Greg Moore wrote:Just outside the tunnel to the Empire connection the 3rd rail starts (there's also catenary for emergency use).
That's where the switch over is made.
Once the trains are unloaded, they move to Sunnyside, looped, I believe refueled and brought back into Penn.
I can't recall if restocking the cafe cars on the longer routes is still done in Sunnyside or has been moved directly into Penn (I've read both)
No refuel in Sunnyside all trains are filled or topped off in Albany. The change over to third rail is at CP Empire, basically the U section of the Empire tunnel. Coming north out of the station we start once we he clear A interlocking. Total time on third rail is less than a mile.
The entire section of railroad from CP Empire to MNRR is the Empire connection, not just the tunnel.
I believe the cafes are stocked in Sunnyside. There used to be one or two that were stocked out of Penn. Back in the day we would get in route issues from the Penn commissary.