Locomotive usage.

The amount of locomotives they use has to be because they are sharing the same tracks of a much higher volume of passenger trains. Look at P&W when they go over the Hell Gate bridge for the weekly stone train. Sure stone trains are heavy but 6 locomotives for 50 (at most) cars? It's definitely more of a precaution for any mechanical problems. P&W doesn't want to hear from Amtrak as i'm sure NY&A doesn't want to hear from LIRR.

The amount of locomotives they use has to be because they are sharing the same tracks of a much higher volume of passenger trains. Look at P&W when they go over the Hell Gate bridge for the weekly stone train. Sure stone trains are heavy but 6 locomotives for 50 (at most) cars? It's definitely more of a precaution for any mechanical problems. P&W doesn't want to hear from Amtrak as i'm sure NY&A doesn't want to hear from LIRR.

Most P&W trains are over well over 50 cars these days though not all of them. I passed an empty one near CP 216 with 5 units and around 110 empties. The days of the once a week 40 car Tilcon Train to Prima asphalt are gone. I heard from a source PW is looking to come down like 6 days a week in the future. I see CSX on the flat Hudson line with 2 SD40-2s and over 100 cars a lot with the inbound loaded train.

they pass my job right across the street, definitely not over 60...at least the ones i've seen every friday around 7 pm

Every train is different. I've seen quite a few at or about 90-100 this year. Haven't kept track of what days might be longer, though I really don't think there's much of a pattern on that. Unless I'm at a job site I pretty much see everything that passes from my house.

I think the point is with P&W, just 3 or 4 years ago they used to run maybe 30-40 cars tops, one or two days a week, and occasionally light in one direction. Now its' rare to see just 30 cars, and they're always towing something. I could definitely see them opening it up to at least a 5 day a week run if another customer or two come online. Just a matter of more equipment and another crew (& relief) qualified to do it. With BRT expanding I suspect heavily it's not a matter of if, but when.

What this means for NY&A in terms of power is a little beyond me. Maybe they'll lease another gp. Even if the long rumored genset comes along it'll probably be needed for WM. The last few Bushwick moves I've seen late at night have either used all 3 sw1001s or an mp/gp combo to get up the grade. Looks like western beef's taking a few more cars down there too.

DogBert wrote:Every train is different. I've seen quite a few at or about 90-100 this year. Haven't kept track of what days might be longer, though I really don't think there's much of a pattern on that. Unless I'm at a job site I pretty much see everything that passes from my house.

I think the point is with P&W, just 3 or 4 years ago they used to run maybe 30-40 cars tops, one or two days a week, and occasionally light in one direction. Now its' rare to see just 30 cars, and they're always towing something. I could definitely see them opening it up to at least a 5 day a week run if another customer or two come online. Just a matter of more equipment and another crew (& relief) qualified to do it. With BRT expanding I suspect heavily it's not a matter of if, but when.

What this means for NY&A in terms of power is a little beyond me. Maybe they'll lease another gp. Even if the long rumored genset comes along it'll probably be needed for WM. The last few Bushwick moves I've seen late at night have either used all 3 sw1001s or an mp/gp combo to get up the grade. Looks like western beef's taking a few more cars down there too.

This is good news to me - freight railroading on Long Island is up. If NYA will be able to get it up more, then that would be fantastic.

Have to eat my words. Last night's train inbound to Fresh Pond was only around 40 cars with 3 engines on P&W CHFP.

freightguy wrote:Have to eat my words. Last night's train inbound to Fresh Pond was only around 40 cars with 3 engines on P&W CHFP.

Late in the construction season though - and they're still mining mid October. I vaguely recall it being colder by now many years, and them not running until spring.

Ashphalt plants run till early Nov or when it gets too cold for oil/tar to stay warm enough to be run thru
the paver machine.

It is mostly weather dependent. If there is a demand for the product, and it's not an early winter, they will mine as much stone as they can for as long as they can.