There was a wye at Delanson, but the small roundhouse was long gone by WWII. There was a wye at Cooperstown Junction, but none between there and Delanson. The D&H had three segments of three-track territory north of Oneonta: FA Tower (Oneonta) to Cooperstown Jct (N Tower), WN Tower (south of Schenevus) to DE Cabin (Dante, between East Worcester and West Richmondville) and JX Tower (Schoharie Jct) to DJ Tower (Delanson). Track 4, the easternmost main track in each of those segments, was designated for northward freight trains, and it was used to allow faster trains to pass drags with pushers going north, the direction of predominant tonnage. Terminals for steam helper engine crews were generally Maxon Road Enginehouse in Schenectady; Mechanicville and Oneonta.
A helper on a southbound train could get on the rear at Mechanicville or Mohawk and push all the way to DE (earlier called DA) and then either back down Richmondville Hill for another push, go to Cooperstown Jct, turn and push a northbound to DE or Delanson, or go to Oneonta and tie up. An Oneonta pusher could push from Oneonta to DE, then back to Cooperstown Jct for another push, or stay with the train for a push from JX to DJ, turn and work south to home. The D&H was also known to use pushers in reverse while pushing, so they could run at normal speed on the return. There were lots of permutations and combinations over time. Generally, though, pushers were not used between Oneonta, Nineveh and Lanesboro.
Gordon Davids
A helper on a southbound train could get on the rear at Mechanicville or Mohawk and push all the way to DE (earlier called DA) and then either back down Richmondville Hill for another push, go to Cooperstown Jct, turn and push a northbound to DE or Delanson, or go to Oneonta and tie up. An Oneonta pusher could push from Oneonta to DE, then back to Cooperstown Jct for another push, or stay with the train for a push from JX to DJ, turn and work south to home. The D&H was also known to use pushers in reverse while pushing, so they could run at normal speed on the return. There were lots of permutations and combinations over time. Generally, though, pushers were not used between Oneonta, Nineveh and Lanesboro.
Gordon Davids