NYS&W Schedule

Hi,

I'll be in Ithaca in the next week or so. I'm looking for a schedule of the NYS&W to see what they run, and when. Also, what trains run on the line through Ithaca and when? Thanks for the help, in advance.

nysw doesnt run through ithaca but it does run through cortland
also ns does run through ithaca to switch cargil salt mines and the power plant

Freight trains don't run on schedules, but you can generally narrow down a time period when you might expect to see some trains. Here's a map of the Northern Division of NYSW, you can see which areas are closest to where you are staying.

http://www.nysw.com/utica_enlarged_map.htm

Ithaca is an NS local - is it based out of Sayre now? That was a night job for the longest time, catching them going back in the morning was possible. It's very hard to access the salt mine by vehicle, which is the primary customer. Coal trains and empties to/from the power plant are extras and it's a matter of luck to catch one. I rode this entire line in 1995 and I don't recall a single other customer that was getting cars, except the Cornell coal which is transloaded in Ithaca yard.

There was a scrapyard in Ithaca (closed), a siding to a lumber yard (now a Mr. Seconds), and a siding had been into the Spencer Agway (closed). A fuel dealer (long closed) on a stub of the old EC&N branch at Spencer, too. And of course the abandoned cement plant along the lake.

Well, never mind the schedule. What trains do they run? How many per day?

chench1536 wrote:Well, never mind the schedule. What trains do they run? How many per day?

a few trains per week..
I dont think there is even a train each day.
I would guess maybe twice a week, but im not sure.

The odds of catching a moving train in Ithaca are very low.
they run between Sayre and Ithaca.

you can sometimes catch NS power sitting in the yard, circled in green:



The map shows the South-West corner of the city.


If you want to catch more trains, I would suggest taking a 45 minute ride south to Waverly/Sayre. just take route 34 south.
or better yet, if you have the time, Binghamton.

Scot

It's the NS H13. When they come down at night from Ithaca, they'll usually tie down their power in Sayre.

It runs a couple times a week, and the NS 524 runs up to Milliken as needed. That's a loaded Somerset coal train, and it returns to Sayre as the 525, and heads back out to Gang Mills, Hornell, and out on the WNYP.

Depending on traffic and crew utilization, which according to a GM Yardmaster, answers as to whether a crew starts out of Ithaca or Sayre. Quite often, power from a Ludlowville "Somerset" hopper train will tarry around Ithaca yard.

On those Ithaca start days a crew is driven by Renzenberger out of Sayre at around 14:30pm. Crew on duty in Sayre at 14:00. Arrival at Ithac around 15:00. Engines started, checked over and salt car empties are lined up 15 - 25 at a time. They make a run up to the salt mine at and return at around 1900. (Quite a neat view from a boat on Cayuga Lake by the way, runningalong steep rock cliffs). Also as to the whim of the days work order. Sometimes it's a short day tying up in Ithaca Yard. (I've seen push pull style)

Other times, at around 17:00, H13 will continue south to Sayre to pick up more empties. Now other times same 14:00 start time. Power will leave Sayre with a slew of empities for Ithaca (like this week with some Cornell Coal to bring up too, which is unloaded in Ithaca yard).

From Gang Mills, the Mahoopany turn sometimes brings salt MTs to Sayre. Other times a junk train for GE Rail Car brings salt MTs. That's an early afternoon at Sayre right there meeting the start of H13 somedays.It all flows somehow.

But during a weekday, be at Ithaca yard on Wednesday or Thursday at 15:00 and watch it start. It's fun.

Now Friday's, I find a train bringing many loads down to Sayre with the power and making a large salt train for saturday to Binghamton toward the winter months. Right now they go up to Elmira and sit for a while as a low level commodity waiting for the Binghamton turn to take it east.

Ebb, flow, crew and power utilization are all factors.

Heck, I'm confused. But it's fun. Now can someone tell me what the old railroad bridge is on Route 366 near Varna? I feel it's old DL&W, but someone else feels old LV EC&N for Cornell coal until 1975. Please advise.

EC&N. The DL&W didn't go up there, it used switchbacks to go down into the valley. You can tell where the overpass used to cross Route 13 south of town.

I should add that line went OOS with a washout in 1973, and while they considered rebuilding it for a while, someone decided it would be cheaper to transload to trucks in the yard than maintain the track from Owego to Dryden and Freeville and east to Cornell.

Thank you #325.

The Ithaca local last night ran push pull with only 15 MT salt and came through Ithaca Youth Bureau at 1630.

A late model 86** C39-8 was leading. Fun.

I see only 10 MT going up tonight. Trcuks are taking loads of coal up to Cornell out of Ithaca Yard. It is neat to watch 1950's technology unload coal hoppers. There's about 25 cars.

Enjoy the rails.