Gensee Regional Market trackage in Henrietta/Rochester

I've always wondered about the trackage in the Genesee Regional Market. I assume that there are no longer any customers in the center that are serviced, but this Conrail map from 1987 shows provision for many customers... can someone elaborate on the history of this complex? Was it built to be a major produce and food terminal for Rochester (like Hunt's Point in the Bronx)? The diamond in the track complex is intriguing.

http://24.93.10.61/rochesterrailf/image ... /z7p10.jpg

Also, this map shows NY 15 crossing over the West Shore on a bridge, when in realityy NY 15 goes under the West Shore. Or was this really the case 20 years ago?

-otto-

Also, this map shows NY 15 crossing over the West Shore on a bridge, when in realityy NY 15 goes under the West Shore. Or was this really the case 20 years ago?

-otto-

Bridges carrying the West Shore over both 15 and 15A were (I'm guessing) built in the 1970's. Prior to that time the West Shore had a grade crossing but keep in mind that before 1986, the Rochester by-pass of the West Shore saw very little traffic. Since the upgrade, it sees a lot of fast freights.
I don't know much about the Regional Market. I think it was built in the 1960's.

Regarding 1986- what was special about that date for the West Shore Branch? Are you saying up until then, it was used to service only the local customers on the line, and not as a bypass route?

-otto-

It was upgraded in the mid-80's to handle increased traffic at greater speeds. Prior to that I think it had just handled small local trains. Perhaps someone out there can better answer this one.

According to http://www.rochester-ralifan.net: "The West Shore Branch was upgraded in 1986 with continuous welded rail. The speed limit on this line varies between 45 and 60 MPH."

If you go back behind the buildings alongside of Rt 15a, just southwest of where the West Shore crosses 15a, you can peek through the fence and still see the tracks that lead into Genesee Regional Market. I suppose you have a better chance of seeing the tracks in March or April when the foliage is low. In Genesee Regional Market itself, the tracks are paved over, although you can still see some ties lying around in an unusued area behind the eastern buildings. The county is building an overpass over the West Shore branch where Clay Road meets the West Shore. When that is complete, we can probably walk across and see the switch that led into Genesee Regional Market.

A little further to the west, there was (is?) another switch off the Westshore leading into what is now an industrial park alongside Mushroom Blvd. You can walk in back on buildings on the north side of Mushroom Blvd and see more remnants of the tracks that came off of that same switch. I believe this is identified as track 773 on this map: http://24.93.10.61/rochesterrailf/image ... /z7p10.jpg

The West Shore around Rochester did have some through traffic before the upgrade but it was not used as frequently as today as a bypass route.

There were some through freights that had work at Genesee Junction and regularly ran "the shore". If the DS gave the dreaded news "over the shore today" to other trains it was usually greeted by groans and complaints due to speed and track conditions. Some crews called it "the Burma Road" after the infamous WWII jungle road. When one DS, Rodney Kantorski, became known for reroutes over "the shore" whenever he had congestion at Rochester Yard, the crews started to call it "Rodney's Railroad".

After the upgrade, track conditions improved but the many grade crossings have always been a concern, long before the recent Winton Road accident.

Otto,

Sorry I can not be of any help with the history, but I can offer this picture of the American Freedom Train with Reading 2101 (#1) which was parked at the Regional Market in 1975.

The image is from the Charles Belt collection of the Rochester Chapter NRHS. http://www.rochnrhs.org/rcnrhs_library_images.html



Until later,
Chris

Thanks all for the information about the Market and the Shore. I went walking back along the Shore one day, and discovered the diamond still in place, along with some tracks near the edge of the property. The West Shore Branch would make a great model railroad- lots of switching, lots of through frieghts, and interchanges with nearly every other railroad that came into Rochester- LV, Erie, PRR, and B&O. Even with today's traffic it would be interesting.

Chris thanks for sharing that picture. I remember someone else telling me that the AFT was on display at the Market, but never saw pictures.

-otto-

There were also rail-served industries across 15A from the regional market. The siding along the building that I believe is now a sports facility used to be visible in the pavement.

Are Wright-Wisner and Suburban Propane the only active industries left along the West Shore?

Also, does anyone know what the two roads leading from West Henrietta road on the south side of the bridge were for? One ends at the tracks and the other seems to end in a small parking lot at the end of the siding.

Otto,
I work with a couple of conductors which have worked at the regional market. I will ask for some question when I see them again. They have told me that the place would keep 3 jobs a day busy around the clock. The west bound facing switch west of Clay rd. lead to a large RG&E facility where they received poles, wire spools, transformers and other large appliances.(track 771 & 772) This track split from the lead which becomes the Henrietta Team track which ends just east of W.Henrietta Rd. An E Bd facing switch off of the team track nad across your diamond and lead to the rear of Several buildings. Acording to the key, this track served Sibleys warehouse, Wright Wisner(former location) noted as track 773 The switch and track leading from the "shore" by Clay road to the Market Place is still in and the tracks lead into the weeds for about 200 ft. before they disappear under a dirt pile and pavement. I have been told that all the tracks are still in place, just paved over. Of last note, the market place switch is being scheduled for removal soon. possibly before the end of the year.
FYI, Suburban Propane no longer receives shipments by rail. At present CSX only interchanges with the LA&L and serves Wright Wisner Distr. on the West Shore.
Tony P
The east driveway from W. Henrietta road served the Team track which ends there. I am not sure what the other raodway was used for.
I was wondering Otto, this map is from Conrails ZTS system Maps book. Do you have the book or just this page?

That ZTS map was sampled from Les Wilson's Rochester Railfan web site...

http://rochester-railfan.net/ and then click on "maps"

-otto-

The market never kept "3 crews a day busy around the clock". It DID have a crew - the Genesee Junction traveling switcher - which left Goodman Street yard Monday and tied up at the market during the week, returning Friday to the yard. There were several receivers of perishable food at the market and sometimes there were special moves made to get hot cars from NY4 out there - either the Gen Jct would come in to the yard, or the cars would be taken to Chili for pickup. But the one crew did all the shore work.

Another major customer was Monoco Oil, just west of the Monroe Avenue crossing in Pittsford. They got oil (#2 oil? #6 oil? I forget) from Cerillo Brothers at the Port of Albany in tank cars, NATX 25000 series. These cars came in several at a time, and the customer was often in a rush to get them.

Otto Vondrak wrote:That ZTS map was sampled from Les Wilson's Rochester Railfan web site...

http://rochester-railfan.net/ and then click on "maps"

-otto-

Thanks for the plug!

Yes, the West Shore back in the day was quite a busy place. If you look around, there are plenty of old sidings that have since been cut from the main. Monoco, Chase Pitkin's warehouse, the market of course, Georgia-Pacific paper, a bunch of warehouses and other industries, etc. Also the former E-L track to Avon kept the Conrail local once too. You had Mortimer Jct where the LV and E-L crossed over. Genesee Junction where you had the PRR and B&O.

The two roads alongside 15A that dead-end at the tracks was the original East Henrietta Road. The road was relocated as part of either a grade crossing elimination project and/or widening/improvement of 15A back in the mid-80's I believe (which is before my time here in Rochester). I think the West Henrietta Road undergrade crossing was put in before that. The team track over by West Henrietta Road gets a high/wide load once in a blue moon for RG&E. The RG&E facility on Jefferson has since closed was sold, so expect those tracks inside to go away sometime soon. I went to check out the trackage behind Mushroom Blvd once day, but between the overgrowth and a crazy looking homeless guy nearby I decided against it.

Otto,
First, let me say I enjoyed talking to you on Sunday at the RIT show (I was the short guy with the beard), and, since this is my first post, please excuse any gaffs I might make. I've read all the rules for the boards, and I think I'm ready to go.
Some thoughts on the GVRM area. First, the bridge being built over the West Shore at the end of Clay Road is, technically, not a build, but a re-build. I remember driving over it when it was a rickety, wooden-decked bridge, sort of like an accommodation bridge for a farmer's cattle to cross a rail line when the pasture was divided by the tracks. It was closed, I don't remember when, when it was deemed unsafe (a valid assessment), and a valuable shortcut disappeared. Before Hylan Drive was built, Clay Road used to start at Calkins Road and continue up across Jefferson, past Mushroom Blvd, and then over that old wooden bridge to Brighton-Henrietta Town Line Rd. I'm happy that the bridge is coming back.
On another note, I remember, ‘way back when', when the James E. Strait Shows set up once at the northeast corner of Jefferson and West Henrietta Rd. They parked the train on Track 770, the team track, which actually ran almost to West Henrietta Road. The whole train fit on the team track. From there they unloaded all the elephants and tigers, et al, and raised the tent on the totally vacant piece of land on the corner. What I remember most about it was how muddy it was!
And lastly, neither 15 or 15A ever went OVER the Shore. They were both grade crossings, and when I recall the number of times traffic was waiting for trains to clear, I'm not so sure I agree with the statement that the ‘West Shore saw very little traffic'. In the late ‘60s, it was always a gamble as you approached the crossing whether or not you would be held up by a train once again! The Route 15 underpass was built ‘in place' by supporting the tracks during construction while maintaining traffic as well as possible. The Route 15A underpass was built along side the original road, to the east, giving it that slight curve, both north and south of the tracks, while leaving the original road free for traffic.
I'm surprised by how much detail I remember from that time. I wish I'd taken pictures!

CoalTrain- welcome aboard, and thanks for the information. I'm always interested to learn about how the roads and rails interacted in Henrietta- I can only assume how much the area has changed in the 35 years since RIT relocated to Jefferson Road!

Does anyone know- is the Regional Market still a busy produce warehousing operation, or has all that traffic more or less evaporated?

-otto-