Freight on PJ yesterday

I caught a freight sitting at Duke yesterday. It had the usual lumber stuff for Kleet in Huntington but surprisingly had a number of empty hopper type cars. Did the crew pick them up on their way out to Northport? And if so, where did they come from? -Lee

The NYA sends you to different places. There isn't really any job description anymore. A mainline train may do yard work or vice versa. Those hoppers may have come from Maspeth for stone. They could have been for one of the C&D(waste) companies also.

I know the switches are manually controlled in Greenlawn, but why doesn't the NYA turn the train there instead of going all the way out to Northport? Wouldn't it make more sense by saving time and fuel to just reverse ends at the Greenlawn DEF.?

Its easier of course, and also probably faster to just go to Northport. Its not very far, and it can cost you time when you are headed west. Condr has to unlock switch, wait for the unlock, wait for the train to pull out, lock it up, then walk to the head end. In that time, you probably would end up being in the same spot, or behind the guy who just goes to Northport. Also if you go up there with power up front, and have to run around your train, its alot easier to do it at Northport, and quicker.

Here's a quick video of that move. I think I got there as soon as the engines pulled onto the main from the siding. Also I didn't include train #610 passing eastbound before the freight headed west.
http://www.youtube.com/user/mrjv61#p/u/33/5iQ2NK_KpcI