Farewell Utica Main??

[GVrooman]

It looks like the Utica main between Chenango Forks and Sherburne is being abandoned. Today the New York State Dept. of Transportation laid asphalt over the Rt. 79 grade crossing. The gons that were parked up by Chenango Shores Campground (MPU204) are gone. I was always hoping that they would find the money to fix the washouts, but this looks pretty final to me.

[thebigham]

It will be final when they pull up the rails.

[Otto Vondrak]

What was the ruling on NYSW's request to the STB to abandon the Utica branch?

-otto-

[blockline4180]

What was the ruling on NYSW's request to the STB to abandon the Utica branch?

-otto-

I'm pretty sure there never was a ruling... Either that, or that portion of the line was never formally abandonded..

[cjvrr]

It has not been formally abandoned. Last year it was placed on a list, with several other NYS&W branches and spurs, submitted to the Feds and local papers stating that it had the potential to be abandoned.

Paving over a crossing is nothing new. The government agency I work for actually removed the rails and regraded the road at the Green Pond Road (Newfoundland, NJ) crossing in the mid 1980's. Within a few weeks the NYS&W lawyers had the County installing new ties, rail, etc. at the same crossing. Line had not yet been reopened.

[RussNelson]

And anyway, it wouldn't be abandoned ... just railbanked. Imagine a contiguous snowmobile trail from Binghamton to Utica?? The snowmobilers are drooling already, I can see them.

The Benson Mines branch has been paved over in Carthage. First train through there on a hot day would squeeze the asphalt out like toothpaste.

[GVrooman]

It has been well over a year since they paved over the Rt. 79 grade crossing in Chenango Forks. The other day I noticed somebody working on the signals. Tonight I heard a rumbling noise behind my house. I looked out the rear window and I saw them backing a long string of CSX box cars up past Chenango Shores campground. So it looks like the stretch between CF and the first washout is open again. At least for storage.

[lvrr325]

Per a recent Railpace, to abandon the line the NYS&W has to repay something like 1.4 million to various entities who paid for them to repair the tracks prior to the washouts. Gonna be hard to pull it up out from under storage cars, and at $10 a day per car that's pretty good business right now. Anyone with an empty siding should be doing it, even if you have room for just a few cars, it's like free money.

[kether83]

Say, could anyone get me lat/lon info for the washouts?