I was just reading some earlier threads regarding Conrail freight operations. Thought to ask about an operation I used to see in the mid- to late-1980s.
This was a customer located on the Bronx / Mt. Vernon border, reached off the Harlem's Tk 3. What made it interesting was, they were a couple hundred yards from the Harlem Line and not connected to the New Haven. They received covered hoppers of plastic pellets I do believe. Though there were usually four-five cars on their siding, I would see the same cars there sometimes for a week or more. Once I watched them unloading. They'd hook up hoses underneath the hoppers' compartments and it sounded like they used air to unload them. Think it was plastic pellets for one reason, you'd see them scattered on the ground.
What made it really interesting was that to reach them, an actual switchback was used. First, the Harlem local would come north on Track 3, then back up (and I mean up!) a track going into the triangle of land formed by the Harlem to the west and the New Haven's GCT-bound flyover to the east. Also located up there was an old NYC substation. Once they got up on the hill they would back all the way south behind the substation where the tail track for the switchback was located. Once clear of the switch the brakeman would realign it (away from Harlem Tk 3 and towards the industrial track) and they would pull forward.
The few times I saw them working that track the crew was using one of the MP15 engines of which Oak Point had a few.
Towards the end -- maybe 1988 -- I saw them getting ready to use a three-unit set of B23-7s to go in there. 1900s I think. Later that day, en route to GCT on a Metro-North Harlem passenger train, I heard the crew talking about the Conrail engines that had turned over a rail near Woodlawn. Yeah it was the three B23-7s I saw earlier. They were up on the hill by the substation.
The Conrail people were still there, many hours later, still trying to get the units rerailed in a what was a very difficult place to work in, I'm sure. (I had walked that track one weekend.) No room, soft ground, big units, bad rail, the works!
I just wondered if someone (Noel Weaver?) ever worked that siding. Most people, even fans from that area, don't even know where I'm talking about. I only learned of it from taking a short cut through there from Mt. Vernon West train station to the subway on White Plains Rd. I used to see the switch off Harlem Tk 3 and did not know it was active. When I realized the track went up the hill and towards the substation I was astounded.
I think about 1989 the consignee stopped receiving cars. There were a couple hoppers there literally for months. When they finally pulled them out that was it. Sad to see it go though.
This was a customer located on the Bronx / Mt. Vernon border, reached off the Harlem's Tk 3. What made it interesting was, they were a couple hundred yards from the Harlem Line and not connected to the New Haven. They received covered hoppers of plastic pellets I do believe. Though there were usually four-five cars on their siding, I would see the same cars there sometimes for a week or more. Once I watched them unloading. They'd hook up hoses underneath the hoppers' compartments and it sounded like they used air to unload them. Think it was plastic pellets for one reason, you'd see them scattered on the ground.
What made it really interesting was that to reach them, an actual switchback was used. First, the Harlem local would come north on Track 3, then back up (and I mean up!) a track going into the triangle of land formed by the Harlem to the west and the New Haven's GCT-bound flyover to the east. Also located up there was an old NYC substation. Once they got up on the hill they would back all the way south behind the substation where the tail track for the switchback was located. Once clear of the switch the brakeman would realign it (away from Harlem Tk 3 and towards the industrial track) and they would pull forward.
The few times I saw them working that track the crew was using one of the MP15 engines of which Oak Point had a few.
Towards the end -- maybe 1988 -- I saw them getting ready to use a three-unit set of B23-7s to go in there. 1900s I think. Later that day, en route to GCT on a Metro-North Harlem passenger train, I heard the crew talking about the Conrail engines that had turned over a rail near Woodlawn. Yeah it was the three B23-7s I saw earlier. They were up on the hill by the substation.
The Conrail people were still there, many hours later, still trying to get the units rerailed in a what was a very difficult place to work in, I'm sure. (I had walked that track one weekend.) No room, soft ground, big units, bad rail, the works!
I just wondered if someone (Noel Weaver?) ever worked that siding. Most people, even fans from that area, don't even know where I'm talking about. I only learned of it from taking a short cut through there from Mt. Vernon West train station to the subway on White Plains Rd. I used to see the switch off Harlem Tk 3 and did not know it was active. When I realized the track went up the hill and towards the substation I was astounded.
I think about 1989 the consignee stopped receiving cars. There were a couple hoppers there literally for months. When they finally pulled them out that was it. Sad to see it go though.
