Interesting Week NYS&W Utica Branch Dec 4-11 2020

On Friday, December 4th, NYS&W No. 3040 experienced a mechanical failure in Washington Mills while returning its train of four covered hoppers to Utica from Sangerfield, 23 miles to the south. On Monday, December 7th, Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern loaned the Susquehanna No. 2453, a C425 ALCo built in 1964 (itself a veteran of the Utica line when under Erie-Lackawanna ownership) to handle Utica branch duties while 3040 was sidelined. No. 2453 remained on the NYS&W until Friday, December 11th, when No. 3040 resumed its duties.

Many railfans traveled to the Utica area to catch No. 2453 back on home rails, including a fairly good-sized contingent who watched 2453 and 3040 switch FX Matt Brewery on Utica's Schuyler Street on December 11th.

Here are some video links:

Dec 7th MA&N Delivery of 2453 & "Rescue" of 3040:

Dec 9th 2453 Southbound on Schuyler:

Dec 11th 2453 & 3040 Switching FX Matt Brewery:

A few photos:

1) Dead on the main, Washington Mills, Dec. 4th

2) After delivering 2453, the MA&N crew is pictured here at the easterly end of the Susquehanna's Utica yard, Dec. 7th

3) 3040 & 2453 on Schuyler Street, Dec. 11th

I saw a question the other day when I watched the YT video of the brewery switch, but it hadn't been answered and I'm too lazy to sift through all the comments now to see if it has -- Was the reliability of whatever fix they made to 3040 in question? (as in "We think we figured out the problem, but we're not sure if that was it or not.") for them to bring 2453 along too? It sounded like 2453 was the operating engine for the beginning of the switch, but by the time they came back out of the brewery light to pick up the empties and head into the yard it sounded like 3040 was running instead. The Alco "chug" definitely gave way to the EMD "whine" at some point in that. It also looked like there were extra RR staff on hand for this one, unless the trucks in the parking lot at the beginning were unrelated?