A longtime friend, Ian Clark, has begun to post some photos of his time trackside in the 1990's to the internet. Ian was a quick friend of mine during my time at Syracuse University and he took time to show me the ropes on NYS&W and Conrail in the area. He's a gifted photographer and in sharing some of his 'just another day trackside' images, I can draw great information for the Onondaga Cutoff.
This is an Ian Clark image of NYS&W's SY-1, the Syracuse, NY based crew that handled interchange with Conrail and local road freight work in the area. By 1995 they were doing their interchange at Dewitt Yard, using trackage rights over Conrail from their junction at CP 293 west of town to get on the main line.
What a wealth of information here! First, we have four units including a GP18, SD45, B40-8 and F45, all in the attractive 'yellowjacket' paint. We have the train on the North Runner at Dewitt with the large engine service facility in the background, with various Conrail power being serviced as well as an entire 'camp train' for the track gang - the white trailers on flat cars.
Later that morning, Ian captured SY-1 leaving Dewitt, this time at CP 286 on the Chicago Line in East Syracuse, NY. They are coming west on the North Runner for their 6-mile run out to Solvay to regain their own track. This shot reminds me that I need some code lines as seen on the left, and shows a nice mix of freight cars that confirms the current makeup of the train as modeled.
Both of these images, while familiar to me, were freshly reconsidered thanks to Ian's Facebook posts. Having resources like this and reflecting on how to improve our models helps the cause.
Likewise it's fun to share the hobby and layout with young people, including my sons Teddy & Pete, both shown having some fun while switching Euclid Yard. I work to teach them to be careful with the delicate models and the throttles, but also to enjoy the trains and have fun working together moving cars.
It remains a wonderful hobby, and a great way to share time together for friends and for family. I am grateful for both!
~RGDave
In your second picture, what is the yellow engine on the right? It looks like a former GE E60 or something? Very unusual, and nice pictures. I remember seeing lots of Conrail "Camp Cars" parked in Utica during the 1980s and 1990s. I guess now they use hotels.
ReplyDeleteGood catch! That's the Pandrol facility that used the old NYC engine house for many years. They had a bunch of rebuilt F40PH's with custom cabs for their rail grinder trains, and that is one of them. There was always something interesting there!
DeleteDave: just watched your OPSig session on remote ops on your layout. More impressive even than what you're doing for ops is your enthusiasm and your attitude towards the hobby. As a fellow 40-something lifelong model railroader it is great to hear your voice and see your influence in the hobby community. Keep it up and hope to get to operate your layout (and share some beers with you) sometime in the future! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteBrian, thanks for your kind words! It's a pleasure to share the hobby but even moreso now while we all deal with the pandemic and the challenges it presents. Operations is fun and the remote aspect is a whole new paradigm, and one I am glad to be able to share. Thank you!
DeleteAs a side note for you, there are a variety of discussions on this general topic over at the 'A ModelersLife' podcast https://www.amodelerslife.com/ - I was invited to do some interviews with host Lionel Strang which were released in February 2020, and it's been a lot of fun discussing the hobby and life in general. Take a listen and let me know what you think!