Eastern Railroad Discussion > Ithaca Central Railroad - First Day

WATCO's new Ithaca Central Railroad got off the ground yesterday, December 8, 2018.

I got lucky and was in the area to grab a few quick "drive-bys".

1. A Hi-Rail is patrolling north of Spencer, NY heading north between Sayre, PA and Ithaca, NY on the former Lehigh Valley line, most recently operated by Norfolk Southern. This is Hulbert Hollow Road at MP 297.55.

2. & 3. A little later down in Sayre, PA the crew is on board WAMX 4247 and 4248 getting ready to depart. I don't know what time they finally got on their train and left or arrived in Ithaca.

---

---

---

Nice power. Wasn't there a power plant at the end of this line that got unit coal trains? In LV days, anyway.

Ludlowville
New York State Electric & Gas.

No one had proper switch keys to get out. After a four hour wait keys were delivered from Binghamton. By the time they switched the cars they needed to go north the sun was about to set making a dark run to Ithaca and Cargill.

CPR_4000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice power. Wasn't there a power plant at the end
> of this line that got unit coal trains? In LV
> days, anyway.

Cayuga Power Station (aka Milliken Power Station) is still active as a coal-fired peaking plant and last received a unit coal train from Norfolk Southern in Jaunary 2018 or thereabouts. 

"HARD COUPLE"  Lehigh Valley coal train in the late 1960s.  This picture was taken south of Ithaca where a power set was returning to its train and the crew lost track of their "situational awareness" i.e. - They forgot where they uncoupled from their coal drag.

---

".... and that'll do !"