Steam era pusher territories

[ChiefTroll]

There was a wye at Delanson, but the small roundhouse was long gone by WWII. There was a wye at Cooperstown Junction, but none between there and Delanson. The D&H had three segments of three-track territory north of Oneonta: FA Tower (Oneonta) to Cooperstown Jct (N Tower), WN Tower (south of Schenevus) to DE Cabin (Dante, between East Worcester and West Richmondville) and JX Tower (Schoharie Jct) to DJ Tower (Delanson). Track 4, the easternmost main track in each of those segments, was designated for northward freight trains, and it was used to allow faster trains to pass drags with pushers going north, the direction of predominant tonnage. Terminals for steam helper engine crews were generally Maxon Road Enginehouse in Schenectady; Mechanicville and Oneonta.

A helper on a southbound train could get on the rear at Mechanicville or Mohawk and push all the way to DE (earlier called DA) and then either back down Richmondville Hill for another push, go to Cooperstown Jct, turn and push a northbound to DE or Delanson, or go to Oneonta and tie up. An Oneonta pusher could push from Oneonta to DE, then back to Cooperstown Jct for another push, or stay with the train for a push from JX to DJ, turn and work south to home. The D&H was also known to use pushers in reverse while pushing, so they could run at normal speed on the return. There were lots of permutations and combinations over time. Generally, though, pushers were not used between Oneonta, Nineveh and Lanesboro.

Gordon Davids

[Bob Sandusky]

topo maps of the 30's and 40's show a wye at Delanson.

Don't see any such around Worcester?

It would make sense that there wouldn't be a round house in Delanson it is virtually on top of Albany. Besides engines pushing north could cut off in Cobleskill and return southbound over the hill light ready for the next train.

The heavy tonnage would be south to north maybe most of the trains heading south probably didn't need a pusher. Coals train north would be loaded, south would be empties.

Bob Sandusky

[ChiefTroll]

topo maps of the 30's and 40's show a wye at Delanson. Don't see any such around Worcester?

There was no wye near Worcester or Richmondville. The pushers on the north end of the A&S (north of Oneonta) generally operated in a different scheme from those working Belden or Ararat. After they had pushed south from Schenectady to Delanson, Central Bridge to Howes Cave, and Cobleskill to DE, they needed coal as well as water. They would just stay with their train to Oneonta, take coal and water, turn, and then help a northbound train back to Mohawk Yard or Mechanicville. That could be justified, because the predominent tonnage direction was northbound, either northbound coal or eastward traffic to the B&M.

Gordon Davids