CSX main line customer returning in Chili

It looks like the abandoned spur off the CSX main into the Union Processing scrap metal plant in Chili will soon be back in service. (This spur was deactivated and the switch removed in the early 1990’s.)

Over the past couple months the spur has been regraded/ballasted, fresh ties placed, “new” relay rail set and the finished tracked tamped. A new switch assembly (panel) is resting in the weeds next to the service road just east of Higbie’s Farm Supply.

In a discussion with an MOW employee last week he did not know when the switch will be installed. But it appears imminent.

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View timetable east along spur:


View south into Union Processing facility along spur:


New switch panels near Higbie's (view from Union St overpass):


...FB

That's good news for sure. I think that track was removed earlier than the '90s. Here is a zone map from 1987 and the track is gone from it.

Was there ever a siding there before, or is this all new construction?

BR&P wrote:Was there ever a siding there before, or is this all new construction?

Absolutely know there was old trackage there.

BR&P wrote:Was there ever a siding there before, or is this all new construction?

Yup - the spur existed and was in service in the 70's and early 80's. So this is a rebuild. Incidentally per the ZTS map it was inactive by 1987 - earlier than I thought (thanks Memster1!)

Incidentally also on the '87 ZTS map, the runaround 235, Higbie spur 794 and Long Branch spur 237 are gone. And the Pixley Siding 236 now ends just east of Trabold Rd.

...FB

Thanks for the pictures. From the aerial imagery, certainly appears an old track was in place, but severed far back...

https://goo.gl/maps/djZey" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

bwparker1 wrote:Thanks for the pictures. From the aerial imagery, certainly appears an old track was in place, but severed far back...

https://goo.gl/maps/djZey" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bing shows trackage a bit closer to the main http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=r5jb50 ... li%2C%20ny

FarmallBob wrote:Incidentally also on the '87 ZTS map, the runaround 235, Higbie spur 794 and Long Branch spur 237 are gone. And the Pixley Siding 236 now ends just east of Trabold Rd.

...FB

I'm not sure whether that map is in error, or whether Conrail renamed everything. The spur 237 was - to the best of my knowledge - never the Long Branch, that was the Coldwater Team Track. The Long Branch was off Track 4 just west of CP35 (CP373) and served RIPCO, RG&E Station 9, and other customers. Since both of them extended west from 4 Main, I wonder if somebody mis-labeled that map.

BR&P wrote: I'm not sure whether that map is in error, or whether Conrail renamed everything. The spur 237 was - to the best of my knowledge - never the Long Branch, that was the Coldwater Team Track. The Long Branch was off Track 4 just west of CP35 (CP373) and served RIPCO, RG&E Station 9, and other customers. Since both of them extended west from 4 Main, I wonder if somebody mis-labeled that map.

It very well might be mis-named. It was only 1 or 2 car lengths long, and I think I remember a ramp there as well, but that was 40 years ago and I only hung out there a couple of times as a kid.

Must be some serious traffic the new customer has planned. I saw some $$ figures somewhere about what CSX was charging to put in a switch on a mainline somewhere a few years ago (Kingston?) and the annual fee to maintain it, and the numbers were close to well over $50,000 if I recall correctly. I assume a lot of trains going over a switch can damage the points over time, and perhaps add some extra wear to the wheels that go over it too...
JS

Every turnout is an extra expense. It's obvious the various moving parts and specialty pieces are more expensive, and more maintenance, than just a piece of straight track. Each switch must receive a detailed inspection monthly. Add in the implications of signals (both train control, and highway crossing) and it is no wonder why the big lines are not eager to have a lot of customers served directly off the main.

And that's not even mentioning the time a crew ties up a main track while performing the switching. If a local is ready to switch the customer, and the dispatcher has a bunch of hot intermodals to run, guess which one is going to wait for the other!

There's such a thing as a frogless switch, precisely for low-traffic customers served off the main.

RussNelson wrote:There's such a thing as a frogless switch, precisely for low-traffic customers served off the main.

That wasn't the main purpose. Purpose of that is to maintain the max track speed at 60 or 70mph... rather than slowing down to 30 or 40 mph... well actually probably 20 mph since I had texas visitor came up to NYS and was shocked at how fast CR was going through switch from siding to mainline at 40 mph in Batavia.

Not sure exactly what a frogless switch looks like, but the picture earlier in the thread looked like a conventional turnout.

Also, SD80mac, is "texas visitor" a code word for some kind of track or rules inspector? Or just a colleague from the Lone Star State where they did things differently.
JS

pumpers wrote:Not sure exactly what a frogless switch looks like, but the picture earlier in the thread looked like a conventional turnout.

Also, SD80mac, is "texas visitor" a code word for some kind of track or rules inspector? Or just a colleague from the Lone Star State where they did things differently.
JS

a friend of mine....