Walter, I'm going from memory on this from what David Fairbanks told me and without digging out the manuscript I have done by rail historian Richard Palmer based in large part on David's recounting which Tabor also used in his book. The Cincinnatus Branch job used to originate out of Cincinnatus until 1929 at which point it was changed to being called out of Cortland. After passenger service(mixed train) ended in January 1939, but while steam was still in use, there was a regular road crew assigned to the Cincinnatus Branch. They would make two trips a day to service the Bordens plant and Reid's creamery in Cincinnatus along with a couple other creameries and whatever other work might be required, mostly coal, farm equipment and other agricultural inputs and outputs. As the milk business dried up service on the branch was cut back to one trip per day. The Cincy crew would also do work up in Homer to fill out their day. After the Syracuse side was dieselized and GE 44 tonner number 52 was assigned to Cortland as its switcher replacing the 0-6-0 steam switcher, is when the practice of swapping power started. With the milk business on the Cincinnatus Branch gone by 1950, service was reduced to three times a week. The road crew would come into Cortland and switch engines with the Cortland switcher crew. The road crew would take 52 down the Cincinnatus Branch while the Cortland switcher crew would use the RS3(s) or GP7(s). Upon return from Cincinnatus, they would return to their respective engines. Later an SW1, 431 was used at Cortland and I have seen shots of one of the high hood Alcos there briefly and an NW2 making an appearance as well. Probably while 431 was in for maintenance. Eventually service on the branch was cut back to twice a week and ultimately a petition for abandonment was filed in June of 1960. The branch was formally abandoned beyond Polkville December 29, 1961 and the rails ripped up beyond that point the following year. Just as an aside, David was on that last passenger carrying train. He said he rode in the cab part of the way. Regards, Will Shultz Walter Smith wrote: > Yes, Joshua, a 44-tonner worked Cortland yard & sometimes went to > Cincinnatus & back with the road crew. I was too late for this fun, but > was told by the old-timers that the practice was for the road crew to > trade engines upon arival at Cortland and take the little engine to > Cincinnatus since the road engine could not be used on the lite track on > the branch. After coming in from the branch, engines were exchanged > aganin & the road crew returned to Binghamton. I GUESS this meant there > was a regular job at Cortland. Can anybody else on the list shed some > light on this or am I one of the last of the mohicans?? > > Walt Smith > > The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List Sponsored by the ELH&TS http://www.elhts.org ------------------------------ End of EL Mail List Digest V3 #2197 ***********************************
This HTML page is © 2000-2008 Blue Moon Online System and The Railfan Network
This page and the data contained therein may not be reproduced
for any form of commercial use without the explicit permission
of J. Henry Priebe Jr. or his duly authorized agent.