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  • Realignment in Arcade?

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All about the Arcade & Attica Railroad

Moderator: Benjamin Maggi

 #1029963  by ctclark1
 
I apologize if this is old news mentioned here already and I missed it...
Ran across this while looking at switch alignments for updating the route overview for Wikipedia...
http://g.co/maps/j5yrs

Per Google Earth's historical view this was done late last summer/into fall (The image shown is 10/5/11 per Google Earth, the next oldest available image, 7/29/11, shows no indication of the future work to be done)

Was this to accommodate one of the businesses there wanting to expand out back? Some other reason like needing to improve the roadbed in the area without blocking freight runs? Or is this just a very oddly aligned run-around siding?
 #1030008  by Benjamin Maggi
 
The answer to that is "yes," an industry wanted to expand out. As a friend of mine who knows a lot about railroad trackwork and maintenance once said, "there is no good reason to take a perfectly straight section of track and add curves to it."
 #1030035  by thebigham
 
I was in Arcade about 3 times last fall and never saw the new construction.

The A&A received a grant for this work.

I wrongly assumed it was not going to happen due to the downturn in the economy.

I don't like how close the track is now to Cattaraugus Creek. Maybe it's not too close?
 #1030136  by BSOR Patarak
 
Yeah, from a railroad point of view, it was terrible to allow the track to be curved the way that it was moved. This was done to allow Koike-Aronsons build a large addition (which is supposed to add a significant number of good paying jobs in Arcade). If this really happens, then it can be dealt with. I've never liked the plan from the railroad's end, but it's progress, right? There were ways to lessen the curves, but they weren't really explored...but that is not really for this discussion. Time will tell.
 #1030179  by ctclark1
 
thebigham wrote:I don't like how close the track is now to Cattaraugus Creek. Maybe it's not too close?
http://binged.it/GIDRva Looks like a retaining wall of sorts is built up there... The same type of rock wall is built up just to the east behind Fastenal where the tracks are much closer to the creek.

And yeah, Benjamin, I figured there had to be a pretty major reason to put a curve like that in place of a nice straight track, which is why the question as to what actually prompted it.

Was a portion the original track left there to maybe operate as a spur for Koike-Aronson if they choose to ship by rail? Or at least left in place to be used until they actually move ahead with construction?
 #1064853  by thebigham
 
I checked out the realignment last week in Arcade.

It looks great! They used heavier rail. It was dated 1957.

They did tear up the B&S mainline. I did not see a switch for Aronson.

I looked behind Agway. The creek is very close there.

Pics coming...
 #1064872  by joesbag
 
Bigham - Frist off, thanks for all of your photos. In your first photo looking west (actually looking east toward the former Agway building?) - the white elevated platform in the distance - is that for a customer of the railroad? Hadn't noticed that "structure" back there before.

Passed through N. Java and Reisdorf's where there were 4 cars at the mill on Friday the 13th. Went through Arcade and visited the Historical Society there for the first time. Sorry our paths didn't cross.