Nostalgia & History > Binghamton, New York, Coal Trains, May 1986

I had railfanned the Binghamton area off-and-on when stationed on the East Coast, 1973-1979. But coal trains, loads as well as MTs, and Pittsburgh & Lake Erie motive power were new for me in my Binghamton experience.

1. At 0635 on the foggy morning of 24 May a westbound coal unit train comprised of nothing but P&LE hoppers passed the Lackawana station in Binghamton.
2. This P&LE bay window caboose was the first I had ever seen. 240640 May
3. In the early evening of 24 May we returned to the former D&H yard in Binghamton. Helpers, led by Maine Central (formerly D&H) U23B #283 were being coupled up to an eastbound loaded coal train. 241920 May

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4. Eastbound out of the former D&H yard the Belden Hill pushers were really digging in for the climb. Guilford (D&H) U33C #650 is down on its hands and knees. 241930 May
5. Further up the Hill, at Sanitaria Springs, New York, I lensed D&H GP38-2 #7314 on the point of the eastbound coal unit train. 242010 May
6. Margin notes in my slide log simply read "deafening" as the Belden Hill pushers work their guts out, eastbound at Sanitaria Springs. 242015 May



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/12 09:06 by captrr.

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Great lashups!
JB

Fantastic stuff, so glad you got these.

I miss Bingo.

Man, that crew had brass balls to ride that hack with that much shoving on it...

That Binghamton station building is interesting from the bits that can be seen. It has a resembalance to the Portland, Or. Station. Anyone have some comparative photographs of the two stations?

Iwilton, here are links to two additional views of the Lackawanna depot in Binghamton I shot in October 1984:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/captain_railroad/5224669710/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/captain_railroad/5224669516/

All my views of the Portland, Oregon, station are shot from trackside as I was passing through on through trains.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/12 00:41 by captrr.

SD45X Wrote:
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> Man, that crew had brass balls to ride that hack
> with that much shoving on it...


Are you kidding!!! Two out of the three units are dead and the third unit is only running on 10 cylinders!!! LOL