Eastern Railroad Discussion > "First Revenue Run In 12 Years" NYS&W Utica, NY Branch

The New York, Susquehanna & Western's Binghamton-Utica, NY branch is 95 miles long although the Utica branch proper begins 12 miles north of Binghamton in Chenango Forks where the Susquehanna's Binghamton-Syracuse/Binghamton-Utica lines diverge.

The first 60 miles of the Utica branch north of Chenango Forks were severely damaged by flooding in 2006 and 2011. Last year, the line re-opened though only to a few light engine moves/work trains.

Today marked the first time since July 2006 that revenue freight moved up the branch from Binghamton. Two bulkhead flats were bound for a customer in New York Mills, NY, a Utica suburb.

This video shows the freight at two locations in North Norwich, NY and one location in Earlville, NY.

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SUPERB !!

Love the human interest and the bovines at Cook's Crossing.

Historic day in upstate New York. Most thought after the floods of 2006 no trains would ever run here again.

Thanks for sharing. That's a good thing someone was flagging the crossing as it took quite some time for the gates to come down. They were still coming down when the train had started crossing the highway.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

It could be that since the line hasn't seen train traffic in a long time and the crossing(s) are set to "island circuit"

Posted from Android

Thanks for documenting this. I remember watching EL locals and one road train go through Oxford and Norwich in the summer of 1975. Glad to see the line becoming a through route once again. This could be a good reroute option if CSX has a blockage on the water level route. I remember in the early 70's Penn Central had a wreck between Syracuse and Utica and rerouted trains from Syracuse to Binghamton then north to Utica over the ex DL&W lines now run by NYS&W.
Steve B.

Excellent video! I'm guessing these two loaded cars were interchanged from NS at Binghamton? NS has been very good at building carload business with their connections in the northeast.

Nicely done.

KG

Thanks for the video.

Excellent post, great to see this line re-activated. Thanks for sharing.

What is the top speed limit for this track , looks like the water is close to the tracks after the train passed the barnyard

Very, very, nice! tracks lok good, why so slow? Also, cant wait to see a winter shot!

What is the depot in the last shot? Looks like a get place to live. Congratulations to the line for finally getting back on track

Posted from iPhone

Even the cows stood up and took notice of the train!

Nice video
Hope it dosen’t rail much. If the lake rises a foot or 2 that could be a problem

Posted from iPhone

Great news for this former DL&W line.

When I was growing up in Utica, my father would often take us to see the evening southbound EL Utica to Binghamton freight, first running down the center of Schuyler Street and then we would chase it down the Sauquoit Valley to Clayville, where it would roar through town at close to 50 mph.

During 1972 after Hurricane Agnes, the EL detoured many train on the Utica Branch. I well remember seeing a 100+ car train at Washington Mills headed into Utica.

And here is a picture of the NYS&W operating on former O&W trackage in New Hartford taken just last month!

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mbutte, thanks for sharing those memories and the recent photo.

Indeed when The Bull stormed Paris Hill with a good sized train they really peeled the wall paper off the walls in Clayville !!