Train SU-2 and RS retirements

[oibu]

Just looking to clarify a few questions regarding local service between Binghamton and Oneonta.

First- SU-2 was the long-standing "south" local out of Oneonta, serving all shippers as far as Afton. Did it ever run all the way into Bingha,ton? I have seen a shot or two of a single RS11 pulling a train at Belden, just wondering if this was SU-2 or perhaps just some sort of short Oneonta-Binghamton extra or something?

After the D&H bought the old DL&W line, a train still rain via the Penn Div.-LAnesboro-Conrail routing from Oneonta to Binghamton with high-wide cars that could not fit through the tunnel. I have seen this referred to as SU-1, SU-2, SU-x, etc.- I am thinking that perhaps at times the Oneonta-Binghamton high-wide traffic may have run as it's own train, while at other times it was an extension of the SU-2 which still also went about it's normal local work along the way?

Went did SU-2 move from being based at Oneonta, to running north out of Binghamton> IIRC it was about 1997?

I've not seen many photos of CP RS18us on the SU-2, despite the fact that they were common (if not almost always?) the power for SU-2 from the time the last few RS-36s and RS-11s were retired (1994?) until the MLWs started to be retired en masse (circa 1997). So if anyone has or knows of shots of RS18s on the SU-2 I'd love to see them! Also I'd guess that in the early 90s the RS11s/36s and RS18s both showedup on SU-2?

Also would like to confirm when in fact the last RS36s and RS11s were retired- I believe it would have to have been between late 1993 and late 1994?

[scottychaos]

I photographed the last set of D&H Alcos dead in Oneonta on Christmas eve, 1993. There were four of them, I believe three RS36 and one RS11..
(I have to find my negs...im going to go look for them right after I post this message!)

I know it was 12/24/93, because I was living in Albany that year and was driving to Waverly to visit my parents for Christmas.
As I passed by Oneonta on I88, I looked down into the valley and could see the string of dead alcos, so I drove over, parked, and walked out to them..it was COLD! but I got some cool shots..at the time, I knew they were the last, and I knew they would not operate for the D&H again.

1993 ended the Alco era on the D&H..Im 99% certain none operated into 1994...at the time (1993) I was working with members of the Bridge Line Historical society, and I recall discussing the demise of the D&H alcos...only CP alcos were left going into 1994.

This page says "retired 10/1993:
http://www.bridge-line.org/blhs/rs36.html

(although it also says 5016 was "sold 2/1995"...but I dont think it was operating until 1995)

and three RS11's "retired 1993"
http://www.bridge-line.org/blhs/rs11.html


Scot

[oibu]

Yeah, that sounds right. The only one that could possibly have run into 1994 might be 5017. In any event, the "last ones" were 5002, 5009, 5017, 5022, and 5023. 5003 also languished into the early 90s as a parts donor at E. Binghamton but had not run since 1987 or 88.

[ChiefTroll]

In the era 1970-72, SU-2 operated daily except Saturday and Sunday between Oneonta and Windsor. That's how the job was advertised. Any (very little) local traffic between Harpursville and Binghamton, and the dimension loads for Jefferson Jct, were handled in through trains.

After 1972, almost anything could have happened to that crew assignment.

Also, at that time, SU-5 operated on weekdays from Oneonta to Cobleskill and return, and on Mon - Wed - Fri it normally went to Cooperstown as well. IIRC, that job went away with the Cooperstown Branch, and OA-1 and AO-2 took over the local work on the north end between Oneonta and Kenwood.

Gordon Davids

[march hare]

OK, a few items:

SU-2 did indeed operate to Binghamton, at least a few times. I never did understand how the crew dispatching worked, but I shot (and published in the volume 2 Morning Sun volume) SU-2 working down through Afton, in the late 70s, headed for Binghamton. Had a C420 that day.

I have some slides of CP RS18s switching at Afton, so that happened as well. Interesting note: on one of my trips home (I was living in Montana at the time) I caught an RS-11 working this run--but it was a Maine Central unit. In the Guilford era, MEC 802 spent a fairly long time working out of Oneonta. One of these days, I'll get a scanner and post those things.

One question I've had for a while--I know the CP RS23's that switched Saratoga and Mohawk for a while made at least one local run out to Central Bridge and Howe's Cave. Did they ever show up on SU-2? They were my favorite oddball Alcos.

As for when SU-5 stopped serving Cobleskill, I can't recall exactly, but I think it has to be a couple years after the Cooperstown Branch was sold. Wallyworld got that in 1971 (I think?) which was before I had a car and a decent camera (mid 74 for both). And I have several shots chasing SU-5 coming into Coby and returning south, shot in the 1974 or 75 time frame.

Chief Troll's post on OA-1 I was unaware of, probably because I never saw it actually operate. But local business in Cobleskill was crashing at that time, so it may have been hard to catch in town.

[oibu]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen.

If anyone else has any more to add though please do!

As for the RS-23s... I can't say abotu SU-2, but I did see one (8025 IIRC) coupled together with an RS18 and D&H/Guilford GP38 at E. Binghamton ca. 1994, so at least onme RS-23 seems to have appeared in local service out of Binghamton or vicinity. So it's entirely possible, but who knows?

march hare- I know the shot which you refer to, but I don;t think the caption in the book says anything about heading to Binghamton, so I always jsut assumed that it was a "normal" SU-2 heading down to Afton.

As a side note- I don't think I've ever seen a photo of SU-2 with it's unit running backwards, despite single-unit operation where by dfinition it would be running backwards half the time!


So, when was the last local service to Windsor and who was the shipper/consignee? All I know of in Windsor was a coal (And perhaps lumber?) business.

[EricB]

As a side note- I don't think I've ever seen a photo of SU-2 with it's unit running backwards, despite single-unit operation where by dfinition it would be running backwards half the time!

I lived in Oneonta during this time and was almost always down in the D&H yards after High School and following SU-2 up and down the tracks. At least between '90 and '92, RS36 5022 was assigned to SU-2 and it always pointed towards Binghamton. Sometimes RS18s, C424s, SD40-2s, and various CP/D&H GP9s and '38-2s filled in for 5022. I seem to remember CP 1811 as being assigned to SU-2 quite often. During this time SU-2 operated between Oneonta and Afton. It would leave outbound freight and emties at the Oneonta Yard for Train 556 (or was it train 555?) to pickup and take to Binghamton. 5022 was usually parked near FA tower or near the shops when not in use. On many Saturdays it would be picked up by a southbound freight and taken to Binghamton for maintenance and fueling I believe. It was always set as the trailing unit in the consist, but on one lucky day I caught it on film leading several SD40-2s to Binghamton!

[EricB]

Here's CP RS18 # 1829 on SU-2 at Oneonta, NY in 1991. D&H 5022 was probably undergoing maintenance in Bingo at the time. I'll post more pics as I scan them...




Edited to add:

CP 1811 performing SU-2 duties in 1991.

[EricB]

Couple more from 1991. 5022 was almost always the power for SU-2 but others filled in once in a while...