Trains on CSX St. Lawrence Sub (CR's Montreal Secondary)

There are only two daily trains: Northbound Q620 (Selkirk-Massena), southbound Q621 (Massena-Selkirk). Both work Norwood and Watertown on the weekdays. There are around 3 Monday-Friday local trains between Massena and Syracuse: B785 (Massena-Canton Turn), B778 (Watertown Based Local), and some B train that's Woodard based (Maybe B773?). Other than that, there's no other trains between that stretch other than random military trains to/ from Fort Drum which run during the spring and the fall.

If the ethanol plant in Fulton is open you get occasional unit trains going there too. I think the Woodard job now handles all the Fulton sub stuff, but I could be wrong.

A northbound went up this morning 7/21 with third out a genset unit of some sort, bright orange hood top and frame with yellow hood sides. 4 axles. No visible markings and I couldn't make out the number on it. A CSX GP40 was behind it.

Yea, no idea on who owns the genset. number on it was 2608 no name of company on it.

Based on 620/621 and the locals, no mention is made of how the traffic is getting from Massena across the border. How is that happening?

Here is what I see re: the current CSX - CN interchange operation on the Massena line:

CSX trains hauling CN interchange:
Q620 Selkirk, NY to Massena, NY Daily Works Dewitt Yard - Syracuse, NY, & Watertown, NY
Q621 Massena, NY to Selkirk, NY Daily Works Watertown, NY, & DeWitt Yard - Syracuse, NY.
B762 Massena, NY to Huntington, QC and return Mon-Fri

CN Trains hauling CSX interchange:
M32621 Huntingdon, QC (CSXT) to Taschereau Yard - Montreal, QC Wed-Mon
M32721 Taschereau Yard - Montreal, QC to Huntingdon, QC (CSXT) Wed-Mon

If B762 doesn't run weekends, that must be a large southbound pickup on Mondays.

CSX B798 runs daily and shuttles Q621 and Q620 between Massena and the CN interchange, typically the same crew will bring Q620 north and then bring Q621 back to Massena or vice versa. B762 might be the symbol for the job that runs to Beauharnois , QC to handle all the traffic that is destined for there, that traffic is set off/picked up in Norwood or Massena.

A friend tells me they're doing ties and pulling up a lot of unused track on the Fulton Sub the last couple weeks. Leads to Armstrong gone, NYO&W engine house track gone, etc.

Military train went up I think Friday too.

Today (this afternoon) and once more in the past week, I have found a Northbound parked just clear of the private crossing near the Jeffords Steel facility in Potsdam, NY. Both trains had two units and 30 to 40 cars. Both trains did not appear to have a crew aboard? In both cases, the trains were gone an hour later. I have never before seen this location used for "holding". Can anyone shed some light on this, what was going on? Thanks.

Bigt wrote:Today (this afternoon) and once more in the past week, I have found a Northbound parked just clear of the private crossing near the Jeffords Steel facility in Potsdam, NY. In both cases, the trains were gone an hour later. Can anyone shed some light on this, what was going on? Thanks.

Is the nearest diner within walking distance?

BR&P...well, now you mention it, there is a Dunkin Donuts / Kentucky Fried Chicken place a couple hundred yards up from where they were parked. Would they be parked for a meal break...is that allowed? Years ago, the local crew would tie up in Canton for lunch, but, they were usually meeting one of the "big jobs" coming north from Dewitt. I've never seen one of the big trains do this.

I can't speak for what "is allowed" nor how CSX does things. I WILL say that it's been my experience that any time there is a good place to eat or an ice cream stand adjacent to the tracks, there is always a path through the bushes from one to the other.

I've seen the local tie up in Evans Mills, next to Stewarts.

I was headed into the yard in Utica to work an Adirondack train one morning. The driveway was blocked by CSX, making a pick-up from the MA&N. As I sat there waiting for them to clear, here comes the conductor with a tray from Dunkin. He'd walked the long way around to get there...

Very common to see trains stop in Liverpool just below the Old Liverpool Road crossing to go to Heid's. Even have seen the road trains stop there a few times.