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  • Central Warehouse in Albany, NY (was: Amtrak service temporarily suspended west of Albany)

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1603444  by Railjunkie
 
Bus bridges will continue for VT service and the LSL. The Maple Leaf will be added Sunday or Monday. Trains will be "turned" in Schenectady the LSL should come from Chicago with a pair of locomotives facing back to back so the train can be run around. The Maple Leaf will have and the VT service has a locomotive on either end.
Qualification train for Amtrak on the Selkirk sub today. I believe sign up in Albany is 0900 out the Post road to CP187 on the B&A then west to CP169. This will be the route for trains going west of Schenectady until this mess gets cleared up. Figure a week or so to get a crew qualified to act as pilots.
 #1603446  by johnpbarlow
 
Here's #48 stopping at Elkhart at 0028 EDT Saturday 7/30/22 - 12 car consist (1 longer than normal) pulled by back to back P42s that can easily run around the consist at Schenectady, which I believe has become the new temporary plan. In the Google Earth aerial capture of 6/25/18, the blue circle highlights the single to double track interlocking at the west of the station platform and the red circle highlights a double track universal interlocking east of the platform so running around the consist at Schenectady would be pretty straight forward with back to back locomotives but I don't know how crews will go about cleaning and re-provisioning between runs. If everything is running OT, there should be 5 hours between arrival of 48 at Schenectady at 1415 and departure of 49 at 1933. I'm assuming that the Boston sections 448/449 will continue to be bustituted until Albany ops go back to normal and CSX finishes B&A track work.

Railrat status tracker indicates that 48 has departed Cleveland OT at 0550 Saturday 7/30/22. Amtrak Track a train graphically shows 48 being just east of Cleveland at 0600 but offers no schedule details.
Attachments:
Amtrak 48 SDY bound Elkhart 072922.JPG
Amtrak 48 SDY bound Elkhart 072922.JPG (82.73 KiB) Viewed 1343 times
Amtrak Schenectady station aerial 062518.JPG
Amtrak Schenectady station aerial 062518.JPG (295.32 KiB) Viewed 1343 times
 #1603456  by Railjunkie
 
johnpbarlow wrote: Sat Jul 30, 2022 5:09 am Here's #48 stopping at Elkhart at 0028 EDT Saturday 7/30/22 - 12 car consist (1 longer than normal) pulled by back to back P42s that can easily run around the consist at Schenectady, which I believe has become the new temporary plan. In the Google Earth aerial capture of 6/25/18, the blue circle highlights the single to double track interlocking at the west of the station platform and the red circle highlights a double track universal interlocking east of the platform so running around the consist at Schenectady would be pretty straight forward with back to back locomotives but I don't know how crews will go about cleaning and re-provisioning between runs. If everything is running OT, there should be 5 hours between arrival of 48 at Schenectady at 1415 and departure of 49 at 1933. I'm assuming that the Boston sections 448/449 will continue to be bustituted until Albany ops go back to normal and CSX finishes B&A track work.

Railrat status tracker indicates that 48 has departed Cleveland OT at 0550 Saturday 7/30/22. Amtrak Track a train graphically shows 48 being just east of Cleveland at 0600 but offers no schedule details.
Dont have to go quite that far west to CP161 your blue circle to run around the train should be enough room between CP159 your red circle and CP160 which is on the very west end of the Schenectady platform. It is were Amtrak connects with the D&H/CP to go north to Montreal and Burlington/Rutland.

Mechanical forces on duty today 4pm to 7pm at Schenectady today. I think that is what the foreman told me last night while handing off paperwork for a train set.
 #1603458  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Well, I guess the "detour of detours" will not happen.

That would have been backing Southward from the ALB station, thence up the Post Road to the B&A so that the train is now heading Westward. Now, proceed Westward over "Alfred Holland" to and by Selkirk (Casselton Sub) converging with the NYC Water Level Route to the West of Selkirk.

Would have there ever been a railfan face in the window and a fanny in every seat for that!!!
 #1603461  by MACTRAXX
 
Everyone:

I have been watching this Amtrak Empire Service suspension since learning about the problems with the
Central Warehouse and wondered myself what detour(s) could be used to get around the 18 mile ALB-SDY
track segment that is temporarily closed for the duration...Will the Central Warehouse need to be imploded
and/or demolished before rail service can resume? - The City of Albany emergency order could possibly be
a way to "fast-track" a demolition order provided that there are not legal battles over the property ahead?

The Central Warehouse is on Google Maps Streetview by entering "15 Centre Street, Albany, NY 12207"
Colonie Street runs E/W and Centre Street runs S to NYS Water Street Parking are on Streetview to get
other views of the Central Warehouse site - Also note that Interstate 787 runs parallel to the east - just
far enough away from the CW building to not be in imminent danger in the event of any collapse...

Let's see what it takes to solve this problem concerning the Central Warehouse in Albany...MACTRAXX
 #1603468  by STrRedWolf
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:17 am Well, I guess the "detour of detours" will not happen.

That would have been backing Southward from the ALB station, thence up the Post Road to the B&A so that the train is now heading Westward. Now, proceed Westward over "Alfred Holland" to and by Selkirk (Casselton Sub) converging with the NYC Water Level Route to the West of Selkirk.

Would have there ever been a railfan face in the window and a fanny in every seat for that!!!
Okay, just to be clear, ALB switching to Post Road Subdiv on a reverse, then onto the Berkshire Subdiv to take the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge to the Castleton Subdiv, through the Selkirk yard onto the Selkirk Subdiv, reverse on the Carman Subdiv at Rotterdam, then join back up on the Hudson Subdiv at Athens Junction?

The only other way (looking at OpenStreetMap) is using the Bull Run Connection and wyeing east of Selkirk Yard... but that's getting close to the Central Warehouse.

Albany TimesUnion reports that the city wants to transfer the property to a developer who wants to do something with it now. Meanwhile the old owner hasn't done anything for 5 years and claims he hasn't been contacted about anything.
 #1603482  by west point
 
Railjunkie wrote: Sat Jul 30, 2022 12:17 am
Qualification train for Amtrak on the Selkirk sub today. I believe sign up in Albany is 0900 out the Post road to CP187 on the B&A then west to CP169. This will be the route for trains going west of Schenectady until this mess gets cleared up. Figure a week or so to get a crew qualified to act as pilots.
That makes this problem sound like a long term problem? What happens to the SDY passengers? Ethan Allen could certainly back to SDY then proceed to Burlington.
Railjunkie the use of Bull run connection and Colonie sub appears to be a problem as there is not eastward connection to the B&A ? Is Bull even passenger capable ?
Last edited by west point on Sat Jul 30, 2022 6:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 #1603484  by STrRedWolf
 
west point wrote: Sat Jul 30, 2022 4:28 pm That makes this problem sound like a long term problem? What happens to the SDY passengers? Ethan Allen could certainly back to SDY the proceed to Burlington.
Railjunkie the use of Bull run connection and Colonie sub appears to be a problem as there is not eastward connection to the B&A ? Is Bull even passenger capable ?
The Bull Run Connection is a bit too close to the building for comfort, so best not.

So far, Amtrak's doing the bus substitutions. No word in the local Albany press about changes.
 #1603487  by Hudson2640
 
Bull Run is not an option. I believe CP removed the their side of the connection some time ago making Bull Run a stub end track.

I've also heard that that 290 and 291 will be suspended north of Albany starting Monday. Amtrak is currently not selling tickets for this portion of the trip.
 #1603488  by taracer
 
Yes, Bull Run is severed on the CP side and overgrown with trees in the ROW. You can't even see the track when walking on the new Skyway which goes right over the track. I could only see that the switch was removed because I was looking for it.
 #1603498  by Railjunkie
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:17 am Well, I guess the "detour of detours" will not happen.

That would have been backing Southward from the ALB station, thence up the Post Road to the B&A so that the train is now heading Westward. Now, proceed Westward over "Alfred Holland" to and by Selkirk (Casselton Sub) converging with the NYC Water Level Route to the West of Selkirk.

Would have there ever been a railfan face in the window and a fanny in every seat for that!!!
Mr Norman as Mr Ed Asner once said reading is fundamental. I mentioned in an earlier post qualifying has begun on such route.

"That makes this problem sound like a long term problem? What happens to the SDY passengers? Ethan Allen could certainly back to SDY then proceed to Burlington.
Railjunkie the use of Bull run connection and Colonie sub appears to be a problem as there is not eastward connection to the B&A ? Is Bull even passenger capable ?"

Bull Run has a few issues one, its OOS hasn't been used in my 25 years on the railroad, I think it may be FRA excepted track which would mean no passenger trains, it is west of Central Warehouse and if CP did indeed pull there switch then its a moot point. Didn't see anything official at work about the VT service being suspended as of Monday but I know engines have to be over an inspection pit every five days and currently those are landlocked shall we say. So I would say its a good guess Sunday is it.
 #1603499  by Railjunkie
 
STrRedWolf wrote: Sat Jul 30, 2022 12:37 pm
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:17 am Well, I guess the "detour of detours" will not happen.

That would have been backing Southward from the ALB station, thence up the Post Road to the B&A so that the train is now heading Westward. Now, proceed Westward over "Alfred Holland" to and by Selkirk (Casselton Sub) converging with the NYC Water Level Route to the West of Selkirk.

Would have there ever been a railfan face in the window and a fanny in every seat for that!!!
Okay, just to be clear, ALB switching to Post Road Subdiv on a reverse, then onto the Berkshire Subdiv to take the Alfred H. Smith Memorial Bridge to the Castleton Subdiv, through the Selkirk yard onto the Selkirk Subdiv, reverse on the Carman Subdiv at Rotterdam, then join back up on the Hudson Subdiv at Athens Junction?

The only other way (looking at OpenStreetMap) is using the Bull Run Connection and wyeing east of Selkirk Yard... but that's getting close to the Central Warehouse.

Albany TimesUnion reports that the city wants to transfer the property to a developer who wants to do something with it now. Meanwhile the old owner hasn't done anything for 5 years and claims he hasn't been contacted about anything.
The route for westward trains will be as follows.

Out the Post Road to CP187 where the engineer will change ends then proceed on the B&A across the Alfred H Smith bridge going through Selkirk yard on the new bypass tracks then onto Voorheesville where if you know where to look you can see where the D&H Albany Main once crossed on a diamond. A little bit later you will go through South Schenectady yard were the Carmen Branch starts its run over to the Hudson sub. Then its down the hill and over the Mohawk River to CP169. All of this will be rare mileage on the CSX Selkirk Sub.

Now onto the building this whole thing started on the same day the current owner lost his court case for bankruptcy I believe and is on the hook 550K in back taxes which I'm sure will be 600K by the end of the year. Someone, no one knows whom for sure reported seeing debris on the tracks. After all the westbound trains had departed Albany. Yes there are debris on the tracks, the siding tracks that haven't seen cars in 30 years. Ten Amtrak and a CSX train or two go by the south side (the side in question) of that building everyday. I am pretty sure if one of my fellow Albany engineers saw chunks of concrete in the gauge he would report it. Yet the CP which comes out of the port of Rennselaer with ethanol and such is still chugging away I believe.

Man lifts there today not sure what they were looking at or getting ready to do. Its Albany and now politicians are involved this could take forever.
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