Does CP use helpers anywhere on the D&H?

Does CP use helpers anywhere on it's former D&H lines? If so, where?

No locations I am aware of.

Unless different practices are in place now I have heard of pushers in the following areas in the past year:

Before or after Taylor,PA Northbound
Sometimes they will stay right on through or pushers will be added to trains in Binghamton to get out of Binghamton north to Albany over Belden Hill. In particular coal trains in the fall.

Let me check into this.

The SD45

Now that I think of it, yes, I have seen engines on the rear of a train coming up out of Clark's Summit. I didn't know about the additional units in Albany or Bingo. Shows how much I know.

-otto-

Northbound coal trains south of Binghamton are assigned helpers to East Binghamton yard.

Any other trains only get helpers when they stall, and those units are off the nearest train to shove. Say for instance, a 250 stalls north of Tunnel, if there was say, a 169 waiting at CPF-590 in Afton, they would cut their power, come up the hill behind 250, tie on to the rear, and shove 250 over. They would then get back on their train, and continue on their way.

Last year, a 252 was split in 2, with power from a 930 added on. They brought the intermodal block down to Binghamton first, then went back up to Afton, and grabbed all the freight.

If something stalls Northbound out of Binghamton, they may just send up spare power from the yard. Or yet again, power of a train behind it.

This applies to all hills, Belden, Richmondville, Clarks Summit, Yatesville, etc.

Northbound coal trains south of Binghamton are assigned helpers to East Binghamton yard.

Are there any or many loaded coal trains coming up from Harrisburg these days? I thought most were coming from the Southern Tier?

They run every once in a while. I just saw an empty one last weekend waiting for the PRR E8s.

But yes, most coal trains run in from the Tier, and on up to New Hampshire.

I lived in Nescopeck, 40 miles or so south of Taylor, from August of 2000 through May of 2005. On a few occasions, I would encounter light engines on the 2 & 1/2 mile remote-controlled siding which begins just north of the Penna Route 93 grade crossing. Crew members confirmed that these units were to be used as helpers for northbound unit coal.

BTW, Yahoo has a group dedicated exclusively to NHPSC unit coal trains:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bow_Coal/