Branch lines in New York State

I found these vids while browsing the net the other day and thought they were super cool! According to the caption, the line had not been used in 4 years!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eqr2YDpUeQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs0S9XV_ZyM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was wondering how many remaining branch lines similar to this one there are in NY state, and how much traffic do they get, if any at all? I'm sure there are quite a few, but the only one I could think of is the former D, L, & W branch to Oswego, which I don't think has been used since 2002?

NYCUticaSyracuse81 wrote:I was wondering how many remaining branch lines similar to this one there are in NY state, and how much traffic do they get, if any at all? I'm sure there are quite a few, but the only one I could think of is the former D, L, & W branch to Oswego, which I don't think has been used since 2002?

That's a pretty open-ended question. Dozens of low-density branch lines across the state, thousands across the country. If they're not getting traffic, they are abandoned. If they are still getting traffic, even if it's one carload a year, they are active. Exactly what are you asking?

-otto-

Good question. I suppose I'd like to know of any branch line in NY state that's used infrequently (few times a year or less), or branches that have been abandoned, but could hypothetically still be considered viable?

NYCUticaSyracuse81 wrote:Good question. I suppose I'd like to know of any branch line in NY state that's used infrequently (few times a year or less), or branches that have been abandoned, but could hypothetically still be considered viable?

Perhaps one of them could be the Lowville & Beaver River......anyone know what the current status of that
line is? Not really sure this could be considered a viable line, however.

Charlie

NYCUticaSyracuse81 wrote:Good question. I suppose I'd like to know of any branch line in NY state that's used infrequently (few times a year or less), or branches that have been abandoned, but could hypothetically still be considered viable?

The only line that I know of that is still in place but only partly active would be the Baldwinsville Line trains go up as far the brewery. Shortly after Birds Eye closed in Fulton CSX dumped a truck load of stone on the tracks between Smokey Hollow Rd and Kellogg Rd. I guess the line is being kept should the Tank Farm reopen at the far end of the line?? Last time I was up near the tank farm in the Fulton / Oswego area it was over grown and some of the buildings looked to as if they had been broken into by medal thieves and teenagers looking to make for trouble.

Another line falling into this category would the original B&H mainline. The modern B&H/LA&L calls it the Hammondsport Industrial Track. The rails are currently in place to the Main Street crossing in Hammondsport, although about a mile or so in the village will be removed eventually to make room for a trail. Further south, about 3 miles of track is being rehabbed for future use in Bath, after not being used since 2006.

Rails that see service a few times per year or less are becoming an endangered species, owing to several reasons to remove them.

Another good example would be the former PRR Elmira Branch north of Penn Yan, now owned by FGLK. While the Bellona-Penn Yan segment has been used to store freight cars at times, it no longer sees regular freight service.

NYCUticaSyracuse81 wrote:Good question. I suppose I'd like to know of any branch line in NY state that's used infrequently (few times a year or less), or branches that have been abandoned, but could hypothetically still be considered viable?

To be fair, anything is "hypothetically" viable. I think it's safe to say if it was viable, it would be operating. There's a reason these branches have been erased from the map. Railroads, like any business, need two things to be viable: Cash and customers.

-otto-

The western/northern portion of the Battenkill Railroad in Upstate NY would be a good example of this, I suppose.

NYCUticaSyracuse81 wrote:Good question. I suppose I'd like to know of any branch line in NY state that's used infrequently (few times a year or less), or branches that have been abandoned, but could hypothetically still be considered viable?

Um, lots of them?? The Tahawus branch has been cleared of brush and the flangeways cleared and the rockfall cleared and washout filled, and as far as I know, they've only run one train up there this whole year.

There's also the Adirondack Branch, which is only used for equipment moves. As far as I know, there are no impairments (unless you count assholes wanting to do a hostile trail conversion as an "impairment).

Same thing for the Catskill Mountain RailRoad. Except for ties that need replacing, they could run all the way up to Boiceville Bridge. Or perhaps I should call it "Boiceville ex-Bridge" since it's lying downstream in the Esopus River.

The Carthage Branch up to Newton Falls is intact and part of it is used for car storage. Just needs brush cutting and (likely) tie replacement.

The rails go from Baldwinsville up to the fuel unloading tracks at Furniss, but they're not used.

I think the tracks going out to the nuke plant near Oswego are out of service.

I could go on and on and on.

Yes, based on Google Maps sattelite images there's a lot of OOS track on the east side in Oswego.

The LV main line segment from Geneva Jct. to Kendia falls in this category; since the Army Depot closed, I think it just sees car storage. And there's a ton of unused track in the Depot itself. Heck, there's still track not connected to anything, that leads into the old Samson base, too.

You could also count the former LV/EC&N from Cortland to South Cortland, about three miles, also used mainly for car storage.

The former DL&W Utica Branch from Sherburne or so down to Chenango Forks would count, too, it's been OOS for a long time.

Until recently the Ontario Midland from Wallington east to Wolcott was like that.

And portions of the Catskill branch are OOS but intact both on the U&D section and the CMR section. Of course, other parts are washed away and missing, but that's another story.

Several longtime out-of service (but not formally abandoned) branch lines in New York come to mind:

Waterboro Jct. to Conewango and Dayton-Cattaraugus -- New York & Lake Erie RR
Chenango Forks - Norwich-Sherburne -- New York Susquehanna & Western RR
Carthage-Newton Falls -- Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern RR
North River - Tahawus -- Saratoga & North Creek RR (some non revenue moves may have been made this summer)
Beaver River - Saranac Lake -- Adirondack Scenic RR (this segment is occasionally used to move equipment to the
Adirondack Scenic RR's Lake-Lake Placid operation
The former NYC Catskill Mountain Branch - abandoned, however unconnected sections are in excursion service

The LV main line segment from Geneva Jct. to Kendia falls in this category; since the Army Depot closed, I think it just sees car storage.

I don't that meets the criteria here. That line goes to the former Army base and is anything but inactive. I'm a bit out of touch but as of a couple years ago it was used an average of once a week. One train from the base to Geneva had over 60 cars if I recall.

Furthermore I think I heard FGLK has been serving one or more active customers at the former base. Maybe someone can verify that.

Another line that is technically in service, but hardly ever used, is the Metro North line from Beacon to Danbury, Connecticut.

blabey wrote: The former NYC Catskill Mountain Branch - abandoned, however unconnected sections are in excursion service

I don't believe this line was technically ever abandoned. It's county-owned with limited operations on three sections.

Otto Vondrak wrote:Railroads, like any business, need two things to be viable: Cash and customers.

Three other factors can also come into play- developers, trail advocates and politics can also affect marginally used or OOS branchlines. The western end of the Ontario Midland RR in Webster sat dormant for over a decade before it was pulled up and replaced by a trail. The tracks were owned by a county agency, so there were no taxes to pay.