Typical Chessie power on coal trains to Rochester?

What was the typical power on Chessie trains to Rochester for coal? Did they use helpers for Warsaw hill? What is the ruling grade for the line? Thanks.

Charles

GP38's, GP40's, perhaps some 9's. Don't recall 6-axle power at all but it's possible. Power on head end only as far as I know.

Thanks Don. Interesting they used helpers on the Buffalo line. Did that have a worse grade?

I would presume GP30s and GP35s would turn up too, any four axle power in mainline pool service, if you go back far enough F-units and older geeps too.

I don't think I've ever seen a picture of six axle power being used, either.

I've seen photos of GP30s and 35s on the B&O coal trains in Rochester during the 1960s, '70s and early '80s. While the power was mostly B&O and Chessie, a few WM units also came to town.

Some posts on the Rochester Area Railroads And Railfans Facebook page just today showing F units and early geeps working Kodak trains in the late 60s and early '70s.

Yes, certainly 30's and 35's, I was not trying to be all-inclusive by model number.

Early 60's saw EMD F's, Alco FA's, Baldwin sharks and Baldwin road switchers into Rochester. Geep 9's started making appearances in increasing numbers from mid 60's on. Not sure when second generation stuff began showing up.

Thanks. Looking for Chessie era and got the answer.

Here is the link to a 1963 B&O ETT which has a diagram of the grade profiles on the back cover. It seems like they would have used pushers or helpers south out of Rochester.

http://multimodalways.org/docs/railroad ... 7-1963.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I remember there used to be an engine parked at the Leroy station, and wonder if that was used for helping trains up the hill.

As stated above, any four axle (EMD) road power that Chessie had (B&O, C&O and WM) could show up on either coal or regular road trains in the 70's. In the mid 70's WM power started showing up in an increasing number of instances, including sets of F units. There was an occasional SD that made its way to Rochester, but not to often. I was told by an engineer that they were not supposed to be run up to Rochester due to the track conditions. Here is one that made it to Rochester, December 16, 1978 at the Brooks Ave. yard. In the Chessie years I only saw two GE’s, one a C&O with 3-4 other units at Lincoln Park and another C&O on a work train near Warsaw.

Coal ran northbound and empties south, so it's not likely those trains needed helpers.

nydepot wrote:Thanks. Looking for Chessie era and got the answer.

What is your era, specifically? "Pure" Chessie from 1972-1980?

Looking at old photos, I noticed the F's got assigned often, as someone else told me, "When they were ready to retire the cab units, they assigned them to the Rochester coal drags, and sent them there to die."

-otto-

Actually I was looking 1972-1986, the R&S sale. I saw lots of 6-axle on the Buffalo line. Thanks Otto.

Otto Vondrak wrote:

nydepot wrote:Thanks. Looking for Chessie era and got the answer.

What is your era, specifically? "Pure" Chessie from 1972-1980?

Looking at old photos, I noticed the F's got assigned often, as someone else told me, "When they were ready to retire the cab units, they assigned them to the Rochester coal drags, and sent them there to die."

-otto-

JoeS:

The locomotive you observed at Leroy was no doubt the power for the Leroy Local.

This job worked Leroy-Silver Springs and even went out to Perry via the Silver Lake Subdivision on occasion.

The local may have also worked Leroy-P&L Jct. but am not sure about that.

The LeRoy Engine went south during the day and during the late evening went to Rochester with another crew and switched such customers as Ruberoid in Wheatland on the way. Motive power was an end cab switcher during the Sixties and evolved through GP9's and 7's to GP30's and 35's during the last several years.. By this time, they didn't have to negotiate the trackage along Silver Lake into Perry so heavier power could be used.