• Albany area shortlines

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New York State.
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New York State.

Moderator: Otto Vondrak

  by rhallock
 
I visited the Albany area on a Sunday recently and had some questions about the short lines in the area. First, the Albany Port Railroad. I drove around through the industrial area and saw lots of freight cars, but only one engine, a CP. The port RR used to have its own engines. Do they still or do CP and CSX do all the work? Second, the SMS line which runs between Delanson and Vorheesville. (VO) The tracks at Vorheesville were heavily overgrown but there is a track which goes north into the Northeastern Industrial Park in Guilderland (also served by CSX)., that looks well used. I don't know anything about SMS, its history, what it carries . RRpicturearchives has some pictures of it. A switcher in a green Reading scheme and a GE in Santa Fe paint appear to be used recently. Are these engines parked anywhere convenient for photography? A green GP38 belonging to SMS was also shown in Fort Edward. While in the area I also visited some remnants of the FJ&G line. In Gloversville there is a boxcar on display on a piece of track. In Broadalbin the former passenger station is being fixed up nicely. An original piece of track also runs by it. The old freight station is also nearby in good condition.
  by jsnitkoff
 
SMS interchanges with NS in Delanson. Other than car storage, they don't run beyond the industrial part towards Voorheesville anymore. CP was running the same way after the bridge over the Normanskill was condemned, and they stopped serving the industrial part from Kenwood Yard. SMS's locomotives are most likely in the industrial park. They have security there and you can't just drive in.
  by Engineer Spike
 
The Albany Port Railroad is still active. It is jointly owned by D&H and CSX. The manager alternates between a CSX manager and a D&H manager.
  by newpylong
 
rhallock wrote: Fri Jun 26, 2020 9:39 pm I visited the Albany area on a Sunday recently and had some questions about the short lines in the area. First, the Albany Port Railroad. I drove around through the industrial area and saw lots of freight cars, but only one engine, a CP. The port RR used to have its own engines. Do they still or do CP and CSX do all the work? Second, the SMS line which runs between Delanson and Vorheesville. (VO) The tracks at Vorheesville were heavily overgrown but there is a track which goes north into the Northeastern Industrial Park in Guilderland (also served by CSX)., that looks well used. I don't know anything about SMS, its history, what it carries . RRpicturearchives has some pictures of it. A switcher in a green Reading scheme and a GE in Santa Fe paint appear to be used recently. Are these engines parked anywhere convenient for photography? A green GP38 belonging to SMS was also shown in Fort Edward. While in the area I also visited some remnants of the FJ&G line. In Gloversville there is a boxcar on display on a piece of track. In Broadalbin the former passenger station is being fixed up nicely. An original piece of track also runs by it. The old freight station is also nearby in good condition.
SMS engines are stored inside the park behind the gate, not very viewable.

The port engines are stored inside the port, hard to see too. You can only see a small portion of the Port trackage from the north end of Kenwood yard (Green St.) It is quite expansive and the engines could be working anywhere.

There are plans by the Port to expand south on the old Cabbage Island branch onto Beacon Island (between Cabbage Island and the power plant essentially). They are going to replace the bridge that was over the Normanskill.
  by NaugyRR
 
On a semi-related side note, the father-in-law took us fishing out of Schodack and up to Troy a few weeks back. There were several subway cars with CRRC wrap at the Port. New MBTA car shells for shipment over 90 to Springfield, I'm guessing?