Finger Lakes Railway (FGLK) Discussion - 2013

[Otto Vondrak]

By request, we are going to start a new thread for discussing the operations, history, and equipment of the Finger Lakes Railway, based in Geneva, New York. A reminder that any news stories that are discussed should include a brief "fair-use" quote and a link back to the original.

Finger Lakes Railway: http://www.fglkrail.com/

Finger Lakes Scenic Railway (Charters and Excursions): http://fingerlakesscenicrailway.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Finger-L ... 8186381105

-otto-
New York State Railfan Moderator

[ScotCP356]

I'm just curious, But on the FGLK website, It said that the FGLK interchange with class I railroads like Norfolk Southern and CSX. But Canadian Pacific also interchange with the Finger Lakes? I was wondering, since when CP Rail interchange with the Finger Lakes, or is just that they didn't update the website?

http://www.fglkrail.com/freight


I always thought that it just was Norfolk Southern & CSX doing the interchange with the Finger Lakes Railway. NS doing interchange with FGLK in Geneva, NY and CSX doing interchange in Solvay, NY. Although FGLK once interchange CSX up in Lyons, NY, before NS put that line up for sale. Some information would be great! Thanks guys!!


-Scottie

[railfanner01]

CP has trackage rights on NS through Corning. So CP traffic, could foreseeably come up to FGLK in geneva, via NS's Corning Secondary. It would be an indirect Interchange, but i suspect that is what they mean.

[conshorttrains]

Hi Railfans,
I was recently on the FGLK website looking a their system map and saw that NS has a line from Geneva to Lyons and the map said it was out of service. Is there any plans for NS to reopened it? Is the FGLK looking to buy it? What is the statues of that line currently? (The map said it was put on in 2010 so I don't know if that status has changed and is just not shown on the map.)

--Connor

[BR&P]

That line is still out of service. FGLK may or may not buy it. I see you are new to this site - spend some time going through the older posts, there is a real wealth of information there and you can answer questions you didn't even know you had! (the "search" feature is a helpful tool, too!)

[conshorttrains]

BR&P,
Yes I am new to this site. Thanks for the info on the line. Ill try to use the search tool more often and look at past information rather then just asking questions.

Thanks for the info and the advice ,
Connor

[BR&P]

Connor, I didn't mean to imply you should not ask questions, we all do. And conditions change so what was valid 6 months ago may or may not still be accurate today. But you WILL find a whole lot of info by looking back.

And while I'm at it - I'm not shy about complaining if need be, but I'd like to compliment those who run this site for something. I'm often on another, non-railroad forum, and they have a "45-day rule". If a thread has not had a new post in 45 days, you are not supposed to revive it, but rather start a new one. To me that's foolish and this forum is a good example of why. Every so often someone will find some new info and will bring back and answer a question that was asked in 2008 or something like that. So a tip of the hat for allowing "necroposting" - it can be a good thing!

[poppyl]

Connor;

Welcome aboard! The "search" function is the way to go as that part of the Secondary has popped up in several different threads over the years on this forum as well as the CSX and
Fallen Flags -- NYC fora. As an example, I started a thread on the Secondary a few days ago on this forum (still on page one, I think) that elicited some information pertaining to the OOS segment between Geneva and Lyons as part of a broader discussion relating to the overall future of the Secondary.

BTW, don't hold back on your questions once you've done a little background research. Chances are that someone else has the same question and just hasn't asked it yet.

Poppyl

[scharnhorst]

I'm just curious, But on the FGLK website, It said that the FGLK interchange with class I railroads like Norfolk Southern and CSX. But Canadian Pacific also interchange with the Finger Lakes? I was wondering, since when CP Rail interchange with the Finger Lakes, or is just that they didn't update the website?

http://www.fglkrail.com/freight


I always thought that it just was Norfolk Southern & CSX doing the interchange with the Finger Lakes Railway. NS doing interchange with FGLK in Geneva, NY and CSX doing interchange in Solvay, NY. Although FGLK once interchange CSX up in Lyons, NY, before NS put that line up for sale. Some information would be great! Thanks guys!!


-Scottie

Finger Lakes also has direct interchange with NYS&W in Solvay as well and on occasion have taken cars down to the small yard down on Armory Square.

[jayenelee]

Last year, we were discussing whether the LKVW cars left Lakeview Organic grain or not. I was in to pick up a ton of feed for a friend of mine last week and asked more about them. They do not leave PY. Lakeview fills them and empties them as need be. She said they really like them because "They can back their grain truck to them and fill them with the stinger, and easily spot them above their pit to unload them." And yes, they are receiving grain by rail right now too, "we just finished unloading a carload of corn," the day I was there.

I see Burkett's transloading facility has had two boxcars spotted by their doors for the last month. Are these for warehouse expansion, or are they finding more opportunities to ship by rail?

[bwparker1]

Last year, we were discussing whether the LKVW cars left Lakeview Organic grain or not. I was in to pick up a ton of feed for a friend of mine last week and asked more about them. They do not leave PY. Lakeview fills them and empties them as need be. She said they really like them because "They can back their grain truck to them and fill them with the stinger, and easily spot them above their pit to unload them." And yes, they are receiving grain by rail right now too, "we just finished unloading a carload of corn," the day I was there.

I see Burkett's transloading facility has had two boxcars spotted by their doors for the last month. Are these for warehouse expansion, or are they finding more opportunities to ship by rail?

I know I posted this elsewhere, but 8-10 years ago, I was afforded a short cab ride in Penn Yan by a nice FGLK Road Foreman of Engineers... We spotted an empty Boxcar at the Burkett's Mills Warehouse. I was told that a company was shipping bagged salt from Watkins Glen outbound. Not sure if that practice is still happening, but it is wintertime...

[K4Pacific]

Excellent to read about Penn Yan. You'd think Hall Fertilizer would still make it to Bellona for transload at the Olin plant so the line could open up there again.

Also, will there be any excursion service in 2013?

[scharnhorst]

There was a car/Train accident in Auburn on Feb 5th the driver was making a Right hand turn off of Garden Street and turned into the path of the Auburn Local as it was rounding the curve on State Street going West. The train was bound for Columbus Street to spot a boxcar. The driver reported that she never saw the train as she turned into it! (Dumb ass was most likely texting how you can't see a bright yellow Locomotive right there as Garden and State Streets meet. The curve is 8 feet from Garden Street and you can see all the way down to the Rail yard while siting in a car.

http://centralny.ynn.com/content/all_ne ... in-auburn/

[ScotCP356]

Anything new about the Finger Lakes Railway? I haven't heard anything new since back in early February! Although I would like to know if the FGLK really did get a new manager? If it's true than we should see a lot of changes on the line!!



-Scott

[BR&P]

I would like to know if the FGLK really did get a new manager? If it's true than we should see a lot of changes on the line!!-Scott

Why does a new manager - if there is one - mean there will be a lot of changes? Managers come and go in all companies, sometimes they bring change, sometimes not.

(Way before your time I'm guessing Scott, but there was a rock group called The Who. The closing line of one of their songs was "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss!" No bearing on FGLK per se, but your remark made me think of that. )