Hello all! After talking to my dad about the WNY&P's Driftwood Turn last year, I'm flying back east in April to go see what kind of damage we can do on the WNY&P this year. I'm evidently in charge of gathering information, so I thought I would ask around the various internet sources to get some current ideas on operations of the DFT and the OL-1 Hornell Turn.
As a little background on myself, I am originally from Maryland, where I worked (breifly) for the Maryland Midland Railway. I still miss that place, but I left for greener pastures in Oregon in 2005, working as an engineer for the Portland & Western Railroad. My Dad, Jeff, has been a lifelong railfan and obviously he got me into it at a young age, which I am, in turn, passing along to my two-year-old daughter.
Here goes:
Driftwood Turn questions:
----------------------------------
- What are the track speeds like? Still pretty close to NS's, but capped at 49MPH since the de-activiation of the signals? YouTube videos suggest they are still pretty high.
- What is the method of operation? TWC, DTC, Form D?
--- How much dispatcher-train communication is there? What frequencies do I need?
- Speaking of the signals, what sort of condition are they in? Are they still in place but dark, bagged, turned away...?
- My NS/CR timetables from the late 90's list some defect detectors between Olean and Driftwood. Are these still in operation, and what do they say?
- When Does the Turtle Point stone start back up, generally?
- What on-line customers are there between Olean and Driftwood? I know of the glass plant at Port Allegany and the stone at Turtle Point, but is there anything else? When does WNY&P use the Farmers Valley line?
- Which way do most of the loads go?
- I like to shoot video and stills, where are some good locations to accomplish both?
- What is the general protocol when the train arrives Driftwood? Is NS there waiting, or does the DFT have to air test their cars in some remote siding?
Hornell Turn questions:
------------------------------------
(Alot of these are repeats from the DFT questions)
- What are the track speeds like? I've seen YT vid's showing trains hauling balls, and some poking along.
- What is the method of operation? TWC, DTC, Form D?
--- How much dispatcher-train communication is there? What frequencies do I need?
- I've noticed some places where the Erie signals are still intact. Where are some good places to capture these with the train?
- What on-line customers are there between Olean and Hornell?
- Which way do most of the loads go?
- I like to shoot video and stills, where are some good locations to accomplish both?
- What is the general protocol when the train arrives Hornell? Is NS there waiting, or does the DFT have to air test their cars in some remote siding?
I thank all of you for any information you can provide us and hope to see some of you in late April/early May!
Thanks!
Matt "The Z Man" Adams
As a little background on myself, I am originally from Maryland, where I worked (breifly) for the Maryland Midland Railway. I still miss that place, but I left for greener pastures in Oregon in 2005, working as an engineer for the Portland & Western Railroad. My Dad, Jeff, has been a lifelong railfan and obviously he got me into it at a young age, which I am, in turn, passing along to my two-year-old daughter.
Here goes:
Driftwood Turn questions:
----------------------------------
- What are the track speeds like? Still pretty close to NS's, but capped at 49MPH since the de-activiation of the signals? YouTube videos suggest they are still pretty high.
- What is the method of operation? TWC, DTC, Form D?
--- How much dispatcher-train communication is there? What frequencies do I need?
- Speaking of the signals, what sort of condition are they in? Are they still in place but dark, bagged, turned away...?
- My NS/CR timetables from the late 90's list some defect detectors between Olean and Driftwood. Are these still in operation, and what do they say?
- When Does the Turtle Point stone start back up, generally?
- What on-line customers are there between Olean and Driftwood? I know of the glass plant at Port Allegany and the stone at Turtle Point, but is there anything else? When does WNY&P use the Farmers Valley line?
- Which way do most of the loads go?
- I like to shoot video and stills, where are some good locations to accomplish both?
- What is the general protocol when the train arrives Driftwood? Is NS there waiting, or does the DFT have to air test their cars in some remote siding?
Hornell Turn questions:
------------------------------------
(Alot of these are repeats from the DFT questions)
- What are the track speeds like? I've seen YT vid's showing trains hauling balls, and some poking along.
- What is the method of operation? TWC, DTC, Form D?
--- How much dispatcher-train communication is there? What frequencies do I need?
- I've noticed some places where the Erie signals are still intact. Where are some good places to capture these with the train?
- What on-line customers are there between Olean and Hornell?
- Which way do most of the loads go?
- I like to shoot video and stills, where are some good locations to accomplish both?
- What is the general protocol when the train arrives Hornell? Is NS there waiting, or does the DFT have to air test their cars in some remote siding?
I thank all of you for any information you can provide us and hope to see some of you in late April/early May!
Thanks!
Matt "The Z Man" Adams
