On this date in Rochester rail history...

BR&P wrote:Lots to mention this day!


The other option was the Ontario Central. The Alco and the former MILW wedge plow were made ready and headed east. Only one railfan elected to chase ONCT, but found the shortline far more accommodating than Conrail. Not only did the crew stop at several crossings to suggest the next good photo location, they also agreed to wait several minutes before continuing, to be sure the photographer had time to find his spot and set up. How's that for shortline service? Much of the line had snow 3 to 4 feet over the rail, with occasional drifts even higher. Plowing was done at about 20 to 25 mph over most parts of the line, often looking like a white comet.

What BR&P failed to mention was after the intrepid railfan photographed the ONCT plow just east of the RT 96 bridge near Manchester(MP361?) he managed to take a wrong step and disappeared into a snow drift over his head which took quite a bit of flopping and wrangling to escape from.... :-o

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanric ... 155249969/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you look closely at the white comet in MP366's link, you will see the front coupler of the plow - and that's about all! (I do like the way the circular swirl of snow above almost suggests the smokebox of a steam loco - a snowghost of the LV? )

Conrail6467 wrote:There is an old ONCT abandoned Russel Plow in Victor just past the Firehouse and the current FGLK in service tracks. The Pass. Sta. is on your left and the plow will be on your right stationed on what looks like an old viaduct.

Yes! I saw it yesterday here:

http://binged.it/1CjV8Kp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I had never been to Victor before. Amazing that a short stretch of the NYC is still in place.

March 18, 1978

Lots out of the ordinary this night. The Second Belt was working at Kodak about 0245, the gates were stuck down and traffic was messed up. Then an auto accident happened right on the crossing. Brakeman Kenny Roberts started directing traffic, and was struck by a car.

At Goodman Street yard, hotshot van train TV45 had their lead unit, 3225, die and would not restart. Eventually it was set out on the Clancy Carting Company lead by Goodman Street and the engineer was taxied to the engine house. The 2909 was to be the new lead unit for TV45 but with congestion it was a problem getting the unit back to the train. The Car Shop crew had taken the south side cars off track 6 Middle - a fairly rickety track in what younger fans may know as the Roadrailer area. So the 2909 came up through 6 in the Middle, past the tower, west of CP31 and back down track 2 Main to his train.

With everything going on the Middleport outlawed west of CP31 on Track 4, and the CRC2 job, which had relieved the salt train crew, was held at Buell Road on the B&O. A westbound with 45 empty Caledonias set them off east of CP30, at Brighton, and a yard job went down and pulled them west.

Not much relaxation for anyone that night!

MP366 wrote:

BR&P wrote:Lots to mention this day!


The other option was the Ontario Central. The Alco and the former MILW wedge plow were made ready and headed east. Only one railfan elected to chase ONCT, but found the shortline far more accommodating than Conrail. Not only did the crew stop at several crossings to suggest the next good photo location, they also agreed to wait several minutes before continuing, to be sure the photographer had time to find his spot and set up. How's that for shortline service? Much of the line had snow 3 to 4 feet over the rail, with occasional drifts even higher. Plowing was done at about 20 to 25 mph over most parts of the line, often looking like a white comet.

What BR&P failed to mention was after the intrepid railfan photographed the ONCT plow just east of the RT 96 bridge near Manchester(MP361?) he managed to take a wrong step and disappeared into a snow drift over his head which took quite a bit of flopping and wrangling to escape from.... :-o

https://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanric ... 155249969/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I just looked through MP366's Flickr thread... and my question is when is the Morningside book "Trackside around Rochester w/ MP366" being published? Some of those shots are so great, capturing Rochester's rich railroad operations.

March 30, 1978

Salt train GW4 pulling into Rochester Yard. 3rd through 7th cars derailed at the west end of track 1 in the coal Yard, the 5th car tipped on its side and almost hit the air compressor which was used for inspecting cars. Spectacular to watch, seemed to happen in slow motion.

March 31, 1978

Buffalo steam crane on hand cleaning up yesterday's derailment, a truck crane from Leach Steel was also used. Last car was rerailed about 6:30PM, steam crane departed for Buffalo about 9PM. Track back in service except the west end of 2 & 2 in the Coal Yard.

And lest we forget:

March 31, 1976

Last day of Lehigh Valley as a through route freight railroad. Yes, a local outlawed and operated the next day over former LV tracks, etc, but for all practical purposes LV came to an end.

I seem to recall reading that 3/31/1978 was the final run on the Hojack Line west of Long Pond Road.

Today is the 39th anniversary of C-Day. Conrail had some interesting operations on former EL and LV branchlines, which lasted for a few years afterward.

Matt,
I know you are a CR fan but for me (and many others) 39 years ago today was a very sad day. I quit being a railfan on that day and it was 11 years before I even ventured back watching trains and that was mainly due to a nightclub called "Blades" which had a patio next to the tracks off of University. As I watched trains pass by that deck I realized how much I missed it, even if it was the Evil Empire I was watching.

Oh, I can understand your unhappiness regarding Conrail and I have voiced my displeasure with some of their decisions elsewhere on this message board. On the other hand, some cutting was necessary. As much as I love LV, I can also admit that a NJ-Buffalo mainline hosting just 8-10 road freights per day was redundant in 1976. I do get nostalgic for the pre-Conrail era (as I was 7 on C-Day) and have organized some LV-related activities in recent years. I have explored alot of former EL territory in upstate NY, as well.

April 3, 1979

Salt train RC3 was to double up 6,4,2 and 1 in the coal yard, 118 for Caledonia. 6 onto 4 onto 2 went OK. but pulling west off 2 they derailed a car by the tower. What we do now, Kemo-Sabe?

Cutting ahead of the derailed car, they pulled west of the 4 Main switch. The East Base took the cars east of the derailment and put them on 4 main, then got track 1 in the coal yard, pulled it east, and put THAT on 4 main, and RC3 backed onto those. The plan was to have the East Base put RC3's caboose on the east end of those cars and there's his train.

But wait - an eastbound main line train is calling on the radio with 20 Rochester cars to drop, what track would you like them on? A quick look at the teletype and hey- guess what? Those 20 cars are ALL empty salt cars for Caledonia. SO NFD2 was told to drop his 20 on 4 main, just couple right on to the cars already there.

After THAT, the East Base put the salt train's caboose on, and after an air test RC3 left with 136 cars. So not only did that empty off 4 tracks in the Coal Yard, but saved the yard from handling 20 more.

(If the math does not add up. most likely one additional car was left behind coupled to the derailed car, so the yard engine had couplers that lined up when rerailing)

Windseeker1 wrote:Matt,
I know you are a CR fan but for me (and many others) 39 years ago today was a very sad day. I quit being a railfan on that day and it was 11 years before I even ventured back watching trains and that was mainly due to a nightclub called "Blades" which had a patio next to the tracks off of University. As I watched trains pass by that deck I realized how much I missed it, even if it was the Evil Empire I was watching.

And for some of us who were born in the 1980s, Conrail was the big blue exciting railroad. Losing it in 1999 was very sad for me and thereafter I decided that I couldn't be a NS or CSX modeler and railfan so I looked elsewhere to the Burlington Northern and later/currently the D&H. But, my 1980's D&H modeling can feature Conrail on the layout so I can relive the "good times" and memories I had with Conrail.

I had figured on only posting stuff the date it happened, but with the forum outage repaired I'll catch up

April 4, 1978

Eastman Kodak engine 5 (RS-3) in the yard, waybilled to Hornell for rebuilding. Wheels were bad and it was a special move. A crew was called 2:45PM in Buffalo, engine and caboose to Rochester, get EK5 and take it to Geneva at 15 mph, with a diesel mechanic riding along in case of problems.

April 4, 1979

The First Belt out of Charlotte was tied down just east of CP35. The hind 48 cars were empty hoppers for the B&O. Yard job CRC2 left the yard with 3 car for Mobil Oil, grabbed the hind end off the Belt and took it right into the B&O. Why bother bringing them into Goodman Street and then all the way back again?

April 6, 1978

Yard was plugged with Buffalos - Track 1 in the Coal Yard and tracks 04, 3, and 5 in the North Yard. A Rochester Buffalo Turnaround was on hand, but so was the FRA, waiting to inspect the train when it was ready, including a full air test and everything else they could find. SO the Turnaround crew sat in the shanty from 2PM to 4:30PM while the yard engines kept switching on the lead. Finally took the crew from the RBTA and used them as a relief crew on the salt train out at Caledonia. When the FRA men finally left, the West Base yard crew used the Turnaround power, doubled up the train, and took it up to CP35.

April 7, 1978

Sometimes the crews really dogged it, but other times they stepped right along. A Buffalo Rochester Turnaround, in charge of conductor Fran Emmerling, arrived lite with caboose from Buffalo at 5:10PM. They doubled 3 tracks together, got their air test and departed at 6:36PM. That was a good move.

April 14, 1978

Second Belt, engines 2025 & 2382, took 47 cars to Kodak. CRC2 brought 45 cars to the yard from the west side.