What's the freight and passenger traffic on the PRR Elmira Branch. Mostly around Williamsport, PA and Southport, NY?
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
The reason I asked because my friend wants to model the Pennsylvania Elmira Branch. But he wants passenger service that ended in 1956. So he placed it in 1953 running an E7 locomotive. He also wants to run it in 1966, and 1968-72 Penn Central before the hurricane hit.
Bill Caloroso wrote a great book about the Elmira Branch 20-plus years ago. It's long out of print. On those rare occasions when someone sells one online, the asking price is usually a couple hundred dollars or more. There are scads of pictures available in books and online if you can't find that book.
As I remember, the PRR used steam generator-equipped GP7s and FP 7s for passenger service after they pulled the K4's and E6's. Freight engines were I1's, L1's, H9's, and starting around '55, M1's. They supposedly ran Centipedes up there ONCE, but normally used F units, Sharks, GP7's and 9's, later replaced by SD40's and 45's (and other 6-axle power). Diesel switchers were generally the usual END and Alco suspects.
Traffic was largely coal, so your friend will need A LOT of H21 (Bowser or Westerfield) and H2a (Broadway Limited) hoppers. He may want to get hold of John Teichmoller's book about PRR hoppers to help with the fleet. Also, many Montour, Berwind, B&O, and other hoppers rode to Sodus Point. There was also a fair amount of general freight traffic on the branch. One neat feature was the special boxcar the PRR built for loading American LaFrance fire trucks at the plant near Southport Yard.
Story time: There used to be a Little League park alongside Southport Yard. About 40 years ago, a few teammates and I roamed up the embankment and started poking around, till a couple guys in a Penn Central truck chased us away. The remains of the yard were lifted by Conrail about 15-20 years ago, long after your friend's era. The roundhouse area is now occupied by a porta-John company, while the former main was turned into an expressway.
Sorry for rambling. I hope this helps.
From what I gather, based on what someone posted at Trainorders.com, the 1958 completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway severly depleted traffic on the Elmira Branch.
Victor A. Baird
www.erstwhilepublications.com
Lets ask another question.
What's the freight traffic from Williamsport, PA to Southport, NY?
Coal. Lots and lots of coal northbound, lots of empty hoppers southbound. There was also general freight traffic in both directions. You can even model milk trains through the early to mid '50s (at least one creamery still stands along the ROW south of Canton, PA).