Portageville Bridge Replacement, Future Tier Traffic

[CPSmith]

K4 has it right. As a dyed-in-the-wool capitalist, $$$ talks and will dictate when (not if) the bridge is replaced. Traffic volume is everything.

Have a great long weekend everyone!

[poppyl]

Since it has been stated that NYDOT has its funding, when will the project begin?

Poppyl

[ccutler]

The real problem with the Southern Tier between Binghamton and Campbell Hall is that Buffalo...formerly a major industrial center...is a fraction of its former self. The area originates/terminates much less traffic, along with most of upstate NY, so of course the rail lines would bypass it if other routes have better grades. And NYC, once a major industrial center, now imports most goods and exports 1. garbage and 2. financial products [also mostly garbage].

On the other hand, if there is enough truck traffic traveling the NYS Thruway, and CSX isn't capturing it, then a few grades and turns may not be such an obstacle for NS intermodal on the Southern Tier. Replacing a >>135<< year old bridge would help increase train speeds to be more truck-competitive.

135 years old? Its not even steel! Just wrought iron. The Portage Bridge must be just waiting to fall down.

[RSD15]

16 hours Port Newark to Bison is competitive with CSX to Selkirk to Frontier.

CSX Q100 makes Buffalo to North Bergen in a little less than 9 hours.

[Matt Langworthy]

16 hours Port Newark to Bison is competitive with CSX to Selkirk to Frontier.

CSX Q100 makes Buffalo to North Bergen in a little less than 9 hours.

How about to Port Newark or Oak Island?

[blockline4180]

16 hours Port Newark to Bison is competitive with CSX to Selkirk to Frontier.

CSX Q100 makes Buffalo to North Bergen in a little less than 9 hours.

How about to Port Newark or Oak Island?

Probably no more then 11 hours, maybe 10.

[SecaucusJunction]

I do remember that back around the time of the merger, NS was bragging that they could run stacks on the tier with 30 mins of the NYC route... But those were stack times, not high priority trailers... Also that was from Croxton.

[conrailsharedassets]

Hi Everyone,

I have also heard that NS is currently or will shortly be hiring crews out of Binghamton to Work South on the CP Sunbury Sub as well.

I'm not sure exactly what is going on, but the bottom line is we will ulitmately see more trains in and out of and through Binghamton. With all of the Gas Drilling business and NS Corridor Projects, traffic and traffic patters that don't currently exist may and probably will exist in the future.

No matter what way you look at it, the future for railroading including lines like the Southern Tier is very bright!

JIm

[poppyl]

I expect that the Sunbury sub will be a key link between the Crescent and Patriot corridors. What I don't know is how much traffic NS can put on the sub under its CP agreement.

Poppyl

[K4Pacific]

Today, September 6, 2010 at 3:50, train #310 returned to Gang Mills.  H2R is no more, and 310 had been renewed. This from RS Perry. Thank You.

[bwparker1]

Today, September 6, 2010 at 3:50, train #310 returned to Gang Mills.  H2R is no more, and 310 had been renewed. This from RS Perry. Thank You.

For those of us who don't follow NS symbols, can you enlighten the significance of this change? H2R was probably a local, is 310 a road train, but performing the same services? Thanks - BWP

[Matt Langworthy]

Today, September 6, 2010 at 3:50, train #310 returned to Gang Mills.  H2R is no more, and 310 had been renewed. This from RS Perry. Thank You.

For those of us who don't follow NS symbols, can you enlighten the significance of this change? H2R was probably a local, is 310 a road train, but performing the same services? Thanks - BWP

H2R was basically a local that ran between Bison Yard and Silver Springs. 310 and its counterpart 309 are longer trains that run between Bellevue (OH) and Gang Mills. K4's post is quite relevant to this discussion IMO, because it means 2 more trains are passing over the Portageville Bridge on a daily basis. Just guessing, I'd say the change was made due to increased traffic, including frac sand going to Holding Point and local shortlines like the Wellsboro & Corning RR.

Source for the symbols: http://www.jreb.org/ns/index.php?topic=6342.0 NOTE: you have to join that message board to see the link. It is an excellent source of NS-related information, so I strongly recommend it.

[poppyl]

Just to add to Matt's comments, HO6 (the interchange with FGLK) has been hauling longer strings lately -- mostly covered salt hoppers for Watkins Glen.

It will be interesting to see how Gang Mills handles the additional volume as it looks pretty full most of the time now and strings are parked west of the yard and up in North Corning. Good problem for the yardmaster to have, I guess.

Poppyl

[K4Pacific]

I'd try to get photos of trains by the concrete milepost on the Southern Tier Line as quick as you can this fall. A project is starting west out of Binghamton this fall to put up the new reflector signs and pulling out the original concrete ones. Safety first. Know where you are with the reflector signs.

[bwparker1]

It will be interesting to see how Gang Mills handles the additional volume as it looks pretty full most of the time now and strings are parked west of the yard and up in North Corning. Good problem for the yardmaster to have, I guess.

Poppyl

Ever time I have driven by Gang Mills, it has looked packed. Last time would have been spring/summer, 2008, but it was packed then...