CSX Railfanning Bronx and Westchester County NY?

[fordhamroad]

-in busy Metro-North and Amtrakland freight trains are few and far between.
-what are the best opportunities for seeing freight operations on CSX?
-locations,, times?
-what regularly scheduled freight trains are run?
-the only freight I have seen recently in daylight was a long one over the Hell Gate Bridge, and occasionally a "stone train" of hoppers going south on the New Haven line.

Roger

[N221UA]

Almost all CSX traffic run in the middle of the night on the MNR Hudson line. You have the K277/276 trash train, Q430/431 from/to Selkirk. Those two as far as I know are "scheduled" train.

Of course once in a while you see a CSX local on the line. I remember seeing one in daylight few months ago.

Besides CSX, D&H (CP) also run a tri-weekly train on the Hudson line, usually a short 10 car train, and it leaves Fresh Pond and join MNR at CP8 around 1800 hours. Interesting nonetheless...

[the missing link]

I'd like to know more of what goes on operationally around Oak Point or the Bronx in general. Lets just say a certain someone is going to csx's conductor training school very soon and their job posting is there.

[Noel Weaver]

There is still a fair amount of local switching at Oak Point, local business,
Hunts Point market, the interchange at Fremont with the NY & A.
As a warning, Oak Point is in a dangerous area of the southeast Bronx and
although I know the area, I would not recommend going there anytime
after dark which means taking the subway to Oak Point for a yard job or
whatever could involve danger too.
Driving to or from Oak Point might not be too bad except for the rush
hours in the AM or PM but unfortunately the last I knew, the yard jobs
there go on duty around 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM which are in the rush hour
and could affect the trip from home to the yard.
I am not sure just how many yard jobs remain at Oak Point, maybe a
total of around four in a 24 hour period. The locals, I think, were moved
to Croton, West Yard. Not sure how the through freight jobs are handled
these days, been well over eight years since my retirement.
Noel Weaver

[the missing link]

Thanks for the tip Noel. Maybee I'll wear a hardhat to keep the bricks off my head. I'm assuming hopefully the employee parking situation is secure. I've done a few dry runs on the commute by car already. Do they run locals or transfers over Hell gate? I'll tough it out there as long as neccesary, then see if anything opens up over in north Jersey. My goal is working on the riverline.

[N221UA]

CSX does have locals going over Hellgate to Fresh Pond (interchange with NYA). Most transfer jobs are done midday. CSX sees a decent number of carloads on their Fresh Pond run.

[Noel Weaver]

I believe they might have two yard jobs at Oak Point in the day trick. The
move to Fremont is made by one of the day yard crews There are no
freight customers between Oak Point and Fremont.
Noel Weaver

[the missing link]

Do you mean I'll actually have predictable calls and "normal" hours?

[Noel Weaver]

There is nothing predictable on the railroad, especially for a new hire.
Noel Weaver

[the missing link]

o.k. one more question. whats the neighborhood down there like now? improving or seedy

[Noel Weaver]

o.k. one more question. whats the neighborhood down there like now? improving or seedy

It hasn't changed since my post previously, it is a very seedy and
dangerous area. I don't see it getting any better any time soon.
Noel Weaver

[mikec880]

the area is someplace you dont want to hang around.. but if you dont mess with anyone they wont mess with you.

[Noel Weaver]

the area is someplace you dont want to hang around.. but if you dont "mess" with anyone they wont "mess" with you.

I wouldn't bet on this one, they might mess with you whether you "mess"
with them or not.
I can remember many years ago in the New Haven and Penn Central
periods, an employee could be assaulted just walking from the yard or the
motor shop up to the subway at either 149th Street or Longwood Avenue
as the case might be. It got so bad during the Penn Central era that the
company would provide a taxi to pick up a deadheading crew member or
members at 125th Station and take them to or from Oak Point. I doubt
if it is any better today, most likely worse but there is not as much work
there as there was under the Penn Central or the New Haven either.
Noel Weaver

[the missing link]

I spoke w/ someone who worked there recently regarding this job. Among other things, the yard has limited access and the employee parking is O.K. A few random incidents.