It was a pretty neat operation, and very busy for a long time.
In the early 1980's the U&MV Chapter ran some excursions over to the West Winfield Fireman's field days. They were some real fun trips ! Then they sometimes had a side trip from West Winfield all the way over to the Springs. In 1982 there was a trip direct out of Utica to Richfield Springs, the first revenue passenger train to make that run in Years. It was sponsored by the RRE? out of Boston or thereabouts with a guy named Crawford if I recall. Dick Horstman's private ex Lehigh Valley business car was on the tail end (Car 353). A really cool trip. We had C420 2002 for power and I fired for Durwood Carman on the way over and Tim Wakeman fired on the way back to Utica. A pretty ride on a nice summer day - Aug 29, 1982.
EL and CR retained the wye at Richfield Jct, and once in a while would drag a car around it to turn it for unloading on account of a stubborn door, and at least once CR dragged a piggyback car down and turned it. Unusual to see CR power at the top of the wye and I missed the pic everytime for various reasons !
Gatesdale Dairy Bar in Bridgewater was a popular stop for DL&W, UV, EL and DO crews for a long time. I believe it is now closed. There used to be an old auto museum across the street and I think that is gone too. I should be in NY in Aug and will have to get over that way and check out what is left. Probably be disappointed.
Did I hear some or most all of the Branch is now a trail ?
Older DL&W engineers llike Jim Dundon used to talk about going over the Branch with the Bull at 40mph... I just cannot imagine that, but they did it. The grandson of the Richfield Jct operator in the 1930's was a kid named Ted Jackson who later retired off the NYC / CR at DeWitt / Woodard. He says that he had been from the Jct to West Winfield to deliver the Milk Car at 60mph !! There is some good long tangent running there but it gets hill and dale out of West Winfield over Richfield Hill, Millers Mills and Youngs. The last EL train I ever saw on the Branch was in the Summer of '72. A work train with a bob-tail switcher and a few gons and caboose between West Winfield and Bridgewater.. The next day I saw it on the main headed south to Binghamton. I may have heard the horn on the CNY RS-3 when that ran up light to Richfield Jct from Binghamton in December 1973. I recall a horn and a light train or light engine coming up the grade at Earlville but was preoccupied with a hunting expedition and didn't go out of my way to check it out. Wish I had now ! I understand the light CNY engine met the Norwich local at Sherburne that day. An EL crew move the unit light from Bing-RJCT with Walter Rich on board. Now that would have been a great pic; a CNY / EL meet at Sherburne !!