Corning Secondary Renamed?

K4Pacific has reported under another thread that the Corning Secondary is now called the Corning Main. May have something to do with the upcoming Portageville bridge project and rerouting traffic onto the Corning Secondary. Perhaps K4 can fill us in on what's in the works.

Poppyl

HO6 went up the Corning Main with 54 cars, rather respectable. You'll now more about the operational side in a month. Hang in there Poppy.

poppyl wrote:K4Pacific has reported under another thread that the Corning Secondary is now called the Corning Main. May have something to do with the upcoming Portageville bridge project and rerouting traffic onto the Corning Secondary. Perhaps K4 can fill us in on what's in the works.

Poppyl

So the bridge replacement in Portageville is finally going to happen?

Also, does this mean that NS is going to put the track between Geneva and Lyons back into service?

dose this mean more traffic going North to Fnger Lakes or on to CSX with NS detour trains??

Matt Langworthy wrote:Also, does this mean that NS is going to put the track between Geneva and Lyons back into service?

Perhaps..it is one logical detour if the Portage bridge does in fact go out of service for awhile..

NS trains could come into Buffalo from the West, eastbound, detour over CSX through Rochester to Lyons,
then down the "Corning Main" to Corning, then continue east to Binghamton..

Without Geneva-Lyons in service, NS trains would have to go to Syracuse, backtrack on FGLK to Geneva, then down to Corning..
I doubt that would happen..far too slow compared to Lyons-Geneva..

But we have also always heard that if the Portage bridge is replaced, the new bridge will likely be built just to the south of the current bridge,
and the current bridge can stay in service until the new bridge is complete..making a detour unnecessary..

also..couldnt NS trains detour over the B&P and WNYP between Buffalo and Olean/Hornell?
bypassing the Portage bridge..
and making Lyons-Geneva unnecessary?

Scot

K4Pacific wrote:HO6 went up the Corning Main with 54 cars, rather respectable. You'll now more about the operational side in a month. Hang in there Poppy.

Can't wait. Railfanning south of Himrod has been pathetic for a looooong time unless you wanted to get up in the middle of the night. Guess that I'll have to program the NS frequencies into my scanner.

BTW, isn't the entire line from Gang Mills to Lyons dark and are there any plans to add passing sidings or at least lengthen what's left of the Randall's Crossing siding?

I hope that NS advises the jurisdictions along the line that traffic patterns are changing. There are a lot of unguarded crossings that because of the lack of rail traffic, people just drive across without looking or slowing down, particularly during the day. They won't be expecting to see rail traffic.

I'll hold the rest of my questions until more information is publicly available.

Operationally would expect running via Geneva and Lyons to be faster and require less time to qualify crews; to run via Olean might even be enough slower to require an additional crew to cover the same distance, given the downgrades to the Buffalo line. Running CSX assuming no stops should only use around two hours; with upgrades perhaps another two-two and a half to reach Corning (average of 30 MPH?). Only issue might be clearance for double stacks, seems like there's a couple low overpasses along the route. But should be no need for any runarounds or complicated moves. Finger Lakes people can help clear up trains around Geneva, too.


Whereas Buffalo-Olean-Hornell, what's the current max speed to Olean? Wouldn't they have to run around or do a backup move to get from SB on the PRR to EB on the Erie? That alone would eat a lot of time, might need a taxi on call for the conductor, or a WNY&P crew handy to pull trains from one to the other. Even if they only go 10 MPH from Lyons to Geneva they can make the moves with no backing up or running around.

I suspect the grades are more favorable via the former NYC routing, also.


Corning was last signaled for a stretch below Lyons, that was turned off by Conrail in the mid-90s, I don't remember if there was a similar block at the Corning end. Probably could give trains the line one at a time without issue most of the time, if one needs to follow the first could report clear as necessary. Will have to report clear for Finger Lakes moves too.

I'm still wondering about passing sidings since we are talking about over 60 miles of single track. I agree that scheduling out of Gang Mills should not be an issue but I can see delays "caused" by CSX coming the other way and waiting for someone to transit 60 miles before starting anyone in the opposite direction could present some scheduling isssues. Beyond that, given the current low volume of "normal" traffic on the secondary, I'm sure that any diverted traffic can be accommodated.

I'm sure that NS is considering this so not to worry.

In terms of grades on the Corning Secondary, as far as I know, the two most significant grades are on either side of Dundee with the southbound grade from north of Randall's crossing to Dundee being the greater. In the old NYC days and even today this grade isn't much of an issue as southbounds were/are either freights or empty coal drags. The northbound grade from somewhere around Reading Center is shorter and less steep and two six axles have to work reasonably hard to haul the Greenridge drags up the grade.

In any event, NS certainly knows the grades and will assign the necessary power.

Poppyl

Pass practice has been to detour NS trains via CSX between Buffalo and Selkirk or Rotterdam Junct.. The cost of repairing/maintaining the Corning, not to mention the extra crews needed would by far outweigh the cost and time of running straight CSX. Or even running some stuff via the NYS&W or a combination of all three, CSX, WNY&PA, NYSW.

Okay, but then what, down CP to Binghamton? The through trains could run CSX all the way to Jersey, but the local traffic for Corning, Elmira, Sayre, Binghamton still has to get back down there. Coal trains to Dresden and Ithaca, interchange for Finger Lakes.. (unless the latter is able to be detoured to Solvay). I don't think the NYS&W has enough extra crews to pilot trains, unless they want to qualify NS people to make the run down.

I think the cost to rehab the north end of the Corning is miniscule compared to the bridge costs, maybe could even be factored into the total for the project.

I think you'll find the bulk of the NS traffic is destined for CP and GTI/PAS, so it would run CSX to Rotterdam and then onto PAS to Mechanicville...NS Jersey traffic goes through PA. That would leave 13T and 12T to maybe go the Corning Branch/Main to drop for FGLK and Dresden...H2R only goes to Silver Springs....The WNYP traffic on M3T/13T would be the only quandary and I'm sure an equitable routing could be found....

K4Pacific wrote:HO6 went up the Corning Main with 54 cars, rather respectable. You'll now more about the operational side in a month. Hang in there Poppy.

If it went up the Corning Main, where did it end up?

I believe that HO6 is the train that runs from Gang Mills to Geneva and back handling the interchange with Finger Lakes, and presumably switching anything along the way.

That's correct. Usual northbound consist is around 20 cars of which a good portion are covered hoppers destined to come back on the FGLK to Himrod/Watkins Glen. Don't know the reason for the spike on that particular trip, however. Train usually goes up through in the early evening and returns early the next morning. Normal practice has been to alternate days with the coal drags to Dresden but there have been occasions when both have operated up the line on the same evening. Very rare to see anything south of Himrod during the day.

Poppyl