DL&W / EL Double Track Mainline ?

This is a pretty basic question but..

Was the DL&W / EL Double Tracked the whole way from Binghamton to Chenango Forks at one point?

If it was, then:

- Which line was for Northbounds and which was for Southbounds?

- Where were the crossovers?

- When was the line downgraded to one mainline?

Plus, what customers were once located between Chenango Forks and Binghamton?

Thanks
Alek S

In the book THE DELAWARE, LACKAWANNA & WESTERN RAILROAD IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY by Thomas T. Taber and Thomas T. Taber III, on page 311, there is depicted a track diagram of Chenango Forks, undated. The diagram is captioned, in part: "From Binghamton to Chenango Forks the S & U was double tracked (until about 1947 when it was single tracked and C.T.C. installed)". The diagram does show double track. Crossovers are at two different locations, one just short of the Utica and Syracuse lines diversion and another at the south end of CF.

Normally double track was numbered MT 1 and MT 2. East and southbound trains utilized MT 2 and west and northbound trains MT1. This was not the case for all U.S. railroads, however.

As best as I can figure (and still in process of figuring) there was double track until the TCS was put in in 47-48. After that time the double track was between YO yard north to just south of the Chenango River Bridge and the long siding was put in place to the north end where the lines diverged utilizing the former southbound main.

I'll have to check my DL&W ETT's and this is a good prompt to do that as it has had me confused for some time. I know the abutments of the Chenango River Bridge are set for double track but I can't remember anymore about the old Route 7 overpass if that was for double track (taken out about Fall 1987).

Thanks for the info TB & Cactus Jack

Alek S

Ok, a little more info from the following sources:

DL&W ETT #102 9-28-52

EL ETT #2 4-25-65

EL Track Charts Rev: 12-21-65

DL&W track charts ca 1948, after TCS was installed

By 1948 double track had ended at signals 196-5 and 196-6 which were just south of the Chenango River bridge at MP 196.63. The Highway Overpass is listed as Fenton Road (Route 7) at MP 196.46

There was a cross over Track 2 (southbound) to Track 1 (northbound) just north of Nowland Road governed by signals 194-9 & 195-2.

By 1965 double track had ended just south of Old State Road Crossing at what appears to be about MP 193.7 - This was how things were pphysically until the end of the EL and into NYSW days before the new connector although the track was no longer a 2nd main track, which probably occured when the TCS was shut down in Aug 1979.

There may have been and probably was an intermediate cut back of double track up at Nowland Road between 1959 and 1965.

The Chenango Forks siding / passing track was from about MP 201.2 to 202.7 - this track still exists as on the 1948 track charts.

DL&W ETT #75 4-24-38 lists double track in service between Binghamton and Chenango Forks