Railroad Forums 

Discussion relating to the D&H. For more information, please visit the Bridge Line Historical Society.

Moderator: MEC407

 #449436  by Bob Sandusky
 
My stepfather is getting into model railroading and wants to mix the D&H & NYC in Albany area.

However he is coming to visit Oct 6&7 and would like to see some real freight operations. Does anybody know the approximate schedule of the freights on the A&S sub over the weekend?

I know it isn't exact and patience is necessary (with some luck) but if I had some clue I could pick a good window. His health won't allow us to spend the whole day in the field.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 #449674  by Otto Vondrak
 
Well, there is no real set schedule, but you can sit around Kenwood Yard and wait for the NS intermodal train (168? 169? I can never keep the directions straight) to depart... you can follow the train up and around and probably when you get to Delanson you may hear of another train heading north back towards Albany... depends on the trains coming north and who's going to go into the siding. But be prepared to spend a morning of waiting and an afternoon of chasing.

Or head up to Crescent and see if there are trains waiting to head south towards Kenwood. Maybe catch 514 coming off the Canadian Connector.

Do you just want to see local landmarks, or do you want to follow a train? Folks with more experience can chime in here.

-otto-
 #450071  by march hare
 
There's two questinons here--Albany itself or out on the road on the former A&S.

Operations in and around Albany itself are pretty regular.

Best bet is to show up at Kenwood a little before 8 AM. The NS intermodal train (169) will be somewhere around, getting his train together for departure.

If you get there early, take a swing down through the Port of Albany on the main access road, you may see the Albany port RR switcher at work, or the remote-control switcher at Cargill across the street.

About 9:45 or so (check the timetable) the first passenger train from the west will roll down West Albany Hill and cross the D&H by the Central Warehouse. CSX often has a local to Troy or Rensselaer (depending on the day of the week) coming down the hill about the same time. Best bet is MWF to Troy, Tu-Th to Rensselaer.

514 -515 has been a wild card timewise, this is the CP's manifest freight, can show up any time. Lately, the southbound has been leaving his train outside the yad, with the back end extending up into the concrete canyon, then returning north.

168 (inbound NS inermodal) arrives mid to late afternoon and ties up.

The NYC train now originates at Kenwood, I've only seen him a few times, but seems to be an after dark departure this time of year.

There's a local that goes up to GE Silicones in Waterford (oops, make that Saudi Silicones, or whatever the new company is called). Often a mid day thing. Carries a caboose most days.

The Kenwood yard crew has some switching responsibilities at least as far north as Surpass chemical and the nearby team track. Both located on Erie St just south of the I90 overpass. Haven't seen him go out in ages, but used to be a late afternoon trip.

If things get slow, there's always something going on at Rensselaer across the river.

If you want to go out on the A&S as indicated in your title, that's best done on a different day than the Albany area itself. One good strategy on the A&S is to go to Esperance Station (south end of the Delanson passing siding, located where NY route 30 ducks under the main line) early in the morning. Real common for there to be a meet there in the first few hours of the day. Chasing from there south is a snap--just follow NY route 7 and follow your nose. Use I88 if you get too far behind.

The next siding south is at the summit of Richmondville, sandwiched between I 88 and NY route 7. I normally try to avoid using the interstate between Worcester and Richmondville, a long run between exits if you get surprised by a train. But the flip side is that you can readily read the southbound signal at CPF 528 from the interstate and get an indication of whether a meet is being set up. And truth be told, it isn't all that risky to pull an (illegal) U turn on that remote section of I88.

168 and 169 are pretty dependable mid-day trains, if you can overcome the revulsion of seeing NS power all the time. CP stuff a good bit less predictable, but in general mornings are better than afternoons for traffic.

Good luck!

 #450107  by ANDY117
 
As has been stated already, there is no basic set schedule. It all depends on when stuff gets out of its origin yard. Usually 168 leads the pack out of Binghamton in the early morning, usually followed by 251. 931 tends to happen whenever NS manages to get a crew on it (same as 930), and coal trains are even less predictable. 253 tends to be an evening train out of Binghamton, and D55 leaves Binghamton to do it's local work usually mid-morning. As I recall, that's a Monday-Friday job.

I'm not as sure about what time stuff gets out of Saratoga, but trains tend to bunch up for the ride down into Binghamton. 169 is usually in right around sunset, and makes a great chase on the NS Southern Tier.

Just keep a scanner handy. Road frequencies are 161.100 north of Central Bridge, and 161.475 south of there. Yard frequency is 160.530.
 #452525  by Bob Sandusky
 
I actually live on the hill above Sloansville and can hear the trains during the day as the move between Esperance and central Bridge but by then it is too late to get a good view.

He'll be staying in Sharon Springs so I'm thinking trying to catch stuff between Richmondville Hill and Central Bridge is the best bet.

Now at least I have an idea of times.

Thanks again.
 #453736  by Bob Sandusky
 
We caught the the 168/169 (?) NS intermodal Northbound at the Cobleskill Creek Bridge just to the east of Central Bridge and then saw the southbound version while driving through Cobleskill.

And we also got photos of 4 covered hoppers at teh Richter Facility in CB.

About all he could handle walking with a cane.

Thanks again.

Bob

 #454151  by Orgnoi1
 
Great thread... I always wondered the deal on the D&H south of Albany... I never really have had time to get down that way to get shots in...