The Empire Link

Matt L · January 24, 2012, 07:26:15 PM

The O&H yard (ex-LV) sits next to NS's Southern Tier Mainline (ex-Erie/EL). It's amazing to think this sleepy place was a busy interchange point between the Erie/EL, LV and D&H back in its heyday.

Photo taken by me Wed 8/24/2011 in Owego, NY.

Matt L · January 24, 2012, 07:31:13 PM

The O&H has a couple of U-boats on the premises. This U23B was the most recent addition to the roster last summer. Number 2211 was damaged just a few days after my visit by flooding from Hurricane Irene, but the O&H has repaired the old GE and put her back in service.

Photo taken by me Wed 8/24/2011 in Owego, NY.

Matt L · January 24, 2012, 07:33:32 PM

Here is the other other U23B on the roster, #2302. She and the rest of the O&H loco fleet (except for #2211) was taken to higher ground and escaped damage from Hurricane Irene.

Photo taken by me Wed 8/24/2011 in Owego, NY.

Matt L · January 24, 2012, 07:36:28 PM

The O&H offices are in the restored former Lehigh Valley station. It's pretty cool to see a station actually being used for RR business these days.

Photo taken by me Wed 8/24/2011 in Owego, NY.

Matt L · January 24, 2012, 07:45:30 PM

There is another RS18 stored in the O&H yard, but this one is privately owned.

Photo taken by me Wed 8/24/2011 in Owego, NY. There is also a 3rd RS18 and an SW1 on the O&H, but I didn't see them that day. They may have been stored in the engine house or perhaps one of them was making the run to Harford Mills. I do intend to get back to this shortline someday so I can see it in operation.

Matt L · January 26, 2012, 07:25:18 PM

OK, let's move about 150 miles NOW of Owego and take a look the Rochester & Southern RR. This shortline came into being 26 years ago when GWI (Genesee & Wyoming Industries) took over a former B&O branchline in upstate NY. Today, that route is still active from a connection with NS at Silver Springs north to Rochester. R&S operations came to include the original Genesee & Wyoming mainline, about 10 miles of the DL&W mainline and the old Dansville & Mt. Morris shortline about 10-12 years ago.

Although I'd seen the R&S in operation going back to the late '80s, I photographed it for the first time just a few years ago. On this occasion, the crew of GW-1 was assembling a train at the south end of the Brooks Avenue yard.

Photo taken by me Mon 7/6/2009 in Chili, NY.

Matt L · January 26, 2012, 07:27:47 PM

The day started nice and sunny... but storm clouds were a-brewin' as the R&S assembled its unit hopper train that day.

Photo taken by me Mon 7/6/2009 in Chili, NY.

Matt L · January 26, 2012, 07:31:17 PM

GW-1 gets ready to depart southward from the Brooks Avenue yard and head for the salt mine in Groveland as a nasty thunderstorm rolled by just a few miles to the north.

Photo taken by me Mon 7/6/2009 in Chili, NY.

Matt L · January 26, 2012, 07:35:35 PM

EMD fans will like the Rochester & Southern since (like most GWI Operations) that builder dominates the roster. On that muggy summer day, a matched set of 4 GP40s headed south with a unit train of empty salt hoppers.

Photo taken by me Mon 7/6/2009 in Chili, NY at the Beahan Road crossing.

Matt L · January 26, 2012, 07:39:34 PM

The hoppers have crossed Beahan Road and are heading south. Salt is the single biggest commodity hauled by the Rochester & Southern RR today.

Photo taken by me Mon 7/6/2009 in Chili, NY. I'll share more R&S shots when I resume this series.

Michael Wierowski · February 13, 2012, 02:03:48 PM

Hey Matt, where about in Update, NY are you from? I grew up in Syracuse and currently live in Buffalo. I just moved back to NY last year after living in the Cincinnati area for the past 9 years.

I am usually out and about along the Southern Tier line on the weekends between Buffalo and CP Horn. Sometimes I go as far as Corning, NY. I have tried to check out some of the other short lines in Upstate, NY but haven't seen to much activity on the weekends. Do you know the operating schedules for these lines at all?

-Mike

Matt L · February 13, 2012, 08:15:57 PM

Hi Mike! I lived in Elmira and Hammondsport during my younger years. Greater Rochester is my current residence.

Here the schedules of the following RRs:

1. Finger Lakes Railway HW2 usually departs Himrod somewhere between 8 and 10 AM. It works south to Watkins Glen and then heads back north to Himrod. Sometimes it will also work north to Penn Yan. It works Monday and Friday, although it can work on other days as needed.

2. Finger Lakes Railway GY1 (the Geneva yard job and local) usually starts work around 7 or 8 AM , although it can start earlier. It normally works Mon-Fri, but it will work weekends on occasion.

3. The Finger Lakes Railway's excursion operations have been bid out to 3rd party contractor for 2012, so I don't know the schedule yet.

4. The Finger Lakes Railway has a local job that works from Geneva to Camandaigua and back on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

5. The Wellsboro & Corning local that interchanges with NS usually pulls out of Wellsboro Junction between 8 AM and 9 AM. It arrives at Gang Mills around mid-day and will head southward after interchanging with NS there. This train runs 4-5 days per week, but weekend runs are rare. CAUTION: Gang Mills Yard is very busy these days, so WCOR's departure time in the afternoon can vary quite a bit.

6. The Tioga Central RR's excursion schedule is on their website: http://www.tiogacentral.com/

7. The Rochester & Southern RR has a couple different jobs. GW1 aka "The Salt Shaker" has been departing the Brooks Ave Yard around 2 AM. It heads south to the Groveland salt mine and usually gets back to Brooks Ave around 10 AM. It normally works weekdays only.

8. The Rochester & Southern's turn to Silver Springs departs the Brooks Ave Yard at 2 PM and will return by 10 PM, if the interchange with NS goes smoothly. It normally works weekdays only.

I will add the schedules for other Empire Link shortlines as I include them. Shortlines often change their schedules to suit customer demand and interchange with Class 1s like NS, so what I'm telling you can change without notice. Good luck in your chases.

Matt L · February 13, 2012, 08:22:32 PM

P.S. I have NO clue what the O&H's schedule is.

Michael Wierowski · February 14, 2012, 09:53:45 AM

Thanks for the info, that is a big help. Are you a Ham operator? If so, are there any repeaters in the area that you or other railfans tend to monitor? My call sign is KY7NSR.

Thanks again,
-Mike

Matt L · February 14, 2012, 07:34:38 PM

Unfortunately, I'm not a ham radio operator. Sorry about that...

I'm glad to know the information will help you.

Matt L · February 15, 2012, 07:26:45 PM

Mike, I've been digging through my photo albums for some weekend activity on the Empire Link shortlines. My most recent catch for freight action was back during the fall. After spending part of a soggy afternoon at CP Linden, I was heading back to Rochester when I caught an R&S local.

Photo taken by me Sat 10/1/2011 in Leroy, NY. The former BR&P/B&O depot in the background is now a very nice restaurant.

Matt L · February 15, 2012, 07:29:02 PM

This Rochester & Southern local had come down from Brooks Avenue to service a customer. There were a couple of switch moves that crossed Route 19 (Lake Street).

Photo taken by me Sat 10/1/2011 in Leroy, NY.

Matt L · February 15, 2012, 07:34:24 PM

The R&S local shuffles cars on a customer's spur.

Photo taken by me Sat 10/1/2011 in Leroy, NY.

Matt L · February 15, 2012, 07:36:42 PM

The switching moves are over, so the R&S local crosses Wright Street as it departs.

Photo taken by me Saturday 10/1/2011 in Leroy, NY.

Matt L · February 15, 2012, 07:40:16 PM

This train has a common power combination used on the R&S, B&P and other GWI lines- a 1st generation Geep and a 1500 HP EMD switcher.

Photo taken by me Saturday 10/1/2011 in Leroy, NY.

Matt L · February 15, 2012, 07:45:23 PM

The R&S local heads out of town by crossing an old B&O/BR&P bridge.

Photo taken by me Saturday 10/1/2011 in Leroy, NY.

Matt L · February 15, 2012, 07:46:40 PM

This location is another example of a sleepy village that used to be a bustling RR community. An Erie/EL branchline and a NYC/PC/CR branchline used to run right behind the spot where I stood... and the Lehigh Valley mainline crossed the north side of town, as well.

Photo taken by me Saturday 10/1/2011 in Leroy, NY.

Matt L · February 15, 2012, 07:48:45 PM

The R&S local heads up the former B&O 4th Sub on the return trip to Brooks Avenue Yard.

Photo taken by me Saturday 10/1/2011 in Chili, NY.

Matt L · February 15, 2012, 07:50:34 PM

The Rochester & Southern local crosses Beahan Road.

Photo taken by me Saturday 10/1/2011 in Chili, NY.

Matt L · February 15, 2012, 07:54:53 PM

The R&S local heads into Brooks Avenue Yard. There was no sign of any other activity here, so I left shorty after the train passed.

Photo taken by me Saturday 10/1/2011 in Chili, NY. I'll try to find more weekend shortline activity as time permits.