS locos) were pressed into temporary pusher service somewhere between Binghamton and Albany. therefore 22K was the final train i saw that day.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi857.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab139%2FErielackawanna%2F2014%2FOct%25202014%2F1024%2520PM2%2520Wellsburg%2520NY%2FDSC01883.jpg&hash=0db4a7b7bb4efe86e4c64473fe88a4442a0197d4) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Oct%202014/1024%20PM2%20Wellsburg%20NY/DSC01883.jpg.html)
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi857.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab139%2FErielackawanna%2F2014%2FOct%25202014%2F1024%2520PM2%2520Wellsburg%2520NY%2FDSC01885.jpg&hash=bd0c69921f0ed52c37d49a9a8cf0eccbd7a06850) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Oct%202014/1024%20PM2%20Wellsburg%20NY/DSC01885.jpg.html)
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi857.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab139%2FErielackawanna%2F2014%2FOct%25202014%2F1024%2520PM2%2520Wellsburg%2520NY%2FDSC01896.jpg&hash=569c3e63efae413e3e195243dafcaa1ed5440e8e) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Oct%202014/1024%20PM2%20Wellsburg%20NY/DSC01896.jpg.html)
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi857.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab139%2FErielackawanna%2F2014%2FOct%25202014%2F1024%2520PM2%2520Wellsburg%2520NY%2FDSC01900.jpg&hash=f83c4971df1a1b038347f952feaeed9f21652808) (http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/media/2014/Oct%202014/1024%20PM2%20Wellsburg%20NY/DSC01900.jpg.html)
All photos in this post were taken by me Friday 10/25/2014. Admittedly, it wasn't much... but I did enjoy the 3 trains I saw.