Rochester Fast Ferry. (train related!)

I just took the first EVER photo of the Fast Ferry, The Hojack Swing Bridge, the Charlotte station, AND a train all in the same photo! :D

http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/fastferry.html

Scot

Nice pictures. I noticed that they added crossing guards and lights to the River Street railroad crossing. Who funded that project?

Have they fixed up the NY Central Charlotte station too? It looked pretty ratty last year.

WNYRailfan

thanks RF,
I dont know who funded the crossing lights..
I would imagine CSX..but I dont really know..

I have heard that someone is planning to refurbish the station..
again, no details..sorry!
but I did hear plans are underway to do *something* with it..
(nothing has been done with it yet..its still ratty)

Scot

The Charlotte station is privately owned, last I heard.

Did you know that the station was one of the first intermodal transit facilities? Those large freight doors on the water used to open up to a dock. Small passenger boats would dock at the station- talk about your convienent transfers!

Charlotte station is a neat building.

-otto-

scottychaos wrote:I just took the first EVER photo of the Fast Ferry, The Hojack Swing Bridge, the Charlotte station, AND a train all in the same photo! :D

http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/fastferry.html

Scot

Scot, what a super job! It also was fun exploring your website. Thanks for sharing!

Does anyone know if there is an official start date yet? I couldn't find one on their website.

No official start date has been announced yet..
they DID have a start date initially, but the Ferry hit a dock in New York City and had to stay there an extra 2 weeks for repairs, and that threw off the whole schedule..

Scot

Nice Pics Scott, I had the pleassure to be crewing the B790-27 with 53 coal loads and arrived in Charlotte at the same time as the Ferry on Tuesday morning. The power stalled climbing into the West yard and we had to "double the hill". The last car was still on River st. and the CSX flagman from Bridge site protected the rear as we doubled onto the rear of the train to pull it up to the yard. The Station is actually owned by the City of Rochester, and leased to several tenants for storage and private dock space. The River st. crossing was funded by New York State as part of the River st. rebuilding project, in conjunction with the new Stutson Street bridge project, Lake Ave. project and the Fast Ferry project. Of note also is the fact that Otis street crossing at MP 3.3 on the runner now has a new crossing with gates funded by New York State. We're praying the Emerson St. MP 3.8, is next, (lights but no gates)

Hey Roadster, those couple of pics with that hopper train, what is that street that is along side? Is that facing west?

videobruce wrote:Hey Roadster, those couple of pics with that hopper train, what is that street that is along side? Is that facing west?

the street along the tracks in the photos is River street.
the street is running north/south along the river..
The photos were taken from up near the Stutson st. bridge.
The train is facing directly North, straight toward the lake..
just after the engines, the tracks begin to curve to the west, they curve around the lighthouse and end up running West into the powerplant.

Scot

I assume that is where the now famous 'runaway train' incident happened?

Anyone know a phone number for this Ferry?

http://www.thebreeze.com/Index.asp is the official website, they list 585-663-0790 as their phone number.

videobruce wrote:I assume that is where the now famous 'runaway train' incident happened?

The tracks curve to the left and out of Scotty's picture, and the crash was at a bend to the west that is a little further down towards the lake from where the picture was taken.

This has my Amtrak train scheduling cogs turning. Seeing as the Maple Leaf is a NYP <> Toronto train, does this thing have the potential to severely affect its patronage to Toronto beyond Buffalo-Niagara? From my examinations of the Amtrak's schedule from NYP to Toronto, using the ferry has the potential to shave off approximately three hours from that trip!

If Amtrak were to put a cab control or "Cabbage" car on it, I can see the potential to run it up the Charlotte Runner to the Fast Ferry's port, a back-up move back to the mainline and then on to Toronto. If Amtrak were to do a "fare-sharing" arrangement with the Fast Ferry's operating company, it could significantly boost its patronage on this train and other Empire Corridor trains.

Lyons, NY is planning to build an Amtrak station and they are getting very excited about the Fast Ferry's potential and about potential Finger Lakes area college student patronage.

Looks mighty interesting to say the least.