My first video from my recent Maine trip is out now. Amtrak action all around, no freight... yet.
https://youtu.be/-h0tjgK8toA
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
Harrison My first video from my recent Maine trip is out now. Amtrak action all around, no freight... yet. https://youtu.be/-h0tjgK8toA
Nice catches Harrison! Good to see White River Junction's still there!
I've been in Maine over the weekend and busy with other things. Here are two videos, one from Waterville Maine and the other from Port Douglas near where I live. Enjoy...
https://youtu.be/-LL0uh1FGrU
https://youtu.be/cS_8eYVO2NY
A great few hours were spent chasing trains on the CP and CN/NECR lines north of me, on the fringe of Canada, yesterday. Enjoy the video!
https://youtu.be/S90pM95rem0
Some nice contrast in lighting is shown in this video of CP 650.
https://youtu.be/7EE23fF2V_Y
I talk about the photography a bit more here:
https://northcountrytrains.wordpress.com/2021/09/08/sunny-while-raining-650-at-south-junction-road/
We're back in Maine with the final part of my Waterville trip. Lots of great Pan Am action in this one, even a little Amtrak at the end.
https://youtu.be/6DqDHm3o7g0
Nice catches there Harrison!
I'm surprised to see those Guilford engines that still have Guilford paint schemes, but I guess whoever owns 'em isn't in a rush to re-paint. It's an expensive proposition any way you look at it.
Flintlock76 Nice catches there Harrison! I'm surprised to see those Guilford engines that still have Guilford paint schemes, but I guess whoever owns 'em isn't in a rush to re-paint. It's an expensive proposition any way you look at it.
Technically the company is still Boston & Maine, although they also call it Guilford. Pan Am has an identity issue...
I'm curious to see what you guys think of this train. 226 cars... I'll explain more in the video.
https://youtu.be/x7BfXM83vec
I somehow can't escape from Pan Am this year... and I'm not complaining! Enjoy my trip to Whitehall, featuring the D&H's best morning railfanning.
https://youtu.be/L-SNBpUaYmU
I watched your longest train video, and your mention of wollastonite reminded me of a geology field trip to the Adirondacks I took almost 50 years ago. The Adirondacks are one of the more interesting geologic provences. I checked the shelf with my better rock samples, and a good chunk of wollastonite is still there. It's a white splintery calcium silicate mineral, often associated with metamorphism around limestones. It has some of the properties of asbestos, and has found increased use as a substitute, among other uses.
Thanks Midland Mike! That is a very nice chunk, probably can't find one like that anymore.
Did someone say F-units? On the D&H? Coming right up!
https://youtu.be/8Nqj0Wmver0
Great catches Harrison! Thanks!
Possibly my last Pan Am catch is in this video, from a trip south about a month ago.
https://youtu.be/8-wudbLS7Ls
Ignore the "Black Hole" everyone, click on the YouTube link.
And watch it! That's an order!
Harrison,
Can you comment on the bridge that ends short of the trackin the video . Did it cross the RR at some past time?
From your video and my SPV rail atlas, it seems that Mechanicville west to CPF478 (where the line splits between CP and PanAm) is owned by CP; and PanAm's "Rotterdam Branch" is isolated from the rest of the system by those trackage rights. Also I wonder where the CP-NS divide occurs.
Electroliner 1935 Harrison, Can you comment on the bridge that ends short of the trackin the video . Did it cross the RR at some past time?
It's actually a dam/lock on the Mohawk River/former Erie Canal. It's called Lock 10, and is a popular railfanning location from both sides.
MidlandMike From your video and my SPV rail atlas, it seems that Mechanicville west to CPF478 (where the line splits between CP and PanAm) is owned by CP; and PanAm's "Rotterdam Branch" is isolated from the rest of the system by those trackage rights. Also I wonder where the CP-NS divide occurs.
The CP/NS split is at the Schenectady interlocking- but CP trains and crews never go south of Mohawk yard, unless there is a GE move. Pan Am uses the CP Freight Line between CPF 477-8 and Mechanicville. I have a strong feeling that once CSX buys Pan Am, the already nearly dead Rotterdam Branch will close down.
HarrisonIt's actually a dam/lock on the Mohawk River/former Erie Canal. It's called Lock 10, and is a popular railfanning location from both sides.
Found it on Google Maps. Thanks Harrison.
I head back to my old favorite- the River Line- for this video. Enjoy some nice morning action!
https://youtu.be/uF6U6ata-as
Have you considered getting a microphone wind shield?
Harrison MidlandMike From your video and my SPV rail atlas, it seems that Mechanicville west to CPF478 (where the line splits between CP and PanAm) is owned by CP; and PanAm's "Rotterdam Branch" is isolated from the rest of the system by those trackage rights. Also I wonder where the CP-NS divide occurs. The CP/NS split is at the Schenectady interlocking- but CP trains and crews never go south of Mohawk yard, unless there is a GE move. Pan Am uses the CP Freight Line between CPF 477-8 and Mechanicville. I have a strong feeling that once CSX buys Pan Am, the already nearly dead Rotterdam Branch will close down.
Does PanAm also interchange with NS at Mokawk Yard. Looking at Mohawk Yard on Google Earth, I was suprised how small it is. Is it used for anything besides interchanging trains?
Mohawk is pretty much just for interchange. It used to be a major interchange with NYC (present day CSX), but now there is very little traffic for them. After that it would go into Selkirk via the Albany Main and Voorheesville, and now I think it goes through Kenwood and Albany. Pan Am will run a RJ-1 or XO-1 into Mohawk every couple of weeks, and CP runs from Saratoga to Mohawk and back every so often as well.
Hey Harrison!
I went looking for a history of the abandoned Catskill Mountain Railway and found this film from 1906! (The railroad was abandoned in 1918)
Who knows? You may have been shooting video from one the bridges pictured in this 115 year old film!
Thought you (and others) might enjoy seeing it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIfOW853zpc
One of the commenters on your "Live Stream" Friday night wondered about seeing a steam train on the West Shore's Catskill Creek Bridge. I've been looking in the archives here at the "Fortress Flintlock" but haven't found anything yet, but if I do, I'll let you know.
Harrison, I am starting to get some idea how CP's ex-D&H is run. Do you have a list of CP and NS trains that run on the line?
MidlandMikeHarrison, I am starting to get some idea how CP's ex-D&H is run. Do you have a list of CP and NS trains that run on the line?
Harrison recently answered that very question about the line between Schenectady and Binghamtom in this thread:
http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/289895.aspx
Now we just need him to provide the details north of Schenectady, which I am sure he will soon enough!
adkrr64 MidlandMike Harrison, I am starting to get some idea how CP's ex-D&H is run. Do you have a list of CP and NS trains that run on the line? Harrison recently answered that very question about the line between Schenectady and Binghamtom in this thread: http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/289895.aspx Now we just need him to provide the details north of Schenectady, which I am sure he will soon enough!
MidlandMike Harrison, I am starting to get some idea how CP's ex-D&H is run. Do you have a list of CP and NS trains that run on the line?
Sure thing. I may do a video on it at some point, if I deem it's not to "open". Some employees don't like their schedules shared, but when I'm directly asked, I do not hesitate.
The NS trains 22K/23K and 11R/16R I mentioned on the Freight Line thread are Pan Am Southern (PAS) trains, and go to Ayer over the B&M. They take the CP Freight Line at Burnt Hills to get to Mechanicville, where Pan Am/B&M takes over.
31T/30T are NS run-throughs to CN at Rouses Point. They run over trackage rights to Saratoga or Ballston Spa, where CP handles them north to Rouses Point. Between Saratoga and Bingo they handle all Canadian traffic for southern points, basically the modern version of RW6/WR1. North of Saratoga, they handle CN traffic for southern points, so the trains grow substantially shorter. At Rouses Point CN takes them to and from Montreal.
252/253 are CP's manifests between Montreal and Saratoga, formerly Bingo before the buyout by NS. They run 6 days a week and are pretty substantial. Their current schedule has them through Plattsburgh during the night, so I don't usually see them. They handle all CP traffic for points south and for Bluff Point, Whitehall, and Albany.
D45 is the Saratoga-Albany turn job, and handles port traffic in addition to any CSX interchange. This I believe is a 5 days a week job, but they often run it as D48 on the other two days, which would be Sunday and Monday.
D11, D13, D40, and D31 are the Bluff, Whitehall/Fort Ed, Saratoga, and Albany locals, respectively. D13 goes north twice a week to the IP mill at Fort Ti, and south to Fort Ed whenever needed. There are a few other D-series locals that run to Fort Ed, Mohawk Yard, and elsewhere when needed.
650/651 are unit ethanol trains for the Port, and run when needed, usually twice a week but they should pick up over the winter.
350 is a loaded grain train for the Port, but doesn't usually run as they combine it with 252/D45. The return loads are split up and rejoin at Montreal.\
I think that's about it! There are some interesting operations in Rouses Point that I can share if inquired apon.
Thanks Harrison. I assume "Bingo" = Binghamton ?
I would also be interested in hearing about Rouses Point, as long as it doesn't get you in trouble with the Border Patrol.
MidlandMike Thanks Harrison. I assume "Bingo" = Binghamton ? I would also be interested in hearing about Rouses Point, as long as it doesn't get you in trouble with the Border Patrol.
Bingo does mean Binghamton.
A daily operation in Rouses Point consists of four trains.
252 and 253 usually meet at Rouses Point, taking turns going through the scanner and coming off/onto the Lacolle sub.
931 and 930 are interchanged to CN at Rouses Point. We have three tracks to work with in total.
The Controlled Siding is about 2.5 miles long, from CPC 188 and CPC 191 (south of the actual MP 191, which is the northernmost milepost.
The "farm tracks" consist of two rather short sidings on the CP Lacolle sub north of the border point, but still in NY.
The usual procedure is for CP to take 931 to the farm tracks, using one or both depending on the length. If it won't fit there, or there's another 931 sitting there, they leave it on the siding just south of CPC 191. During the night, CN brings 930 south as CN 528. They leave it wherever is available, and take 931, symboled as CN 529, north to Montreal. The next morning, a CP crew brings 930 south.
Lately CN has not had nearly enough crews, and so they've been about 5 days a week on average for getting trains to and from Montreal. Some days they just take one south, some just north, and some none at all.
931/930 go through customs under CN control, even if CP brings them through the scanner to and from the farm tracks.
Hope this makes sense.
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