JREB.org

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.











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:



Heading out of town at the Bradford Street crossing: 















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.















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.