Eastern Railroad Discussion > Along the ex-D&H...

I've been coming to upstate New York for my entire life, having family near Cooperstown. I've never had much time to railfan the area though. I'm up here now to handle some family business, but I found some time this afternoon to get out along the old D&H line that parallels Route 7. As I understand it, traffic on this line is fairly light these days. If anyone has any info on train symbols, general times of day that are busier, and any other info that may be of use, I'd love to hear it :)

I was able to find an NS manifest this evening after half an hour or so of train hunting.

1) An NS manifest approaches an overpass outside of Oneonta

2) Weaving through the woods outside of Otego

3) I left the train in Unadilla, as I was having trouble staying ahead of it and wanted to get back north/east before sunset.

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4-6) While I was waiting for that manifest, I paid a visit to the famous Cooperstown Junction GG1s. I haven't gotten down to see these in a few years. While they're in a rather sorry state, I'm honestly of the (likely fairly unpopular) opinion that given the sheer number of well-preserved GG1s, it's honestly pretty interesting to see how nature has chosen to reclaim such impressive machines.

Thanks for viewing! I hope to get up to this region one day for a dedicated railfan trip.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/01/24 16:44 by atx_railfan.

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Very nice !!!!!

The train looks like maybe it is 30T out of Saratoga Springs. Others may have a firm ID.

Your first image is from the Pony Farm overpass as they leave Oneonta.
2nd image looks to be behind Stewart Anderson's pond at Otego with Franklin Mountain as a backdrop. I used to live about 1/4 down the street.
3rd is coming into Wells bridge, always a nice location.

I can't say what is running and when anymore as I've been away 3 years.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/01/24 16:49 by train1275.

Last photos: How the mighty have fallen.

Victor Baird

How is it possible there is no graffiti on those GG-1's?  I find that remarkable.  They have been at that location for a LONG time.

Topfuel Wrote:
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> How is it possible there is no graffiti on those
> GG-1's?  I find that remarkable.  They have been
> at that location for a LONG time.

They're pretty remote. Not a lot of graffiti in those parts. Also possible that their exact location just isn't super known amongst folks who aren't railfans given how out of the way it is. I've got a non-railfan friend in the urban-exploration community who knows of them but otherwise they're much further from a major city than, say, the abandoned passenger cars on the SD&A

Most unusual keystone on the GG-1.  I'm unable to read the text.  Can someone please enlarge and post as a separate photo?  Would be greatly appreciated.
jb

boejoe Wrote:
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> Most unusual keystone on the GG-1.  I'm unable to
> read the text.  Can someone please enlarge and
> post as a separate photo?  Would be greatly
> appreciated.
> jb

here's a close-up I got

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train1275 Wrote:
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> Very nice !!!!!
>
> The train looks like maybe it is 30T out of
> Saratoga Springs. Others may have a firm ID.
>

A post on the NS D&H and Southern Tier lines Facebook page confirms this train as Montreal/Saratoga Springs to Binghamton manifest 30T. 

Generally there are six daily road freights that operate on the ex-D&H between Binghamton and Schenectady: 30T and its northbound counterpart 31T, Binghamton to/from Berkshire & Eastern (ie, Pan Am Southern) manifest pair 16R/11R, and Chicago to/from Mechanicville/Ayer intermodal pair 264/265. Also a few times per month, 46A, a loaded unit grain from BNSF is interchanged with B&E at Mechanicville destined for Ardent Mills at Ayer - the empty train is symbolled 47A.

In the next few months it is anticipated that 264/265's Ayer IM traffic will be separated from its Mechanicville IM block so Southern New England IM traffic will get a quicker ride via the superior CSX B&A route (and will eventually be double stacked once the clearances on the ex-B&M/PAR Worcester main are improved). I have no idea how this traffic separation will manifest on the D&H, though. Might be another train pair?