Aburn Branch

[carajul]

Can anyone tell me why the Aburn branch and the yard at the branch's beginning in Sayre (right near the passenger station) were abandoned and when. Thanks!

[scottychaos]

Last train ran out of Sayre on 3-31-76.
last day of LV operations.
pulled by a D&H U-boat.
ran from Sayre to Binghamton out the Auburn branch.
Conrail never used the branch at all, and it was essentially abandoned on 4-1-76.

im not sure when the rails between Sayre and Owego were pulled up, but I know they were gone by 1983..thats the year I first started paying attention to trains.
Conrail probably ripped them out that first year, or before 1980 for sure.
A few tracks of the Auburn division yard, right next to the station, were still in place and ran over to the big shops for most of the 80's.
by 1988-1990, after the walkbridge was torn down, most of those tracks were pulled up, leaving the few tracks that remain today.

Scot

[Matt Langworthy]

The Auburn Branch was still in place but OOS when my family and I visited the Sayre area in the summer of '77. Weeds were growing up between the ties. Based on information I've read elsewhere, the tracks were removed either later that year or else in 1978.

[calorosome]

My school bus used to drive next to the Auburn tracks between Smithboro and Tioga Center. By 1978 those tracks were gone. That branch was in bad shape by the Conrail era, I don't think I ever saw a freight going over 15mph.

Just finished a good book on the Auburn branch. "The Gangly Country Cousin" by Herbert Trice. Covers Auburn branch, EC&N, Seneca Falls, and Ithaca.

[TB Diamond]

Even the tunnel under the Southern Tier Expressway was torn out and replaced with fill by the early 1980s.

[Matt Langworthy]

Just finished a good book on the Auburn branch. "The Gangly Country Cousin" by Herbert Trice. Covers Auburn branch, EC&N, Seneca Falls, and Ithaca.

Excellent source. Mike Bednar's Lehigh Valley: Wyoming & Buffalo Divisions also offers some nice pics of the line. RS2/3s and SWs were the usual power, much like other LV branches.

[calorosome]

I used to see Geeps on the branch too.

[TB Diamond]

Power on the D&H connection Sayre-Binghamton-Sayre (OF-1 & FO-2) could be any road power that was handy. Noted from the late 1960s until 01-04-76 were EMD F7A, GP9/18, GP38AC/-2 Alco RS2/3, RS11, C420 and C628. In the days of steam, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, a camelback and even a Wyoming type were observed.

[scottychaos]

There also seems to be a fairly large selection of photos of LV Alco PA's in Binghamton..they ran out on the Auburn branch too..

Scot

[GOLDEN-ARM]

Bingo was always a good spot, to see what was fresh out of the shops, on the Valley. The short run, and relatively light grades, made it an easy way to test run the stuff being outshopped. Not too far from home if something "died", and usually plenty of power to drag it back home. Also a great place to catch engines making a last run, before being traded in, or scrapped.

[TB Diamond]

In the late 1950s the D&H run saw PAs as almost regular power, this after much of the passenger traffic had been abolished.

[calorosome]

I've seen pics of FAs on the Auburn branch, but I doubt that PAs could run there. When I rode the RS18 a few years ago, the engineer said there were some tight curves on that branch. If a two axle truck had trouble on that branch, I doubt a three axle truck could make it.

[TB Diamond]

On the old Lehigh, about anything was possible in power utilization. In the late 1950s into the early 1960s the D&H connection sometimes would switch out Owego GLF with their PAs. This may be as far west towards Auburn that they ever operated. However, according to Lehigh Valley Railroad Time Table No. 8 dated October 28, 1962, there were no restrictions on engine types used on the Auburn Branch with the exception that "Class DP (PA), DF (FA) and DRS (RS2/3) engines should avoid starting, stopping or slipping on bridge L-271". PAs and some other unit types were also restricted from operating on certain industrial trackage in the city of Auburn and in both Groton and Locke. Otherwise, no restrictions on PA units operating Owego-Auburn.

[TB Diamond]

Went through some old dupe slide files and found the following of LVRR Alco PAs on the Auburn Branch:
1.) Unit #609 in Auburn, 1948.
2.) Unit #610 & FA2 #590 mued at Auburn near the passenger station,
1954.
3.) Unit #609 + PA leading troop train special, 2nd section through
Moravia, NY, 1955.

[GOLDEN-ARM]

I too, have pictures of the PA's, arriving at Bingo, and departing there, in different months, so yes, they did run the branch. In fact, this was one of the last regular uses of the PA's, as well as being used in work train service. A sad end, to the glamorous old gals careers.......