Unit coal train in Geneva 9/10/11

This morning, drive down by the yard in Geneva to see the tail end of a loaded unit coal train, parked on the NS main. Upon further investigation, found the head end power is NS, with the lead unit past the switch where the Auburn line and Corning Secondary split. Initially I was hoping it might be detour traffic of some sort, but both tracks north of Geneva are filled with stored cars. This would lead me to believe the train would be bound for Syracuse - nowhere else for it to go! So - is this going to become a regular move for NS / FGLK?

Saw that today and was curious myself. Was waiting for the HO6 tonight but idk if it will be in. Is the Southern Tier operating the same with the flooding?

I heard it coming up through Dundee last night. Horn sounded different and the timing (around 10 PM) told me that it wasn't HO6. By the time that I got to the tracks, I was only able to catch sight of the last ten or so cars, but definitely a coal drag. Since Greenridge is laid up, that was quite a surprise. Another fellow mentioned that the power was three six axles but he wasn't able to id them in the dark. Only explanation that I can think of was that it came up the WNYP and that maybe it was a load originally scheduled for Cayuga that was being diverted to another power station. If so, it's probably a unique situation, but one never knows under the current circumstance.

Perhaps K4 can shed some light when he gets a moment to catch his breath.

Poppyl

Hopefully somebody can find out where its going...Id like to find it in the Syracuse area tomorrow if thats indeed where it was headed, but except for dumb luck (which even that I havent got much of) I could still have an issue without know which way it turns when it gets here

If still bound for Ithaca and everything maybe it comes here on FGLK and then turns south on NYSW, thats more than likely how Ill anticipate it if nothing else

Just my guess,probably a Bow NH train headed for Rotterdam jct and the B&M/PAS.

Only way to get to Ithaca is via Waverly which currently is cut off in both directions.

Does Bow burn PA or Powder River coal?

Interestingly enough, the Secondary was upgraded (at least to Dresden) to handle anticipated heavier coal drags to Greenridge so if time/speed aren't major factors I guess that some traffic could be diverted up the line. However, I've got to wonder about FGLK's ability to handle any additional loadings between Geneva and Syracuse -- crews, track, roadbed, etc.

Poppyl

poppyl wrote:Only way to get to Ithaca is via Waverly which currently is cut off in both directions.


Poppyl

three directions really..
Waverly, Sayre (and by extension, Ithaca) are cut off East, West and South..no way in or out..

East and West are *really* bad..total washout at Wellsburg (between Waverly & Elmira)..
and Binghamton & Owego are disasters..nothing will move east or west of Waverly for awhile..

Not sure how bad it is to the South of Sayre, we have seen photos of water over the tracks in Wyalusing, south of Towanda,
but I dont know if there are any actual washouts down there or not..

Scot

Interesting.....

The whole train is now parked north of Geneva on the Corning Secondary main, with the nose of the lead unit a car length or two away from a string of stored covered hoppers, maybe 20 - 30 cars long. Not sure where it is going from here, unless it is "parked out of the way" until another train, maybe HO-6, comes up tonight?

It is a BOW coal train. Not sure what the plan is for it, but it is billed for BOW, NH.


NS 8732, NS 8814, NS 7711 for those interested.

Thanks, Scot, for correcting me. I had completely overlooked the Wilkes-Barre end of the line. Depending upon the damage to the line and elsewhere in PA, that may be the answer on Cayuga coal and frac sand at least for a time.

Initially, my thinking was that NS would "park" the drag north of Geneva and bring the power back to Gang Mills light. Basically NS would leave the string parked until either the Tier reopens or a viable alternative route is employed. Subsequent Bow unit trains could be detoured through PA and up the CP (assuming everything is okay) or through Buffalo and east on the CSX main. At some point the string in Geneva would be hauled back south and put back in the traffic flow.

But, if the power is still on the drag, my thinking doesn't mesh with reality very well. Is it even operationally feasible for this train to go up the FGLK to Syracuse? Or is it possible to get a one time exception on the OOS track and run up to Lyons and then over on the CSX main?

Time will tell as to what the plan is.

Poppyl

HO-6 just came into town a few minutes ago, coal drag was still sitting north of town. I'll take a ride that way in the morning before work to see if anything has changed.

Scot - If they needed a place to stuff a coal train, they wouldn't have needed to come this far north. With the coal traffic gone at Dresden, there's 2 nice long sidings there they could have put the cars onto.

Sure would be cool to see something run north to Lyons again, even if it was only a one time thing.

Detour is a crew situation and when CSX will accept it as well. I was in Athens, PA, delivering clothes and cleaning supplies. Homes are trashed. Wet furniture and stuff already stacking out in their front yards for pick up. Sayre yard and along rte 34. Well this report should be on another thread. A mess. Just a mess. Crews were working in the dark with dump trucks of ballast. And there's a ballast train in Gang Mills for the morning. It'll be weeks before traffic resumes normally. Get ready to enjoy more detours.

Power line fell somewhere on the Mohawk Sub 9/10. Nothing is moving on CSX until it is fixed. The tower fell in the middle of the river and lines that effect 100,000 people are across the tracks. There's your answer. What next?! Can't run detours.

So this NS will come across to Solvay then eventually run east across CSX to transfer back to Pan Am...but for now not only is it not getting to Solvay but CSX isnt moving anything?

Its depressing...and im not looking forward to working again next couple days being directly involved in cleanup

nismofly wrote:So this NS will come across to Solvay then eventually run east across CSX to transfer back to Pan Am...but for now not only is it not getting to Solvay but CSX isnt moving anything?

Its depressing...and im not looking forward to working again next couple days being directly involved in cleanup

I would not keep your self in a rut FGLK could still move it to Solvay and CSX could then move it behind the fair grounds now that the circus train is gone.