CSX Charlotte Runner

A 105 car coal train is currently poised on Track 4 by CP 373, but no power attached. I expected they'll be piecing it down to Charlotte about 53 cars at a time, using a pair of the local 4 axle power currently in Rochester. These trend to be a bit challenging due to the sharp curve at River St. in Charlotte and then the stiff climb up through the West Yard west of Lake ave. usually quite a show and noise as these units scream for every inch up through the yard. Have fun.

Thank you for the link to the photo of 1941, Mike. Looks pretty much as it did at Bee Bee in 1987.

Ok,two successful chases down. Anyone know if another train is in postion for a monday run.


Thanks.

Get your pictures now... Russell Station goes off-line in December for conversion to a natural gas fired plan.

http://www.rochesterdandc.com/apps/pbcs ... 1/archive1

Russell Station is slated to close in early December and is expected to be repowered in 2013 as a 300-megawatt natural gas combined cycle plant.

Once the coal traffic stops, if the line isn't abandoned by 2010, I suspect it will be mothballed to allow for construction material in / debris out, a handful of dimensional loads for new power plant, boilers, generators, transformers, etc... after that... it's likely curtains for the line north of the box shop switch. There's no industry north of there to support any traffic.

nessman wrote:Get your pictures now... Russell Station goes off-line in December for conversion to a natural gas fired plan.

http://www.rochesterdandc.com/apps/pbcs ... 1/archive1

Russell Station is slated to close in early December and is expected to be repowered in 2013 as a 300-megawatt natural gas combined cycle plant.

Once the coal traffic stops, if the line isn't abandoned by 2010, I suspect it will be mothballed to allow for construction material in / debris out, a handful of dimensional loads for new power plant, boilers, generators, transformers, etc... after that... it's likely curtains for the line north of the box shop switch. There's no industry north of there to support any traffic.

This is something that is ongoing in this country and it will likely continue for some time especially in certain states where they have very strict EPA/DEP and environmental laws... There is a big move to convert all these coal plants over to natural gas especially with all the global warming and clean emissions laws and such..

We just lost another coal plant in Martins Creek, Pa, mainly because of NJ DEP and other environmentalist groups putting pressure on them... The Portland plant is probably the next to go as some groups have sued to stop the lease renewal!

Now that I think about it - the last coal trains to Russell may have already run - maybe one last one may show up? From what I understand, most coal plants keep a 60-90 day supply of coal on-hand in order to continue generating in the event the supply of coal is interrupted.

There is an ongoing issue between the city and CSX over the tracks obstructing public access to the former Charlotte depot and adjacent riverbank. This could mean pressue for immediate abandonment.

I also wonder if the present and future amount of "box shop" traffic is sufficient to justify keeping the line north of Kodak.

clearblock wrote: I also wonder if the present and future amount of "box shop" traffic is sufficient to justify keeping the line north of Kodak.

Perhaps it might be ceded to the Rochester and Southern... just a thought.

One of these days I will scan in the snapshots I have of big power bringing in coal up the Runner and right past the apartment in which I lived from 1989 to 1996. I have "rediscovered" them in the basement, now it's just a matter of quality time with the scanner.

clearblock wrote:There is an ongoing issue between the city and CSX over the tracks obstructing public access to the former Charlotte depot and adjacent riverbank. This could mean pressue for immediate abandonment.

Don't count on it. The riverbank isn't completely obstructed... it's just a tad bit inconvenient. My guess is the tracks will remain until the new gas plant is completed - they may need it for high/wide dimensional loads, construction material, and outbound debris.

I also wonder if the present and future amount of "box shop" traffic is sufficient to justify keeping the line north of Kodak.

Perhaps it might be ceded to the Rochester and Southern... just a thought.

The box shop is only 2 miles from Kodak Park. A cross-over would have to be constructed between the R&S and the Runner.

But this is certain: traffic on the Runner is in decline. Kodak Park is downsizing - inbound loads of chemicals and raw materials is sharply declining with as photographic film/paper become obsolete. They've already shut down one of their electric/steam plants. The coal loads to Russell will cease this month (if they haven't already).

In the not too distant future, I would expect to see the line downgraded to an industrial track and placed OOS north of the box shop (reopened when needed for Russell Station construction). CSX may very well decide to hand it off to the R&S at some point and let them switch what's left of the Kodak Park traffic and the box shop. I would also expect to see the role of Rochester Yard diminished in the coming years as the majority of local traffic in the Rochester area is for the R&S, Kodak and Russell Station.

nessman wrote:In the not too distant future, I would expect to see the line downgraded to an industrial track and placed OOS north of the box shop (reopened when needed for Russell Station construction). CSX may very well decide to hand it off to the R&S at some point and let them switch what's left of the Kodak Park traffic and the box shop. I would also expect to see the role of Rochester Yard diminished in the coming years as the majority of local traffic in the Rochester area is for the R&S, Kodak and Russell Station.

I agree. However, CSX may work to take away from R&S by delivering more loads to LA&L, rather than allowing R&S to pick up the stuff in the yard, and then do their interchange with LA&L. Also, there's a sauce industry in Fairport -- I don't know the name of the customer, but it's a switchback move, just before where the West Shore merges back into the Chicago line.... Let's not forget about that, too. Although maybe this will become a job for through trains coming from Syracuse (I say Syr, because it's easier to switch with power on the front end, coming from Syracuse, than it would be, coming from Buffalo... Coming from Buffalo would require splitting power to switch the customer.

Mike Walsh wrote:Also, there's a sauce industry in Fairport -- I don't know the name of the customer, but it's a switchback move, just before where the West Shore merges back into the Chicago line.... Let's not forget about that, too.

That would be Cantisano Foods.

A scene never to be seen again..

A photo containing a CSX coal train, (both units still in CR blue)
the Charlotte station.
the Hojack swing bridge,
and the Fast Ferry!



And I believe that was the first photo ever containing all those elements, since the Fast Ferry had first showed up 2 days before.

Somewhere I have a photo of a CSX dash-7 in front of the lighthouse, I will have to look for it.

Scot

Mike Walsh wrote:I agree. However, CSX may work to take away from R&S by delivering more loads to LA&L, rather than allowing R&S to pick up the stuff in the yard, and then do their interchange with LA&L.

I doubt it - the R&S runs directly into Rochester Yard to pick up and drop off. Class 1's are trying to get out of servicing local industry.

Also, there's a sauce industry in Fairport -- I don't know the name of the customer, but it's a switchback move, just before where the West Shore merges back into the Chicago line.... Let's not forget about that, too. Although maybe this will become a job for through trains coming from Syracuse (I say Syr, because it's easier to switch with power on the front end, coming from Syracuse, than it would be, coming from Buffalo... Coming from Buffalo would require splitting power to switch the customer.

That industry is served with a shove east from the yard (they use a caboose last I remember).

nessman wrote:That industry is served with a shove east from the yard (they use a caboose last I remember).

They often split the power as well.

Sigh. The only train I have ever photographed was the infamous runaway coal drag with all of its cars strewn about Charlotte!!

-otto-