Southern Tier - West of Binghamton

So basically we’re back to where we were 5 years ago.

The operating pattern is similar to early 2014 but not completely identical. NS combined 13T and 38T into a much bigger 36T after acquiring the D&H. Similarly, NS 12T and 39T were combined into a much bigger 37T. Even before NS adopted "precision RRing", they were already following the industry-wide practice of fewer but longer trains in recent years.

State Line Auto (in Waverly) is now receiving auto racks. NS H17 serviced them this morning, possibly for the 1st time.

I believe this was the first delivery of cars for revenue to State Line. I have a friend who hauls truckloads of cars in and out of there and he said they had one or two empty auto racks that they had been training on for loading and unloading there but State Line couldn’t ship or receive until the crossing gates and lights were installed where the new siding crosses the Broad St. Extension. They are now installed

A little late now but today’s 310 had SD80mac 7211 as the first of 2 rear DPUs. It had two units on the head end with a UP leading. The train was well over a mile long and very heavy, as all four units were working hard. It went through Tioga Center just before 7:30pm.

The Tier has a pair of 68N trains inbound. The frist has BNSF Dash 9, NS D9 and NS ACu for power. It left Bison yard about an hour ago. The 2nd train has NS ACe, NS D9 and CN SD75I. this train is ucrrently on the lake Erie Dsitrict near the OH?PA border and will probably run on the Tier in daylight tomorrow.

Also, there is a new transload facility near Fuller Rd in Gainesville. It began operations a few weeks ago and is services by NS local H52, which is the turn to Silver Springs. As I recall, the facility is owned by Marquardt Farms and serves local farmers.

Anybody know if MP 333 is still where it belongs west of Hornell? Because there is a milepost "JC 333" south of Montour Falls: https://www.facebook.com/groups/abandon ... 744841992/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

While this may not be the most precise place to post this, what I saw likely ended up on the Tier somehow being this is about NS.

About 2 weeks ago, I was walking around Tift St Nature Preserve. Of course I walked along its edges overlooking both mainlines. While easily being able to watch CSX, NS was a bit more difficult as trains past through the yard. As I was watching, one NS train came through the yard and crossed CP-Draw. Kinda long but nothing extraordinary. But then I see another train coming along through the yard thinking he'd stop before crossing....he kept going. Only a few minutes behind the first one. After a few minutes, I'm beginning to realize that this is a really long train. As I'm standing there, I see another set of NS locomotives entering the yard and suddenly realize that they are connected to the train in front of it. And this second section is also really long! My guess is that as the first locomotive of this huge train is entering the Bison Yard, the last car hasn't crossed CP-Draw. BTW, this train was not assembled in the yard. I saw it come up well south of the yard. Can't imagine how annoyed drivers must have been at the Lake Ave crossing.

As far as I could tell, there were no crews in the middle locomotives. Lights were on.

Is this normal? Was NS just trying to get as many trains across the bridge as possible? Instead of getting 3 separate trains across, they connected two and therefore pushed 2 trains across?

NS 310 train between Bellevue, OH and Binghamton often runs as a very long train with DPU mid-train engines. 310 typically brings a lot of loaded frac sand covered hoppers to the Southern Tier - trains of 25,000 tons have been operated. So this may have been the NS train you saw at CP-Draw.

Getting ready for our annual vacation on Keuka Lake, I'm wondering what the current story is with the Gang Mills-Geneva job:
When does it normally come on duty nowadays? Is it daily?
Also- When are the best times to catch traffic in the Corning-Gang Mills area?

Thanks!
Lee Carlson

NS H06 is the Gang Mills to Geneva local. The crew goes on duty @ 6 AM these days. Departure time is usually 7:30 to 8:30 AM, but it is sometimes later (especially if another train arrives).

NS just instituted a new operating plan, so symbols and times are changing on the Tier. For example, NS 309 used to go on duty in Binghamton @ 11 AM but it is now much earlier- it was seen in Cameron around 6:30 AM yesterday.

Thank you, sir.

I think Top21 has made a bad situation even worse. Both ends of the Tier are probably running at all time low traffic levels. The Allentown trains are supposed to be the next to go or be rerouted.

Good thing NS and the state spent all that time and money to build that new bridge!

Charlie

A reduction in manifest/bulk train starts on the Tier by using DPU to combine 36T and 310 between Buffalo and Binghamton into a single long and heavy train (and 37T with 309) doesn't equate to operating less tonnage on the Tier. It just means where there used to be 4 daily road train pairs between Buffalo and Binghamton, there will now be 3 pairs. Theoretically the same tonnage will continue to operate over the Genesee Arch Bridge after this round of PSR action.

Having said the above, the Southern Tier is having PTC installed only between Buffalo and Silver Springs where interchange with R&S occurs (heavy salt traffic). Apparently, east of Silver Springs, annual tonnage falls below the 15 million ton threshold that would require PTC. And PTC is also not being installed on NS' D&H South Lines between Sunbury and Schenectady. I wonder if NS will be reluctant to increase traffic (especially heavy bulk traffic) on the Tier and D&H should the opportunity arise, especially if there are alternate PTC-capable NS routes to run such traffic, to avoid the incremental expense of investing in PTC hardware east of Silver Springs?