Video

@@KCTopDawg thanks! These guys stopped for 10 minutes waiting for their signals to go green which made for this nice move.

@@JamesSmith-pm4wz thanks I do my best!

@@kaho1545 thanks 😊

@@kaho1545 thank you

@@samlivingston4130 this one was definitely a surprise for me as well. I head Rumers of a coal train running up here over the past year or two but dismissed them thinking people were confusing them with the NYC Garbage trains. Last time I saw coal trains on the line here were in the early 2000's before the coal plants were were shut down one by one into early 2012 in the state. I wonder where this one was going?

That's the lake shore limited train 48

They operate on an Ex New York Central branch line. The CEO / owner of the company started with the New York Central. At our request they did only locomotive in a Lehigh Valley inspired paint job. But he refuses to do anything in PRR as he blames them for bring the NYC into the nightmare that became Penn Central.

I worked for Sperry Rail Service for a few years. Many of the cars they operate are former self-propelled doodle bugs used for passenger and light freight delivery of mail they were also capable of pulling 3 to 5 freight cars as well. Sperry bought and converted them fto test cars as when the Railroads started to cut back passenger traffic on some lines while simply putting a combination passenger car on the end of a local way freight on lone branch line. As the passenger traffic dried up more the passenger cars were substituted with just buying a ticket and riding in the caboose till the service was no longer deemed worth operating. The Soo Line holds the title of being the last railroad to offer passenger service via a Caboose in 1986 on rural branch lines. As for abandoned railroad lines many were duplicate lines that were removed as the railroads merged. Here in New York State your mostly on the New York Central but parts of that were abandoned in favor of the parallel West Shore Railroad which actually shorten the NYC line between Albany and Buffalo and made them more efficient. A good example is the New York Central traveled at grade in Syracuse which slowed them down at street level. Once they took over the West Shore they were elevated in the city. The elevated section is now I690 you'll also see this in ares east of Syracuse where the Tracks go elevated in many locations. The West Shore RR preferred to have as few railroad crossings as possible when built and the NYC was at grade. After the buy out NYC simply realigned their tracks did away with hundreds of crossings by tieing into the WSRR main line. The Lehigh Valley had many duplicate main lines and it was only a matter of time before most of it would be removed in the 1960's due to lack of industry on the lines. The formation of Conrail in 1976 killed off many lines and small shippers that did not move more than a specific number of cars set by them per week, month or year metrics. Being a government owned operation between 1976 and 1985 Conrail had a free hand to do what ever they wanted long before other railroads could till the stragglers act was removed.

@@onrr1726 Well thank you for your reply we appreciate it God bless you 🙏🕊🗡👑🤴✝️😇✡👼🦁🐏🐑🥀🔥 John 3:16

I'm do as much filming as I can with what free time I have while on vacation and loveing every minute of it.

My memory is vary fuzzy at best here but I do believe that it was taken to Manchester, NY where it was eaither painted into a Lehigh Valley inspired paint scheme for the historical society or to some fair ground or farmers market in that area??

Yeah it got taken to a very small railroad museum in Manchester. And it was painted into a Lehigh valley paint scheme. It's still there today along with a red Lehigh valley box car and a green Lehigh valley box car. I was also hoping if you could try to fi d 2300, 2307, and 2820 today. I've been trying g to find them but I couldn't! Can you do a pictures video of them please?

Oh also what happened to 1702 I know it got sold to farmrail? But is it scrapped or in service still? And do you have a video of 1702?

I did scout that area out once but was not to crazy about it to thick with trees and ticks. The Weedsport cop is a real dickhead with a hard on for me becouse I turned him in for pestering me by the school bus garage parking lot. The Weedsport cops are not permitted to cross the bridge on 31 between the village limits and the raceway which puts the raceway and bus barn in the town the village police are not under contract with the town they are under the Sheriff's department jersdiction. The same goes with Jordan police once they cross the county line by the erie canal locks on 31 they have zero authority and are to be reported to the town office in Jordan / Elbridge town office.

Your welcome. Traffic has been vary busy. It was kind of touch and go as the railroad crews started to park trains on the 25th with the possibility of going on strike nation wide at 1201 in the morning of September 16th. So far the strike has been averted for now and traffic has been nonstop every 20 minutes.

Thanks 😊

Thanks

Thanks

@@onrr1726 Your welcome

This is west bound. I never see the east bound as I don't get out of work till after 3pm

@@onrr1726 OK I figured it might be the westbound. Well if I should miss the eastbound train most or part of the way I can always chase at westbound and I’m sure it will be in daylight all the way

@@3985uprr they don't seem to be vary consistent with time. The only way I know if the east bound has been in Auburn is by looking at the east end of the yard. If there are gons on the nearest track next to the main then they have not arrived. On the west end of the yard if the middle track has cars on it they have nor arrived. The out side track is storage.

Since I’m not familiar with the area but I do have Delorme maps with me, how many times do you think I could catch the train on its run without killing myself driving. Doing it at a relatively leisurely pace? You guys living out there probably know all the little nooks and crannies of how to get to every place.

@@3985uprr well I know that if you catch them in the village of Cayuga you can generally catch them at the Town of Aurelius highway department garage parking lot on West Genesee Street. From there you turn left out of the lot and get to the 4 way intersection make a left then a right on to Rt5 you can catch them arriving in the Auburn Yard if you make all the green lights and able to get to State Street go past the prison and turn right at the 3ed intersection on to Perrine Street. There another spot you can try on Rt5 across from pizza hut if they have 2 Bay hoppers in the train then go for it as they will make 2 stops in Auburn 1 to drop gons and a second stop to drop and hook hoppers going east there is no way to see the 2ed switch but parking in the lot across from pizza hut will work or if you want to skip that you can get to Skaneateles Jct. And wait there you'll hear the train as they blow the horn for the next 2 crossings once they get past ABC & Duke company just east of the Pizza Hut on Route 5. To get to Skaneateles Jct stay on Rt 5 till you see Tessy Plastics once you see them make a right at the traffic light on to Jordan Road. As far as seeing Finger Lakes again past that point you might do best to head back to Rt5 make a right and head east hop on RT690 and then get off at the Camillus exit thd tracks will be right in front of you make a left the a right cross the tracks and stay on Milton Ave that will follow the tracks all thd way up to where Finger Lskes interchanges with CSX at West Rock Paper.

They have been hitting Auburn currently between 3 and 4pm west bound. I generally know that if you catch them east bound out of Auburn then you'll see them back in Auburn about 3 hours later west bound. Geneva to Auburn is about 3 3/2 hours or so one way.

@@onrr1726 i’m going to travel up there next week from Long Island and I wanted to spend one day chasing that train to break the monotony of all the CSX GE’s. I was going to drive out from Syracuse to Geneva and start from there. I guess if I follow route five pretty much I’ll have a chance to get the train in a lot of places. I love the horn on engine 2004. What time should I get to Geneva if I want to catch it starting out of there?

@@3985uprr yeah you can follow RT5 till you get into Elbridge if you turn at the light and head to Skaneateles Jct you can catch them there. Staying on 5 you'll cross the tracks in Sennett. Keep going till you you see the Dunkin Donuts make a right at the light and you'll come out on RT34 make a left at the light then make a right onto cottage street cross the tracks make a right onto Rock Ave then another right and your at the yard. If you want to keep track of the train stay on RT5 til you pass the mall you'll come to a blinking light make a left till once you come to the first intersection make a right onto West Genesee St you'll cross the tracks at half acre. Stay on the road till you reach Cayuga. The train station is by the lake its worth a stop. If you turn Right in Cayuga on RT90 take it till you get to the traffic light you'll be back on 5 again head west and you'll hit Seneca Falls, waterloo and Geneva. If your into model railroading lake city hobbies is worth a stop.

@@onrr1726 what I’ll probably do is take Thruway west to Geneva exit and go south into town and start from there going east. Perhaps I shud get to Geneva by 9am

@@3985uprr when you get into Geneva make a left at the first traffic light on to border city the yard office and engine shed are there the first crossing goes north that is Norfolk Southern. The 2ed crossing goes to Auburn & Solvay. Border city road ties into RT5

Nicr

@@onrr1726 Your welcome those former NS SD40-2s are heading to HZRX in Fairport Harbor, OH

They are in the area all the time. It's probably more common to to see an NS unit than CSX. With GE haveing moved operations out of Erie, PA to Texas almost everything is routed on BNSF to Tulsa and taken South / North for warranty services.

West bound out of Solvay returning back to Geneva. I'm not 100% sure of their start time East out of Geneva these days I assume it's based on when Norfolk Southern arrives to interchange in Geneva in the morning?? I'm more in line to see the west bound as I get out of work around 330 / 400pm. CSX generally dose their interchange the night before with Finger Lakes where as NS dose it in the morning from what I understand.

@@onrr1726 I see. NS comes up from Corning??

@@3985uprr yes every morning Monday - Friday I don't know the duty time for the crew that information you might find on Facebook there is a group guys down that way that post what's in Sayre and NS train info there. As for CSX they drop cars off to Finger Lakes and NYS&W in Solvay mostly after sun down with the bulk of the cars going to Auburn & Geneva in late afternoon for the following days FGLK West bound. CSX might also do an early morning interchange with FGLK for cars going in and out of the 2 paper board plants in the area 7 days a week but that's a question for someone who keeps a better eye on that area.

Not sure what they call it. I just know it as the Auburn Job they run between 7am and 4pm Monday-Friday with rare Saterday or Sunday ops near the holidays.

West bound they started out east early today. This was unusual for me to catch them between 4 & 430pm they normally don't swing back into Auburn till some time between 6 and 730. My guess is this snow storm we got had them a little spooked.

Finger Lakes They are an easy road to follow from Geneva to Seneca Falls.. From Seneca Falls to Auburn it's all back roads once in Auburn it's city streets from Auburn to Camillus it's back to farm roads. From Camillus to Solvay the tracks are parallel to Milton Street.

It was a decent area but it's starting to become a shit location with all the jack offs showing up I refer to them as nonrail fan friendly people as they have no common decency to park on the road parallel to the tracks insted they park on the right of way and block your view and read their news papers. I'm at the point where I'm calling CSX to report trespassers just to have them kicked out.

@@onrr1726 this time of year I would want to park off the road where I can see the right of way approaches and stay warm with my heat on

@@3985uprr I don't wonder up trackside much in the winter. Most of the problem people arrive in the summer months.

@@onrr1726 sometimes I get in the mood if it’s not super cold and not too much snow on the ground. My car heater works real good. Just sit trackside with scanner on and wait. I used to drive up from Long Island often in Conrail days up there and watch the tv trains fly.

@@3985uprr once things warm up I have a few other locations that I sat in when I worked for Sperry Rail Service I'm going to try but I plan to be vary tight lipped on the actual locations.

GS train runs Sunday - Friday. the horn is out of tune GS train runs with any combo of units some times 1 locomotive other times it can have up to 5 average is often 2 or 3 and can be made up of all GP38's or B23-7's or a mix of both GP's and B's

They have an air issue when they pull the cord for the horn on the lead locomotive the horn on the trailing unit behind it also sounds so as I've been told. I've heard and seen similar issues with a BNSF two SD40-2's in the Tulsa area haveing similar issues.

Solvay Job works 24 hours a day 7 days a week often a B23-7 or a leased MP15 works that job. Auburn Job runs Mon - Friday 7a.m. 3:00p.m. I don't know what time Finger Lakes crews start out of Geneva going east They generally hit Skaneatlas Jct. between 230 or 3:00p.m. I know that they hit Auburn going East Bound between 12:00 and 1:30pm and that the West Bound swings back West into Auburn some where between 6:30p.m. and 8p.m. maybe even later if they did not have a late start. Saturday there is a train out of Geneva to Himrod Jct. around 10a.m. Sunday there is a an east bound Geneva - Solvay train they usually stop in Auburn if they have anything between 9:30 and 10a.m. and often stop back west bound some time between 230 and 4p.m. Power is often between 2 and 3 units some times 4 or 5 units it can be all 5 GP38's or a it can be B23-7's or a mix of Geeps and B's there is no telling what the power will be or the number of cars east bound trains some times have between 0 and 40 cars west bounds 5 to 50 or more.

@@onrr1726 very helpful thanks. Based on days I would be out there I likely would chase eastbound from Geneva to Solvay. It would be dark for the westbound. I just want a nice break from CSX GE’s and I love the paint scheme of the FGLK. I guess the train switches in Geneva before he leaves. Route 20 seems to follow the route but not completely past Auburn. I would have to take another road. Looks like chasing would be easy

@@3985uprr if you chase them starting in Geneva the yard is located off Boarder City Road. You might have a good chance of staying in pace with them between there and Seneca Falls on RT 5 as many of the crossings are unprotected and speed is slow. Once you clear Seneca Falls stay on RT 5 drive thru the montazua refuge till you come to Rt. 90 there is a gas station on your left! Make a right go direct to the village of Cayuga make a right at the flashing light go to the train station or make a left (Genesee St.) and go direct to Auburn the tracks are on your right you can see the train in the distance. Stay on Genesee St till you see a McDonald's on your left turn left on the highway and then turn Right back onto RT 5&20 the tracks are next to the highway. Stay on RT. 5 till you come to state street make a left go past the prison till you come to Pulaski St. Make a right follow the road around the sharp curve and your at the auburn yard and a stored engine. If you decide to by pass stopping in Auburn stay on Rt 5 till you see Tessy Plastics you'll come to a traffic light turn right on Hamilton Road you'll drive up to the tracks make a right at the crossing you'll see the Skaneateles fall train station. Or if you want to by pass Skaneateles Falls. Go to the Home Depot in Camillus and wait there the tracks follow Militon St. all the way into Solvay Yard the locomotives are kept next to Chinatown furniture parking lot.

Where does GS job usually work. I assume he works at Geneva making up his train for a bit. Where is this scene located in Auburn ?

@@3985uprr GS Trains starts in Geneva drops cars in Auburn and picks up cars bound for CSX / NYSW in Solvay and give or take 3 or 4 hours later returns west from Solvay to drop cars in Auburn and pick cars up cars bound for NS on it's way back to Geneva

Yeah it was a rare day to catch them working late afternoon. The crew is often done by 3 or 330.

@@onrr1726 I know. Last Monday, the crew on GC2 was tied down at Pactiv because they ran late