Fall railfan trip - 6, Western New York & Pennsylvania

Hi, On our second day on the WNY&P we hit the jackpot; a Driftwood turn with three 6 axle Alco/Mlws. The power ran light to Turtlepoint where it picked up loaded stone cars and took them to Driftwood for interchange with NS. It then brought empty stone cars back to Turtlepoint and returned light to Olean.

We caught the light power in Eldred, PA (above and below) and

arriving in Turtlepoint.

While the Driftwood Turn picked up its cars we went looking for our next location. We found it on the south side of Port Allegany (above and below).

We gave chase and cought the train at two spots south of Port Allegany (above and below),

Keating, PA,

Emporium, PA, (above and below),

and Cameron (above and two below).

There is a much nicer location along the water, however, it takes some time to find your way into it. While Jim was able to follow someone else into this location I was too slow and therefore too late to get the prime shot.

A friend told us about this spot in North Driftwood.

We had  a nice lunch at the Driftwood Saloon and Grill. Then we went looking for this NS DC to AC AC44C6CF that Jim knew about. NS had arranged to have it tested by WNY&P, however, it never passed WNY&P inspection and was parked on a siding north of Driftwood.

On the northbound run we caught the train at Emprorium,

Keating, and

Allegany.

For our final activity we checked the Farmers Valley Branch where we found the local sitting in Farmers Valley.

Thanks for looking.

Fall railfan trip - 5, Western New York & Pennsylvania

Hi, Tuesday, September 12 was our second all Alco day and our first on the Western New York & Pennsylvania. We had hoped for a Driftwood train but it was not to be. However all was not lost.

As the railroad will not let railfans on the property it is impossible to go into the office in Olean, NY and ask for a lineup of the day's activities. The the best practice is to arrive outside the yard near the engine terminal about 8 AM, park along the road, watch what is going on and listen to the scanner. While we waited we took photos of the locomotives in the engine terminal.

Shortly after our arrival at the engine terminal a crew boarded Alco C-430 number 431 and they trundled off into the yard trailing six axle units 636 and 637. After picking up three cars they left town running as the Farmers Valley Turn. Note there is an Alco C-424 directly behind the 431. The train is on the connection between the former Erie and the former Pennsy.

Some other fans we ran into speculated the six axle power would be dropped at Eldred, PA, just across the state line, for fueling. Apparently fuel taxes are lower in Pennsylvania.

When the power for the Farmers Valley Turn left the engine terminal it uncovered another six axle, this one obtained from the Arkansas & Missouri (above and two below).

The locomotive switching cars was a former Delaware & Hudson RS-3 which the D&H had rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen in 1974/1975 into an RSM and painted into a bi-centennial scheme.

Soon another crew reported, pulled the remaining six axles from the engine terminal, sandwiched the former A&M unit between the two remaining former Cartier units and headed east to Cuba, NY. They are shown crossing the diamond with the Pennsy's former Buffalo line (above and below).

Our next location was a grade crossing just west of Cuba (above and below). The yellow in the photos was Golden Rod which was in full bloom all over the area.

In Cuba the lead east end locomotive was detached and picked up two cars leaving the former A&M locomotive clear of obstruction (above two below).

The two cars were then coupled onto the former A&M unit for the trip back to Olean.

A few blocks east of the diamond the railroad crosses Olean Creek.

In Olean the power was rearranged into a three unit set and took a train west to the Buffalo & Pittsburgh interchange in Salamanca. We caught the train at Vandalia (above and below), and

Carrollton, NY.

After dropping off the cars for the B&P and picking up its inbound cars the turn passed the former Baltimore & Ohio depot on its way back to Olean.

The view off the US 209 bridge included a field full of Golden Rod. Thanks for looking.

Fall railfan trip - 4, Bath and Hammondsport

Hi, On Monday, September 9 Jim and I began a four day visit to two of the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville's operations; Bath and Hammondaport and Western New York and Pennsylvania.

We began our visit with the Bath and Hammondsport. At Coopers Plains an employee told us that a crew would be going to work shortly. Sure enough, a few minutes later, two Alco C-424s emerged from the engine house,

switched on to the main and headed for Painted Post, a couple of miles south.

There is a new facility in Painted Post where the crew picked up a long string of tank cars. We were unable to determine the purpose of this facility.

As the train pulled I climbed up on a levee (above and below).

We chased the train catching it on the west side of Coopers Plains,

and coming into Savona (above and below).

Spotting cars in Savona and then picking others up there consumed about four hours. The energy facility being serviced is inaccessible. Here the train is getting underway to head back south to Painted Post (above and below).

We chased back catching the train at Campbell

and switching in Painted Post (above and two below).

We never did figure out the purpose of the switching here. Every time we thought we knew what the crew was going to do they did something different. The photo above is from the levee.

Thanks for looking.