Coal drag on West Shore Branch

coming home from work. i saw a coal drag at old BJ's and then followed by a grain train.

Yeah, CSX does use this line--what's your point here?

well..... i never saw a coal drag on the westshore before.

Trains were N758 (coal train to Fort Drum, NY) and G384 (grain train to the Port of Albany). Coal trains not going to Rochester have no reason not to take the Shore (same goes for grain trains since none of them do anything in Rochester). The dispatcher sent them down the Shore because he had the hotshot intermodal fleet coming through the city.

As previously mentioned, west shore utilized when traffic or work gangs between CP 359 and CP 382 cause congestion on the mains and the "Shore" is utilized as a relief valve. Train type is not a factor.

conrail6479 wrote:well..... i never saw a coal drag on the westshore before.

I've seen coal drags on the West Shore before. One memorable run through Fairport (in the fall of 2002) had a pair of Soo units for power. As others have stated, there is no reason a coal drag can't bypass the city... unless it's going to Kodak or Russell Station.