Corning Secondary Rehabilitation Work

The Corning Secondary is undergoing extensive (I mean lots of new ties looking like almost every other one) tie replacement from North Corning through Beaver Dams and up to the Watkins Gorge bridge. It seems rather extensive for such a Secondary with an every other day turn to Geneva and various coal trains to Greenridge in Dresden. Would someone have more information than I can get out of Gang Mills? They just say its part of the 2009 track budget.

The project actually began in Dundee a few weeks ago heading southbound to Corning. In talking to some of the people working on the project I learned that there will also be a similar effort north out of Dundee either with these folks or another crew. They did not know if the project extends all the way to Geneva or just to Dresden. In addition to ties and ballast, they realigned a couple of turnouts in Dundee. There may have also been some wiring involved before the roadbed effort started.

Just speculation on my part, but I think that the driver for the project may be the desire for longer and heavier coal drags to Dresden operating at higher speed. I believe now that the drags are restricted to 10-20 MPH. Dundee sits at the top of grades from either direction. More than once a full drag has stalled out trying to climb the northbound grade.

Next time you talk to Gang Mills you might ask them about this. You could also ask them about the on-going signal crossing problems in Dundee which often causes a consist to stop at each crossing until the signals are reset. And while you are at it, you might ask why NS doesn't interchange the Watkins salt traffic with Finger Lakes at Himrod Junction rather than hauling it to Geneva and then having FL haul it back to Himrod.

Poppyl

About three (and 5?) years ago they did much work north of Himrod... were here for months. Story was then that a bridge was schedualed for replacement on another line, and they readying up this one for nearly 2 dozen trains a day. I never saw the trains, but this line sure gets more TLC than it ever did during my memories of Conrail. :!: I had the same question about the car interchange - but the fact they took track 2 out in Himrod a couple years ago indicates it will be that way for a while. It does seem like NS likes to simply take the whole order due for FGLK to Geneva to let them sort it out, and simply return rather than dropping cars here and there- I think I see some sense in it.

The last real work I ever saw was 1974 when the welded rail went in between Himrod and Dresden. There was also a ballast cleaner. That was when the big GEs and Alco's came out of Dewitt to work Morton Salt. But that is another previous post.

The NS interchange for FGLK is Geneva. That is that from Gang Mills.

I'm not arguing the issue of the Himrod interchange -- more action to catch -- but Finger Lakes has a nice second storage track adjacent to the "old" Morton facility less than a quarter mile from the Corning secondary. I believe that the track was installed to handle the Empire pipeline pipe deliveries a couple of years ago.

As a side note, when the NS crew began work in Dundee they "discovered" an unmapped siding just north of town. After some minor repairs and a short section of track from the siding to the existing turnout, they were able to use it for equipment parking. Before they "discovered" the track, the plan was to haul everything to either Himrod or Corning daily.

Poppyl

I believe the NS Gang Mills/Geneva job is a turn job and completes the whole trip in one night (hopefully). Having to stop and switch cars at intermediate locations would take too much time for them to complete the round trip. As Finger lakes Rwy runs all it's trains from Geneva and all the cars have to be inspected before departure. It is simply more effient to have them inspected and departed from Geneva, rather than have a car inspector run to Himrod to do the class one inspection which requires an air supply to boot. And then the train crew would have to perform more switching moves to do the extra pickup at Himrod.

Your explanation certainly makes sense to me. BTW -- it looks to me that FGLR is still basing a crew at Himrod junction. Am I correct?

So what do you think is the explanation for the recent roadbed work on the Secondary?

I wasn't aware that Fglk was basing a crew at Himrod any more. But the track work sounds like a sheduled maintainance program. Possible increased for time and material while traffic is off due to slow economy and less coal traffic in summer. If they rehab those crossings and raise the speed a bit, that would certainly be beneficial.

Based out of Himrod five days a week. M-W-F Himrod to Watkins Glen and return, T & TH Himrod to Geneva turn to interchange cars and sometimes a run to Oaks Corners, NY
for stone for the Himrod stone facility. Penn Yan is served any of those days, as needed.

Poppyl,

There was a center siding at Dundee way back. But I think the track you refer to was the old "house" track.

I'm still trying to find why they would spend the money on track rehab for such a lightly used line. Anyone else dig deeper? I'll find out more tomorrow.

FWIW, by interchanging at Geneva NS crews in Gang Mills only needs to sort out cars destined "FGLK Geneva" rather than say "FGLK Geneva" and "FGLK Himrod". They can let Finger Lakes sort out what goes where. Less work = less expense.

K4;

I think that you are correct. Back when it was a double main there was a long siding that ran from that point down past Shannon's Corners. It also provided access to the old GLF/Agway. I believe that the track "they" found was part of the old siding that was not removed. The turnout was left in place when the double was reduced to single and it was part of a crossover just north of town. All they did was lay some track from the turnout across the old #2 roadbed to the siding and they had their storage track.

I believe that the "old" turnout may have been left in place as a contingency in case business at Dundee Foods warranted a storage track in the future. From all I hear, that appears increasingly unlikely, however.

As to why the rehab effort -- maybe as stated, it's part of "normal" maintenance. NS is already running six axles through there on the coal drags so engine weight can't be a big driver. Since there is so little traffic now and it's all overnight, speed shouldn't be a big factor. The only driver that I can see is if NS moves to 100 ton hoppers but then I'd be looking at some rail maintenance, too.

I guess that the answer is "Time will tell."

Not sure whether this relates to the rehab work, but I heard from folks in Watkins Glen that plans are pretty far along for a "new" propane and butane transfer point to be located, I believe, just south of the old Reading Center station/Rte. 14A underpass and immediately adjacent to the secondary. From what I understand, propane would be shipped out on truck but butane would go by rail. I have no idea how much traffic (probably seasonal) the butane operation might generate. Perhaps someone has more information.

Sure hope that NS doesn't mix up butane tankers with the vinegar tankers now going to Dundee.

How far north did this work go? I read elsewhere that the line north of Geneva is OOS; is there a story for that? I always was curious what for interchange traffic there was with CSX.

This past year's work extended down to the Dundee-Himrod Road crossing.

In terms of the Geneva-Lyons OOS, there are a couple of other threads that have discussed the situation.

Poppyl