Typical Chessie power on coal trains to Rochester?

[nydepot]

Agreed although the Silver Lake trackage lasted long enough to see GP7/9's as substitute power.

[Mike Stellpflug]

Here is a coal train at Gainesville in May 1980. There are about a dozen freight cars added to the head end, but it is essentially a coal train with 5 units.
The rear end of this train, including the caboose, derailed coming down the hill at Silver Springs.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/85501582@ ... 244326914/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RailKevin]

There was an occasional SD that made its way to Rochester, but not to often. I was told by an engineer that they were not supposed to be run up to Rochester due to the track conditions.

As a boy in the late 70s/early 80s, I remember seeing Chessie EMD 4 axle locomotives on the Belt Line. I also remember 4 axle Conrail EMD/GE units on their parallel Belt Line. Would they have used 4 axle units for the same reason?

[BR&P]

NYC/PC/CR always used 4-axle power on local (Belt) trains. Usually unit trains had a requirement for 4-axle power only, due to issues on the wye at Charlotte, learned the hard way in various instances. However, 6 axle units DID show up on unit trains. IIRC there were various orders saying 6 axle power was not to be taken around the wye, and also there were times when big units were cut off the train and 4-axle units (State Street power, maybe?) was used to yard the train.

[C2629]

In the early 70’s a PC unit train for Kodak came in with some PC units and two Cotton Belt six axle GE’s. Going a little off the subject but it gives a little insight about 6 axle units on the B&O. One Sunday morning Feb. 1977, there were two C&NW units at the CR Rochester engine house, a GP30 and an SD45. The yardmaster wanted to put that power on the salt train to P&L but couldnt do it because of the SD45 which was not supposed to go down the B&O.

[charlie6017]

Here is a coal train at Gainesville in May 1980. There are about a dozen freight cars added to the head end, but it is essentially a coal train with 5 units.
The rear end of this train, including the caboose, derailed coming down the hill at Silver Springs.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/85501582@ ... 244326914/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fantastic shot, Mike -- love those colorful lash-ups!

Charlie

[TB Diamond]

The Silver Lake Subdivision (official B&O title per ETT) was abandoned effective 4:00 P.M. Monday July 2, 1973.

The last trip on the line was on June 28, 1973, this per the B&O Silver Springs freight agent.

The last car out of Perry was Penn Central 130343, a box car.

Photographed operations on the line a couple times, but missed that last move.

[nydepot]

So what was the details behind no 6-axle on the Rochester sub but it was allowed on the Buffalo line? Weight restrictions someplace? Rail weight? Curves?

[Mike Stellpflug]

Crews told me they were not allowed on account of the tight curves at Rock Glen.

[nydepot]

Rock Glen has a 5 degree 39 minute curve. Seems to be the worst on the branch. The Buffalo line has 2 6+ degree curves near Hoyts. I'm not a track engineer so I don't know everything used to compute what engines get to go where.

[jr]

I have a Chessie ETT for the Pennsylvania Division. Timetable 3, effective July 1, 1980.

With the exception of a handful of industrial sidings, there are no locomotive restrictions on either the 3rd Sub (Buffalo), or the 4th Sub (Rochester)

There are other subdivisions (e.g. Salisbury Sub, S&C Sub; there may be others), that specifically state "6 axle engines" "Must not operate on" "Entire SD". However, no such restrictions for Buffalo or Rochester subdivisions.

JR

[nydepot]

I went through Mike Z's BR&P V1 today and found s-axle on the R&S (lessor SD40-2 and CP/SOO power) so it was able to run north of Silver Springs during R&S time. Maybe it was just a preference.