Any coal trains left in New York State?

BR&P wrote:The great War On Coal continues. Cuomo says he wants NY coal-free by 2020. Before long the hopper car will be as rare as the locomotive tender.

If Cuomo gets his wish, the railroads can use those hoppers to haul all the debris from the state's industry (that is left) when they tear it down because NY has the highest electricity prices (this side of California, anyway) in the country, to go with its (also ridiculous) taxes.

Bring back the granite quarries and the former coal hoppers will be hoppin'...
Not a fan of Coumo's bike trail over rails bias, but ole' King Coal will be done and gone before long.
Even federal subsidies can't prop up that bygone, antiquated energy source much longer.

Coal (and coke) are regulars through the Deshler (OH) diamond. Met coal and met coke, I believe.

I have seen coal through Utica in the not-too-distant past.

NRGeep wrote:Bring back the granite quarries and the former coal hoppers will be hoppin'...
Not a fan of Coumo's bike trail over rails bias, but ole' King Coal will be done and gone before long.
Even federal subsidies can't prop up that bygone, antiquated energy source much longer.

In fact, lifting some of the more insane environmental standards did bring coal back to a degree.

And other places are making money hauling it for export to nations with more sane leadership.

Unfortunately for New York, elections have consequences and the loss of these trains and the related jobs are among them. I have absolutely nothing good to say about Chairman Cuo-Mao. But I do hope the railroads make money hauling the coal through New York to send elsewhere.

There's a channel on youTube called "handful of trains" that has been posting Somerset RR videos of it's recent activities. My in-laws live right next to a crossing in Newfane, and I remember first visiting my now wife 14 years ago that thing was shaking the items on the wall every night I stopped in. As we all know it got less and less frequent over the years. Between living arrangements my wife and I lived in her old bedroom for almost 11 months and on a night last summer, just after midnight the windows were open and one of hour cats was sleeping on me in bed. The bells of the crossing started and he growled and ran. I've never called him Chessie though.

Here are the latest projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The document is too large to attach here, so just go to the website if you want more info.

Coal use is diminishing of its own accord, irrespective of politics. I wouldn't bet against natural gas, nor would I bet against renewables. Although you make valid points, storage technologies make those problems go away. ...and as you drive around (or fly around in your case), you will see an ever increasing number of solar farms in upstate NY. Yes, we make jokes about the sun (or lack thereof), but it really does make electricity on even the cloudiest of days.
-

Hasn't it been discussed on these boards before, that the biggest hurdle for Natural Gas consumption is the high cost to get it direct to home/install it in the first place?

In keeping with the thread, I believe it's been what, at least a couple years since NS ran through with a unit coal train to service the Bow, NH power plant? IIRC, they had a substantial stockpile as it was.

To echo the above post, even RBMN has seen a decrease in its coal shipments for export to Ukraine.

There used to be an occasional eastbound coal train on the ex Erie main through Wellsville, destination unknown. Probably history now, is there currently any traffic on this line at all?

tk48states wrote:There used to be an occasional eastbound coal train on the ex Erie main through Wellsville, destination unknown. Probably history now, is there currently any traffic on this line at all?

Just a turn-job from Olean to Hornell a couple times a week, that's really it. I hope some more traffic will someday
run on this line, too.

Charlie

While driving on the I-190 in Tonawanda I could see many open rail cars sitting on the Dunlop Tire property. I'm pretty sure they were loaded with coal. Not 100% sure as I was driving and had to pay attention. It's not the first time I've seen this.

There used to be a....power plant?...coke plant?.... just beyond the Dunlop facility, and CR (at the time I was there) had a yard of about 5 tracks to serve that and maybe other industries. I'd guess the hoppers were there, not at Dunlop itself.

Word on NS Southern Tier/D&H Facebook page is that a 524 coal train for Milliken/ Cayuga power station is mustering in SW Pa in the near term.

charlie6017 wrote:Just a turn-job from Olean to Hornell a couple times a week, that's really it. I hope some more traffic will someday
run on this line, too.

Charlie

No more....

BR&P wrote:There used to be a....power plant?...coke plant?.... just beyond the Dunlop facility, and CR (at the time I was there) had a yard of about 5 tracks to serve that and maybe other industries. I'd guess the hoppers were there, not at Dunlop itself.

Tonawanda coke. Closed 2018.

BR&P wrote:There used to be a....power plant?...coke plant?.... just beyond the Dunlop facility, and CR (at the time I was there) had a yard of about 5 tracks to serve that and maybe other industries. I'd guess the hoppers were there, not at Dunlop itself.

Going southbound on I-190 (moreso than Sheridan Drive itself, because the thruway is up higher) I've seen cars across this big lawn on the east side of Dunlop. Finally looking at a satellite view today because of that post, I see all kinds of cars and sidings (and that four/five track wide yard between it all) going to various businesses. And there are a few center cab switchers and an end cab switcher sitting around that I can see.