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RE: (erielack) Erie in Upstate New York
I'll second the fact that the the neighborhood around the shops is not very
nice these days.
I grew up in Utica, and in fact, my parents grew up on Water Street when the
O&W and DL&W yards were very busy.
Years ago it was pretty safe, because I remember sitting with my Father
1950-ish by the Murray Warehouse many nights watching the NYC great steel
fleet come through. Names like the "Wolverine", "Pacemaker" and "20th
Century Limited" "Empire State Express" were very common. Since my mom
has already passed away, and the statute of limitations has probably run out
by now, I also remember her telling us a long time ago, 1920-ish how she'd
climb DL&W hoppers and throw down a couple lumps of coal during the
Depression, since they needed heat for the meager house. She even
recalled the "blue" coal which was coal sprayed at the breaker to show
whether a coal car was tampered with between the breaker and final dealer.
Often they would walk the tracks looking for anything that spilled, or fell
out of the hoppers.
These days its a "housing development." No more coal cars in Walter's yard
anymore that I can remember. Safest way to see the old shops is to go North
across the Genesee St. bridge, and go down to the left by the MA&N tracks
looking North to South. There is a road that parallels the NYC tracks that
goes back almost to the North-South Arterial, with a lot less chance of
getting a brick through the window. You can basically see anything stored
outside the shops.
I believe that the interchange in Utica disappeared after a major wreck on
the Conrail lines just West of the Genesee street bridge. It tore up mucho
trackage, including Walter's switch into the NYSW yard. Conrail, being the
good guys they are, didn't put the switch back in, making access to the yard
very difficult.
I believe, and its old data, the only two Utica customers relatively busy
are the old Mohawk Container plant, now Jefferson Smurfit in New Hartford,
and McGrath Beverages in New York Mills. Its been some time since I've
been through there, but that is my bet for biggest active customers in the
Utica area.
Good luck and be safe.
JSSW
- -----Original Message-----
From: erielack-owner_@_lists.railfan.net
[mailto:erielack-owner_@_lists.railfan.net]On Behalf Of Bill K.
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2001 4:17 AM
To: Schuyler G Larrabee; Ken; erielack
Subject: Re: (erielack) Erie in Upstate New York
If you know where to look you can sometimes find an NYS&W unit parked at an
industry on the south side of the city, and of course their loco shop and so
forth is right next to the mainline a ways west of Union Station. (This is
as far as hte branch came, about 3/4 mile south of the Thruway). It's
opposite a public housing development - not a nice neighborhood - but the
brick building to this day reads Erie Lackawanna RR on it. NYS&W moved
their interchange to Syracuse, so most traffic is power in and out of their
shop - as far as I know most of the industries on that end are pretty quiet,
with exception of the one on the south side always has 3 or 4 boxcars around
it and crews seem to outlaw there, thus the power I've seen. There's some
other industry further south; an Agway or two and some other things, but
this side is the quieter of the two. I keep hearing rumors they would like
to stop operating above Sherburne or another intermediate point, and turn it
over to someone else - but I don't know that there is any real base to them.
It would be nice though if they could manage something to give it to MA&N or
the Adarondack RR and get rights for trains to cross CSX easily.
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Schuyler G Larrabee" <sgl2_@_ix.netcom.com>
To: "Ken" <lackawanna_@_iname.com>; "erielack" <erielack@lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2001 10:01 PM
Subject: Re: (erielack) Erie in Upstate New York
> Ken B. tells us:
> > Just got back from a trip to Cooperstown, NY. I stayed in Little Falls,
> > which is east of Utica. Having taken the Thruway from Buffalo, I passed
> > Utica.
>
> and asked:
>
> > Is the Erie Utica Branch still around in the Thruway area? Or does
> > the Thruway cross its right-of-way?
>
> Ken, that was the DL&W branch that went to Utica, the "U" part of the
> Lackawanna S&U branch. It's operated by NYS&W these days, complete with
> street running on Schuyler Street (How is it that I can remember that
> name??? 8^) ) in Utica. It doesn't cross the Thruway ROW as it didn't
> cross the NYC in town, at least as far as I know. I don't know how much
> traffic there is on that line these days, can anybody comment on that?
>
> Ken further asked:
>
> > While driving in Buffalo, I spotted a yard to the right of the Thruway
> > (west or south). Far in the distance was an open drawbridge. I recall
a
> > Trains article about Buffalo some years ago which, I recall, said that
the
> > bridge was, I think, the old Lackawanna main. Did I remember correctly?
>
> But I can't help there.
>
> Schuyler Larrabee
>
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