Private equipment collection at Colonie and Glenmont

nessman wrote: ↑Thu May 26, 2022 8:45 pm LittleFoot14's photos 3/3...

Thank you for posting these.

This photo is the one that is most intriguing to me, as some effort was clearly made to make access from where the locomotives are to that rail line, the big question is just what it is that the access was made for.

Littlefoot14 wrote: ↑Thu May 26, 2022 8:55 pm This photo is the one that is most intriguing to me, as some effort was clearly made to make access from where the locomotives are to that rail line, the big question is just what it is that the access was made for.

An access road for the wind tower factory is planned for that location.

See my earlier post here...

https://railroad.net/private-equipment- ... l#p1594038

nessman wrote: ↑Thu May 26, 2022 9:07 pm An access road for the wind tower factory is planned for that location.

Well, that answers some questions and certainly sparks a few more. After flying over the site I have to agree with you that they aren’t going out that way, at least not without some substantial earth moving. Not necessarily because of how steep the hill is (add enough horsepower via helper and/or pusher trucks and grades become a non-issue) rather, it’s the breakover angles of the terrain and even where the property meets River Road. Any trailer that is capable of moving these is going to be way too low to make it through there without high-siding itself. An 8x8 M1070 HET with it’s M1000 trailer and their 140k pound payload capacity would be about the only truck I have experience with that could even possibly attempt to get those out that way, and they’d still come out in pieces.

Locomotive removal aside, that seems like an awful area for an access road road in terms of merging onto River Rd, lots of truck traffic there and not the best visibility of approaching southbound traffic, BUT I’m sure those smarter than I am know what they’re doing.

So that turns my attention to the gravel access road with the turn around by the locomotives. I would suspect that is for the scrappers given it’s centrally located to the equipment (especially the ALCO and the U25B) and seems to be illogically routed to be the planned access road that continues from the west where the wooden access mats are. If there was no intent to access the rail equipment, the logical (shortest) plan would be to continue the roadway straight along the south boundary fence line. That turn around would make a dump truck drivers job nice and easy, and I can’t help but think of how convenient it is that there is already a scrap metal operation right at the port.

I will say that from what I saw from the air, the ground looks much better than I was expecting based on descriptions I had read on here. I was expecting a wet and marshy swamp with mud, and it appears to be more sandy and relatively dry.

Looks like the gravel road was put in around 2020-2021... I would presume more so they're not kicking up coal ash while driving over it while surveying the property. A proper heavy haul road is going to be more substantial than that.

quite surreal after decades of them being in the woods for the woods to just... vanish

Any updates?

No updates here, no updates on the Danbury Railway Museum's Facebook page.

I'd presume things are status quo from the last update here (trees cleared)?

Finally - an update! Status quo. Nothing has changed. I was in the area today and stopped by to finally see these things for myself.

Zero sign of any preparation to move the S and T motors out of there. Zero sign of anything to prepare the RS-3, U-25 and passenger rolling stock for scrapping or whatever someone's dream for them may be.

Other than the trees being cleared out of there earlier this year, doesn't appear to be any sign of progress on Beacon Island for the wind tower factory either... so if anything that buys the Danbury folks some time.

But from driving around there and climbing up to get the pictures and seeing the terrain for myself, there is no way those things are coming out of there intact. These things are leaving in scrap metal dumpsters folks. And from working in the power industry - I can tell you there's zero chance of those things moving out of there via the power plant property as it's 100% risk and 0% benefit for the plant owners.

Littlefoot14 wrote: ↑Fri May 27, 2022 3:12 am

nessman wrote: ↑Thu May 26, 2022 9:07 pm An access road for the wind tower factory is planned for that location.

Well, that answers some questions and certainly sparks a few more. After flying over the site I have to agree with you that they aren’t going out that way, at least not without some substantial earth moving.

More like rock blasting.

Not necessarily because of how steep the hill is (add enough horsepower via helper and/or pusher trucks and grades become a non-issue) rather, it’s the breakover angles of the terrain and even where the property meets River Road. Any trailer that is capable of moving these is going to be way too low to make it through there without high-siding itself. An 8x8 M1070 HET with it’s M1000 trailer and their 140k pound payload capacity would be about the only truck I have experience with that could even possibly attempt to get those out that way, and they’d still come out in pieces.

Being there today and seeing the terrain for myself and the access road into the power plant, etc.. it's just simply impossible to move those things out intact.

Locomotive removal aside, that seems like an awful area for an access road road in terms of merging onto River Rd, lots of truck traffic there and not the best visibility of approaching southbound traffic, BUT I’m sure those smarter than I am know what they’re doing.

That and it's a 55 MPH speed limit there too with blind curves and hills. If that's where they plan on putting an access road, they'll need to have some kind of traffic control there.

I will say that from what I saw from the air, the ground looks much better than I was expecting based on descriptions I had read on here. I was expecting a wet and marshy swamp with mud, and it appears to be more sandy and relatively dry.

They would need to build some kind of haul road to the engines and build a staging area so all the heavy equipment has something stable to sit on. That part isn't hard - it's just time consuming and costly.

The switch from the power plant siding to the mainline there is still intact, believe it or not (from what I saw from a distance), but even if they could get those things on live rail, they ain't moving over live rail. The RR would never approve of such a move.

Littlefoot14 wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2022 12:32 pm If this is true, I’m wondering if it might provide the best view from a public roadway that the general public has had of these locomotives in decades.

Still can't see them from the road. There's a hill between the road and the engines. Gotta park where you can and do some hiking. Of course private property, yadda yadda ya... do so at your own risk.

Full article on this in the June Railfan & railroad magazine. They are using R.J. Corman to cut them into pieces to remove.

Scott K wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 1:24 pm Dumb question, but I'm curious. How will the scrapping equipment, trucks and such, get in there (and out with the remains), either?

About a half mile north of the engines is a road that goes under the tracks... but it's a steep road and I'd say clearance is about 12'. For now it's just an access road. The Port of Albany is building a new bridge where the old RR bridge that collapsed was. An access road to the south is also planned, but that'll be quite the project.

nydepot wrote: ↑Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:19 pm Full article on this in the June Railfan & railroad magazine. They are using R.J. Corman to cut them into pieces to remove.

Is there a link to the article?

nydepot wrote: ↑Wed Jul 20, 2022 4:19 pm Full article on this in the June Railfan & railroad magazine. They are using R.J. Corman to cut them into pieces to remove.

When you say 'them' you mean everything? Or will they leave the S and T motors alone?

No link. "Them" means the S & T motors will get cut into thirds and removed and reassembled. No mention of any other equipment.