Southern Tier - West of Binghamton

[Matt Langworthy]

NS 206 is currently in Bingo and should head up the D&H shortly.

[pumpers]

what does 206 carry? Autos, intermodal, ...? And where (in Massachusetts??) is it going? (or did it used to go 6 months ago)?

[Matt Langworthy]

NS 206 is an eastbound intermodal. The train used to run from Chicago to Mechanicville, but was was cut back to Buffalo in late 2016. Since then, the stacks have been forwarded east of Buffalo via NS 28N and/or NS 22K. This particular NS 206 ran east of Buffalo due to the spike in intermodal traffic that normally occurs during the fall. It seems to be one time only, as I've read no other reports of NS 206 running east of Buffalo since then.

[Matt Langworthy]

NS 206 ran east of Buffalo again on Saturday night. Again, I don't know if it will become a regular occurrence like it was prior to the fall of 2016.

I've also noticed that NS 28N has double stacks now, while NS 22K has more single stacks. Everything feels like NS is shifting the traffic patterns on the Tier for the road freights, but there has been no confirmation. It could just be a seasonal reshuffle reflecting the normal fall peak for intermodal traffic.

[Matt Langworthy]

NS 28N hit a tree in Chemung this afternoon, which took out a ditch light and damaged a number board on the lead unit (number unknown).

[johnpbarlow]

NS 206 ran east of Buffalo again on Saturday night. Again, I don't know if it will become a regular occurrence like it was prior to the fall of 2016.

I've also noticed that NS 28N has double stacks now, while NS 22K has more single stacks. Everything feels like NS is shifting the traffic patterns on the Tier for the road freights, but there has been no confirmation. It could just be a seasonal reshuffle reflecting the normal fall peak for intermodal traffic.

Maybe rather than putting overflow Ayer single stack containers on 206/28N, NS puts Mechanicville doublestacks from 206 on 28N (at Buffalo?). 22K still hauls Taylor double stacks that are set out at Binghamton. East of Binghamton, 22K seems to be all single stacks (presumably destined for Ayer) these days. So the net of these logistics might be that time consuming 22K work/filleting at Mechanicville is now eliminated reducing Chicago to Ayer container transit times (to better compete with CSX in this lane?)? The Mechanicville intermodal yard is not large and there's not a lot of NS or PAS track to stage eb/wb trains for the yard. So it might make operational sense to have only one pair of trains, 28N/287, work the Mechanicville yard permitting 22K/23K to do crew change and depart. Just guessing...

[Deeretracks]

1068, the Erie unit, made its first DPU trip over home rails on the Tier today as the rear DPU on 310. It was through Tioga Center at 2:05pm and into Binghamton by 3.

[Matt Langworthy]

NS 60E is in greater Buffalo now and should be heading east on the Tier today. It is a unit sand train, destined for interchange with the Lehigh Railway in Sayre.

An eastbound welded rail train, NS 60Q, travelled the Tier last night.

Thanks to rr.net member K4Pacific for the reports on FB.

[Deeretracks]

Any idea where the 60Q welded rail train ended up? They dropped a bunch of rail in the Waverly to Owego area last summer and were installing sections of it in Tioga Center about 2 weeks ago

[Matt Langworthy]

NS 60Q was headed to PanAm, as per the FB reports I've read. BTW, I noticed the rail stacked in Owego when I photographed #4005 (DC to AC unit) leading NS 310 there on Black Friday.

[Matt Langworthy]

NS has a 524 coal train loading up at Shire Oaks today. This is rumored to be the final for this train. I'll keep y'all posted of it's progress on the Tier and Ithaca Central.

[Matt Langworthy]

The 5th car of NS 524 broke a coupler knuckle on Attica Hill about an hour ago, in almost the exact same spot where NS 310 stalled yesterday. once the train gets moving again, it will arrive in Sayre under cover of darkness. ITHR will move the train to Milliken using their crew and NS power.

[Matt Langworthy]

NS has 68N headed to Sayre. Not sure when the train will arrive, but the power is BNSF-CN-BNSF.

[Matt Langworthy]

NS has extended 205 and 206 back to Mechanicville effective today. NS 28N now terminates in Buffalo, so the changes are a symbol reshuffle.

Also, NS has been running 68N sand trains to Sayre once or twice per week, with the most recent train being yesterday.

[Matt Langworthy]

NS 287 has been completely abolished. Empty auto racks will go west on the Tier via NS 205. Norfolk Southern will also run extras (symbols I87 and 24V) west of Buffalo as needed.