Bath & Hammondsport operations

[ckwwestshore]

Sometime this week, I'd like to spend a morning chasing a BH EB from Cohocton to Painted post. What days do they operate, and when are they out of the yard at Cohocton and pulling into P.P.? What are some good spots to shoot them on the way and some spots to avoid?

Charlie

[sjl]

I'd like to see a response to Charlies' question, as I plan to burn a vacation day later this month to visit this area too. Also, has anyone visited the Historical Society in Bath, right across from where the Erie depot was located? Do they have any info about the rail lines through Bath and the original B&H? If so, I'll allow extra time to stop in there.

Thanks,

Ron

[ckwwestshore]

According to an answer I got on another forum, they run MWF east out of Cohocton at about 8 Due to weather, I didn't get to do the trip though.

[sjl]

We made it to Painted Post about 11:15 on Firday (3/19) but didn't see any evidence of train activity in the village. It appeared a train was getting ready to leave westbound from the Gangs Mills yard, so we went west to Hornell via Addison and Cameron. We arrived at the Hornell depot about 12:15, just in time to see an eastbound. We chased bit ack as far as Addison, where we stopped for lunch. We arrived at the Historical Society in Bath at 2:58, to find out they close at 3 PM. (Should've guessed that...) A good day all in all; I photographed the eastbound at some of the locations that show up in the Erie / E'L "Trackside" books. (Reference for modeling in N scale.) There were two BNSF units working with 2 NS units at Gangs Mills when we went through about 2 PM. The weather was fantastic, and I "discovered" the old ex-DL&W two-span skewed truss bridge just north of Bath. (Perhpas I should take vacation days more often!) Now if I could just capture the LA&L locos on this line sometime....

RLS

[thebigham]

Otto, can we make this the official B&H thread?? Thanks!

I explored the original B&H main in late October 2013:

Buildings along the tracks in Bath:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215362" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215363" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rebuilding the line at the Rt 415 crossing in Bath:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215364" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215365" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Near the end of current in service track near the jail outside of Bath:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215366" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215367" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rt 415 crossing outside of Bath:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215370" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hammondsport enginehouse:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215368" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215369" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bwparker1]

Otto, can we make this the official B&H thread?? Thanks!

I explored the original B&H main in late October 2013:

Buildings along the tracks in Bath:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215362" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215363" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rebuilding the line at the Rt 415 crossing in Bath:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215364" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215365" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Near the end of current in service track near the jail outside of Bath:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215366" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215367" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rt 415 crossing outside of Bath:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215370" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hammondsport enginehouse:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215368" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=215369" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Does this (tearing up the track into Hammondsport) mean that the old Great Western Winery complex/Mercury complex will never again have a chance to see rail service?

[ebtmikado]

Thanks for the photos.

So sad. I spent so much time on the B&H in my youth.
Mr. Arland, the president gave me a pass when I was about 12, and I made much use
of it, riding in the cabs of D-1 and D-2, as well as the caboose, to and from Bath.

There used to be an old wooden coach in front of the enginehouse. I assume that's now gone.

Lee Carlson

[blabey]

The wooden coach you saw at Hammondsport, along with a wooden combine from the same era, were regularly seen on B&H passenger specials in the 1960's. They were originally brought to Steuben County by B&H General Manager Tony Hannold who owned them personally. In 1975, Hannold left Hammondsport to partner with a group of investors and organize a pair of shortlines on the DelMarVa Peninsula. The cars were taken to the Maryland & Delaware RR and used on special trains.

The Hannnold group acquired the Arkansas & Missouri RR in the late 1980's. The combine was taken to Springdale, AR, headquarters of the A&M. The coach sold to the Strasburg RR. Following Hannold's retirement and the sale of his A&M interests, the combine was donated to the Museum of Transportation at St. Louis. In addition to the coach and the combine, Hannold had restored an 1878 vintage office car "Traveller". When he retired, the LAL acquired that car and brought it to New York. It was used on a B&H inspection trip a few years back -- and it's likely to move back to the B&H for some special runs this fall.

[Sandy Burton]

Does anyone have any current information on the B&H Operations other than what Chariie posted last February? I plan to be in the area in about ten days and hope to get some pictures of #416.

Thanks.

Sandy

[nessman]

What's happening with the track reconstruction on the original B&H by the county jail? Noticed it when I was down there yesterday on business. Are they expecting business up that way?

[NS59]

Went out to chase the B&H on Mon and here is what we found...

They started out at Coopers Plains at the engine house around 11AM.

Did some switching there

Headed North to Savona and switched there.

As of 2:45 PM they still had not headed South to Painted Post

an interesting note: they had 5 Bi-level NJ Transit coaches with them

[ebtmikado]

This past Monday, Sept. 29, we went to Coopers Plains at 11:00, to find that the engines were already out, having already gone over to the old Erie connection, and then assembling its train on the main.
By 11:20, the crew was headed west, with about a dozen covered hoppers, and 70 or 80 loaded propane cars. After about 2 hours of switching the propane plant in Savona, they headed back east toward Painted Post with only the covered hoppers. They must have had a very large train of tanks either Tuesday or today. West of Savona, the rails looked like not much had operated over them in a while.

Lee Carlson

[scottychaos]

Went out to chase the B&H on Mon and here is what we found...

They started out at Coopers Plains at the engine house around 11AM.

Did some switching there

Headed North to Savona and switched there.

As of 2:45 PM they still had not headed South to Painted Post

an interesting note: they had 5 Bi-level NJ Transit coaches with them

Generally directions are considered East and West from Wayland to Gang Mills on the old DL&W mainline.
Not North-South.
The original B&H from Bath to Hammondsport would be North and South.

yes the actual compass directions are North-West to South-East, so the actual directions can be said to be somewhat North and South,
but the DL&W mainline was an East-West railroad, and movements were always stated in terms of east and west..and they still are today.

Scot

[Benjamin Maggi]

I am hoping to take a day off in the spring and chase the B&H. Can anyone advise what day of the week would be best for this, where I should start my chase?

[blabey]

The current operations of B&H are variable. If you come in "the spring" they may have changed. At the moment, B&H gets an NS interchange at Painted Post M-W-F. The Coopers Plains based B&H crew normally goes to switch the gas storage facility east of Bath on a daily basis (This propane storage facility is strictly off limits since it handles hazmat and has security.) It is difficult to see from a public highway. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the normal run is to Cohocton to switch the fertilizer plants.