Southern Tier - West of Binghamton

NS is changing operations in Gang Mills and Elmira. H06 still operates Sun-Thu but now has crew call at 6 AM. Most of the locals formerly based in Elmira are moving to Gang Mills, with just 3 locals left in Elmira. I will post more information as I get it.

That's a big schedule change for 6. Any intel as to why? Certainly will make chasing it more convenient with a daylight run in both directions on the Secondary.

Poppyl

According to my source, the project is called Operation Clean Sheet. The overall goal with the shuffle is more efficient operations. I guess we'll have to wait and see if that happens. There is a rumor H12 could become a night job, but no official verification yet.

Part of me is happy about easier access to H06. On the other hand, I will miss the epic sunset chases on the Corning Secondary.

NS local H12 is now starting in Gang Mills, and it is an evening/night job. Recent sightings of the eastbound train at Gibson were around 7:00 to 7:30 PM at the end of last week.

NS H06 departed Gang Mills around 11:16 AM this past Ssturday. I don't know if Saturday runs will be a permanent addition to the schedule. The power for H06 on both Thursday and Saturday as a GP38-2 (leading northbound) and an SD40-2 (leading southbound).

Also, H12 has departed Gang Mills after 10 PM on some nights, Local H17 seems to be an early morning run these days, too.

HO-6 coming up the Corning Secondary... For the last few years we camped at the KOA in Watkins Glen. HO would come by between 7 and 9PM and would be blowing the grade crossings early enough that the kids could sit on the hill and be acknowledged by the engineer with a blast. The best was the return past the grounds between 12 and 2 AM. Man - did this guy lean on the Horn - to my delight but not the other campers..Will miss the the blast as the schedule is now daylight.

On Sunday, July 29, at around 10:00 AM, we were surprised by a northbound NS freight in Himrod, NY, running to Geneva.
I was under the impression that freight trains on this line ran at night. It had about 50 cars of mixed freight.
We chased it from Himrod to Kashong.

Lee Carlson

That's H06, it's been running in daylight hours for a good month or two now.

Charlie

Thank you, Charlie. I hope it stays that way for a while. Now when I visit family on Keuka, I will be able to do more fanning.

Owing to a derailment near Pittsburgh, NS is operating two detour trains eastbound on the Tier today... including 26T. NS also had a grain extra (symbol W10) on the Tier this morning.

And this morning at around 0530 an I1T (off schedule 21T Harrisburg to KC double stack train) departed west from Binghamton after having come up the Sunbury line.

There will be a 20T detour on the Tier this afternoon.

Also, the NS OCS is headed to Buffalo and Binghamton. The train departed Altoona westbound this morning, so I am unsure if it will run on the Tier today or tomorrow.

All the chatter says OCS Buffalo to Binghamton on Thursday.
could change of course, but that is the word on the street as of right now. (Tuesday afternoon 8/7)

Scot

According to FB, it's tied down at Bison Yard...

The NS OCS is underway, having passed MP 409 in Lancaster about 10 minutes ago -as per a report from FB. This train should meet NS I3K somewhere between Arkport and Gang Mills.