CSX Charlotte Runner

Hojack One wrote:The MOW guys are busy assembling the new section of track. I assume, given the size and weight of the section, it will be put in place with a crane.

Or dragged into place?

I suspect Winters Rigging or Fischer Equipment with a couple sidewinders, actually.

Is Fischer still in the sidewinder business? For a small player they have been around a long time - they righted an OMID engine which took a flop back in early 1980.

Things don't look good for that line - fixing the crossing could be another indication it's about to be abandoned.

My understanding about both the Dewey Ave and McCall Rd CSX crossing repairs is it came from neighborhood community outcry. Can't say as I blame them, both crossings are in awful condition. I just wish Rochester Southern would either repair or remove their crossing on Dewey. Oddly enough, the R/S crossing on Stonewood Ave, by Mathews & Fields lumber, was redone many years ago and has got to be one of the smoothest crossings to drive over in Monroe county, but no longer sees rail traffic.

Oh yes, I see Fischers in Dewitt fairly often. Their facility is on Wetzel Rd. Clay, NY, right next to the St.L.sub, North of Woodard. It's like seeing Winters in Frontier. "The local boys". I had seen them in Rochester also during my tenure there. Usually depends on who is available for the work required.

Couple of things.

Re: Russell Station
May 12 Rochester Business Journal reports that RG&E has been given the go-ahead to start demolition of Russell Station. Cost is $12 million. "President Mark Lynch said ... “You have to get through remediation of any hazardous material. Then you have to demolish the plant and you have to remediate your soil. ... The project likely will take two to five years to complete." So maybe they'll try to decontaminate the area and sell it. Prime land.

Which brings #2. Speaking of notorious nearby super fund sites - was the Odenbach Factory on Dewey near Ling ever rail serviced? Given all the raw materials that were needed, I would have thought so. Apparently clean-up plans began in 2002 and are scheduled for completion (the study) in 2015. So said WXXI on-line. It covers 45 acres. It produced a total of 112 coastal tankers, known as Y boats for the Army and then Air Force B-52 Bomber sub-frames and Talos surface-to-air missiles. As I was looking at the factory I ran across a very nice article on war-time Rochester industry. http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/~rochhis ... /v66i1.pdf

Mike ... in Charlotte

Odenbach was served by NYC off the Hojack, and had their own small Whitcomb for in-plant switching. Tracks crossed Dewey Ave just a bit north of the Parkway bridge.

Odenbach's also had two small Plymouth locomotives. One, a model BL/2 from 1919-1920 is restored and operational at the Rochester and Genesee Railroad Museum in Rush.

Cheers, Kevin.

Kevin's post has questioning my memory. I recall a small industrial loco sitting at the south end of the plant probably into the 1970's, quite derelict and vandalized. I can't find my photo of it. Am I thinking of a Plymouth instead, or did they also have a Whitcomb?

Back about 10 years ago the remains (frame, wheels, axles, engine block and not much else) of the Whitcomb were still at the site back in the woods near the LOSP, close to where the bike trail is now.

Out in front of the building (at the south end of the remains of an asphalt parking lot) was a very derelict Plymouth model BL-2. This was donated to the Rochester Museum by the person scrapping out all the metal on the site. At the Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum website you can see before and after pics. Also videos of it operating.

It is believed that this unit was first purchased by the Despatch Shops subsidiary of the NYCRR. It is believed that is was purchased by Odenbach's during WWII to help fill all of the orders for ships, etc. mentioned in previous posts.

Cheers, Kevin.

OK, thanks! There WAS a Whitcomb there too. I feel better, haven't lost ALL my marbles yet!

Isn't it past your bed time?

Last time I was in the area, (if you go cavorting...) you may find rails inside the building, not much outside the building, the rails out (gone) at Dewey Ave., and if you look long and hard enough, some rails peeking through the blacktop in the parking lots between Dewey and the Hojack.

mike157 wrote:Couple of things.

Re: Russell Station
May 12 Rochester Business Journal reports that RG&E has been given the go-ahead to start demolition of Russell Station. Cost is $12 million. "President Mark Lynch said ... “You have to get through remediation of any hazardous material. Then you have to demolish the plant and you have to remediate your soil. ... The project likely will take two to five years to complete." So maybe they'll try to decontaminate the area and sell it. Prime land.

Which brings #2. Speaking of notorious nearby super fund sites - was the Odenbach Factory on Dewey near Ling ever rail serviced? Given all the raw materials that were needed, I would have thought so. Apparently clean-up plans began in 2002 and are scheduled for completion (the study) in 2015. So said WXXI on-line. It covers 45 acres. It produced a total of 112 coastal tankers, known as Y boats for the Army and then Air Force B-52 Bomber sub-frames and Talos surface-to-air missiles. As I was looking at the factory I ran across a very nice article on war-time Rochester industry. http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/~rochhis ... /v66i1.pdf

Mike ... in Charlotte

Mike, you brought memories back to me. I remember riding with the Charlotte crews to both Russell station and the Odenbach building to deliver coal and freight, respectively. What type of freight did Odenbach receive? I only know it was in boxcars. This was in the 60’s. I, too, saw the center cab on a dead end stub of the tracks on the south end of the property and have no recollection of the builder; I was too young to know back then. I took a ride down there tonight and captured a couple of pictures. One I took from Dewey Avenue, just north of the LOSP pedestrian bike crossing by the Parkway. I’m standing where the tracks crossed Dewey. It looks east between two sets of buildings. The plaza buildings on the left existed back then, the ones on the right did not. The second picture shows the remnants of the tracks by a fireplace store. A couple of local gentlemen were standing there shooting the breeze as I drove around. I explained my presence and they must have been aware of the tracks because they both knew about them and said the rails still exist, but are now covered over. The track bed west of Dewey is long overgrown and unless you know the area, you’d never know the tracks existed there. I remember the switch and tracks were a couple hundred feet from the switch into Russell station. It was mostly swamp land and had a very severe “S” curve. I wish I was handy with drawing overlay graphics so I could show exactly where the tracks went. If you look carefully on older Google earth images you can still see the radii of the track bed curve. If you want to explore on your own, turn south off of Ling Road on to Hojack Park, the rails will be off to your right in front of the fireplace store. Unfortunately, access onto Odenbach land is restricted by metal gates off Dewey. If they are unlocked and open during the day, you’re on your own – good luck.

On a different subject, Mike, thanks for the link about industry in Rochester during WWII. Great piece!

These were the two tracks entering the plant: http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/way/70497785 and http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/way/20127707 . I speculate that this is the Whitman: http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/node/839668163 .

By 1967 there was no active traffic to the plant itself as I recall. Seems to me the Water Authority used to get occasional cars of chlorine, they may have unloaded from the far end of the track. I'll ask around and see if I can find more info on that move.