CSX Charlotte Runner

Maybe their going to proceed with the plans to remove the North end of the runner from Service as discussed back in October. I noticed the flats and Gons are sitting on track 4 out by Lincoln park, west of CP 373. B766 was bringing in 80plus cars into the yard at about 10:30pm. Must have been the coil cars. I can only guess, they may be getting restored to active service or moved to storage in Frontier. If I can find out, I'll post.

roadster wrote:Maybe their going to proceed with the plans to remove the North end of the runner from Service as discussed back in October. I noticed the flats and Gons are sitting on track 4 out by Lincoln park, west of CP 373. B766 was bringing in 80plus cars into the yard at about 10:30pm. Must have been the coil cars. I can only guess, they may be getting restored to active service or moved to storage in Frontier. If I can find out, I'll post.

Also I noticed that CSX had set off famous yellow boxcars - RBOX - in the siding at CP 359. I'm quite sure that this is the different string of RBOX cars - not the same one that we brought up last year. (I do still see that string of RBOX sitting in NF yard however I went by that area few times this past fall at night so I cant say if it is the same one) I went over Lyndon Bridge last week Wed. My previous crossing over the bridge, they were not on that siding. I cant recall when was my previous crossing prior last wed but it would be during this past Fall.

bluegrass-express wrote:While I lived on the west side of Rochester, I looked over the right-of-way along the Charlotte runner, finding some abandoned trackage descending from around the west end of Seneca Parkway to street level at Driving Park. ... The space between the retaining wall and the building on the left (Great Lakes Press?) is the ROW of this connection. On the north side of Driving Park is the empty lot, formerly Dupont photo chemical manufacturing. The ROW squeezed between Dupont and the Charlotte branch. You may be able to find a grade, maybe some rail and ties, just north of Dupont's old property.

I grew up on the west side (Lark St) and I used to frequent the Belt Line tracks because they were within walking distance (and away from the parents ). I remember the grade crossing at Driving Park Ave just below the bridge, although I never saw any cars on that track. Also, I remember seeing a turnout assembly "thrown aside" in the vicinity of Birr St that I think may have been the switch for that siding (late 70s to early 80s).

bluegrass-express wrote:This would seem to be the NYC freight connection to the Rochester subway's west end at Rochester Products.

No. According to Canal Boats, Interurbans & Trolleys, the NYC connection was off the Falls Road Branch near Broad St and Lyell Ave. The map that comes with the book does not show any kind interchange at the subway's west end. There was a subway siding that served an industry on Lexington Ave, but it did not connect to anything.

Need a Rochester Subway map that shows connections?

See: http://railroad.net/articles/railfannin ... /index.php

I was out for my usual late afternoon/evening walk (in Irondequoit) after work and I think I heard the sound of train horns coming from Charlotte. Can anyone confirm if CSX ran up the Charlotte Runner tonight?

While working yesterday (Thursday), I heard the horns I believe at Ridge Rd (did not noticed though if they sounded again for McCall Rd.) at about 2:20 PM, 3 PM and again at 4PM. Wind was just right so it was as if the train was just the next block over instead of at Cooper Rd/Titus Ave. area.

chris

I can confirm a CSX train at Ridge Road at 3:30 pm yesterday..I saw it switching Kodak..
dont know if it went up north though..

Scot

The snow across the tracks at Dewey ave appears to have been freshly "breached" as of this morning.
Mike

Far as I know, CSX is still servicing Weirhauser down below Dewey, North of the Lake Ave. overpass. This requires the train to either shove back South from this point or run the train to Charlotte to run around it for the return trip. If there were to many cars out of Kodak to utilize the passing siding there, the Charlotte move would be needed. The siding can handle about 26 cars max. to be able to preform the runaround by Kodak Park.

conrail71 wrote:The snow across the tracks at Dewey ave appears to have been freshly "breached" as of this morning.
Mike

I drove through there this afternoon and noticed the same thing... so I guess my ears weren't playing tricks on me!

Is the yard up in Charlotte still being used for storage - or is it completely empty now?

nessman wrote:Is the yard up in Charlotte still being used for storage - or is it completely empty now?

I drove over both the Greenleaf Rd crossing and the overpass on Lake Ave this past weekend. All the original stored cars are gone, but just west of Lake Ave was a string of cars that came out of Kodak, coal hoppers and covered hoppers, so the west yard is still active and was probably placed there by the train that Matt heard.

LOL, CSX is asserting it's view that the trackage is still active. Maybe raising the price a tad.

I saw a small white Sperry Rail Service truck going northbound from Ridge Road West, today. It was a box truck with a cab, and wheels for either road or rail. It was going slow and appeared to be doing an inspection because I could see some sort of illumination near the rear axle. Does anyone know what that inspection would be? CSX is obviously still keeping up that section of the line, but I wonder how far north they are going. The truck was amazingly clean, too. Either it was just washed or it was on one of its first runs.

Another thing I noticed today was signage at the Ling Road rail crossing that goes into the old RG&E Russell station. Each one now has another sign attached that states the tracks are "out of service". It's been a few months since I've been down that road, but I don't recall seeing them before. The Greenleaf Road crossing looks unchanged, so that section is still active.

It makes sense that the tracks at Ling Road are out of service since the Russell Station is shut down. I believe there was a plan to convert it to gas from coal, but I think that plan was cancelled.

I was at the crossing via bike about six weeks ago. The tracks at Ling Road were pretty weedgrown. The "traffic light" signal at the fenced entrance to Russell Station was shut off. I don't think it's a stretch to say that Russell has seen its last rail service.

I used to live right along the Charlotte Runner, moved away in 1996. The variety of power that Conrail brought up the Runner to serve Russell Station was quite amazing and not restricted to their own units. I saw everything from switchers to widecabs to tunnel motors, and even a Santa Fe FP-45 once (and me without the camera in that instance, of course).