Dresden - Penn Yan mixed train

The Dresden to Penn Yan mixed train outlived all other Pennsylvania Division passenger trains by many years and ran as an isolated service. Why did the mixed train last for so long and what was its purpose. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

Mixed train would have hit Sterling Salt (Now Cargill), U.S. Salt, and outher industries in Watkins along with outher points North in Penn Yan, Balona. Both Salt Mines are still active and are now serviced by the Finger Lakes Railway along with parts of the old PRR to Penn Yan. Balona has not seen a train sents the late 90's when Wicks Lumber closed up.

!@#$%, SRS125, please don't post random speculation - you have no idea what you are talking about and are only confusing the issue. Your post is totally wrong - please edit it! Speculation is OK if identified as such but don't state "facts" which are not accurate at all.

I can't answer the question asked, but the salt mines served by FGLK are in Watkins Glen on the former PRR. Bellona (NOT "Balona") and points north are also on the old PRR. The Dresden-Penn Yan line being asked about was New York Central.

NYC and PRR did NOT interchange in Penn Yan. They didn't even have a diamond there. NYC entered town at the level of the Keuka Lake Outlet, while PRR passed on a bridge over it. This is courtesy of 2 useful books- Keuka Lake Memories and he Elmira Branch. The latter book primarily covers PRR's operations in the area but it does briefly discuss NYC's line and operations. However, neither book mentions what NYC handled in Penn Yan during the '50s. Anyone else have any info? I grew up at the other end of Keuka Lake (Hammondsport) and would like to know, too. [/i]

NYC-PRR interchange would have been at Himrod Jct, several miles south. When was Dresden to Penn Yan abandoned, ripped up?

I think the rail is gone I rember asking someone on one of these forms back when the question on the Corning Sec came under fire as to if NS was still runing on it or if they were selling it to FGLK or the LA&L. I rember hereing tales about Finger Lakes cuting down small trees and cleaning the Dresden to Penn Yan section off so that they could store cars on it back around 1999-2001?

NO!! This has been explained before - the line started in Dresden on the NYC. It went into Penn Yan at a much lower elevation than the PRR line which is now FGLK. The line was washed out - if I recall by Agnes in 1972 - and has long since been torn up. It has nothing to do with FGLK as it was gone long before they ever existed.

What little remaining track of the ex-NYC branch in/near Penn Yan after the flood of '72 was removed almost immediately. The line is a paved trail now that runs to the edge of Keuka Lake. The buidlings still standing there now give no clue as to what kind of industries were there in the '50s.

I think the line that FGLK rehabilitated is the former LV Geneva-Kendaia segment.

As I understand it, the mixed train service on the Central's Penn Yan Branch had to do with its charter. As long as trains ran, passsenger accommodations would be made available. "Passenger service" ended up being a seat in a caboose, but it was still "passenger service."

I found an ICC 1918 Valuation record that states the PRR did
interchange with the NYC at Penn Yan.

I know the PRR crosses over the NYC ,and I have hiked the area,
but I have learned to never say never.
I am going back in the spring to search again and check
local records.

I stopped by the old NYC line in Penn Yan this weekend while on a trip to visit family, and I checked out some of the old Burkett Mills buildings. It looks like the Mill could have had NYC and PRR service, since one of the main buldings is right where they cross.

Perhaps the freight interchange was done via this building?

NYC sure interchanged with the PRR at PENN YAN! As I recall in 1965-68 the only cars that were interchanged were "LOCAL" to PENN YAN--inbd/outbd and originated/terminated there. LARRY BAGGERLY SUPT ROCHESTER..NYCRR

Finally, an employee who can shed some light on the speculation! Were the cars interchanged from one line to the other or was the freight transloaded via the mill building?

Cars were interchanged direct---INBD car/cars from PRR to NYC would be P/U by the switcher, and placed for ldg/unldg, and vice versa. As I recall the physical mvmt was made by either PRR or NYC acct particular carspots not accessable to the other RR's property. LARRY BAGGERLY

Larry - Was Penn Yan a reciprocal switching district?
GAD!