Chasing the Finger Lakes Railway

Finger Lakes Railway; Skaneateles Junction, N.Y.; September 16, 2018

The New York Central's main line once wandered through small towns located at the north end of the Finger Lakes. Once the "Water Level Route" was completed to the north, the original main line became the "Auburn Road" of the NYC, named for one of the villages along the way. The line eventually became a part of Penn Central and then Conrail, then was spun off by Conrail in 1995 when the Finger Lakes Railway (FGLK) was formed. Mindful of its heritage, the FGLK adopted the NYC's lightning stripe paint scheme for its locomotives.

Finger Lakes Railway; Martisco, N.Y.; September 16, 2018

The Finger Lakes Railway is based out of Geneva, N.Y. Its main line, the old Auburn Road, wanders east to a connection with CSX (former New York Central) at Solvay, just outside of Syracuse. From west of Geneva at Canandaigua to Solvay, the railroad runs 76 miles.

Finger Lakes Railway; Fairmount, N.Y.; September 16, 2018

On September 16, 2018, I went looking for a Finger Lakes freight with Mike Burkhart. Sunday is a good day to find train GS-2 (Geneva-Solvay), and we found the train just leaving Auburn heading east behind GP38-2s 2001 and 2003. Our first decent shot was at Skaneateles Junction (top photo), then we chased on to the overhead bridge near Martisco. The train really wanders through the woods, but as it approaches Solvay and Syracuse it gets back into suburbia. There are several NYC depots still located along the line, but Home Depot in Fairmount is not one of them (above).

Finger Lakes Railway; Solvay, N.Y.; September 16, 2018

Once at the interchange it didn't take the crew long to drop the inbound cut of cars and pick up the outbound loads. It took just 45 minutes from the time the train passed the fixed-aspect approach semaphore for Solvay for it to return past the signal (above). Next up on the chase was the old depot at Camillus, now part of a car wash complex (below).

Finger Lakes Railway; Camillus, N.Y.; September 18, 2018

The depot at Martisco requires a bit of a drive into and out, and that will have to wait for another chase. However, the depot at Skaneateles Junction (pronounced "skinny atlas") provided a nice photo prop.

Finger Lakes Railway; Skaneateles Junction, N.Y.; September 18, 2018

The gondolas on the head end directly behind the locomotives were destined to be dropped at Auburn, requiring the train to briefly work the small yard there. With a pause in the action, there was time to launch a drone for an aerial shot.

Finger Lakes Railway; Auburn, N.Y.; September 18, 2018

With the work done in Auburn, the GP38-2 duo made short work getting out of town.

Finger Lakes Railway; Auburn, N.Y.; September 18, 2018

For most of the chase, the pattern for the train was run fast between towns, but slow down in towns. With the train carefully negotiating Auburn, there was time to get ahead of the train as it worked uphill through the S-curves along U.S. 20.

Finger Lakes Railway; Auburn, N.Y.; September 18, 2018

Finger Lakes Railway; Cayuga, N.Y.

Between Auburn and Seneca Falls, the railroad loops north of U.S. 20, then drops south on its approach to Cayuga Lake. Meanwhile, U.S. 20 wanders north to skirt the top part of the lake. As the railroad and highway wander, they cross each other about halfway between the two towns with the highway passing overhead.

The highway crosses above the top of Cayuga Lake; meanwhile, the railroad leaves the village of Cayuga and crosses the very top part of the lake on a causeway.

Finger Lakes Railway; Seneca Falls, N.Y.; September 16, 2018

A wide-angle view shows the puffy white clouds reflected in the blue water of the lake as the train slowly makes its way across the causeway.

Finger Lakes Railway; Cayuga, N.Y.; September 16, 2018

From this point, Seneca Falls is only a couple of miles away, but the train slows down considerably as it approaches the village. There are a ton of neat photo props here, including a NYC passenger station and freight house. We opted to get the scene as the train passed through the town square next to the school.

Finger Lakes Railway; Seneca Falls, N.Y.; September 16, 2018

With the chase almost over, the last village is Waterloo before arriving in Geneva. At Waterloo, the Supreme Court courthouse with its golden dome rises above the town.

Finger Lakes Railway; Waterloo, N.Y.; September 16, 2018

From here the train only had a few miles to go before arriving at the yard in Geneva. We opted to leave the train in Waterloo, capping a wonderful Sunday on the Auburn Road and Finger Lakes Railway.

Full Size Dioramas

United Railroad Historical Society; Boonton, N.J., September 21, 2014

The diorama is something often produced by modelers -- a small scene showing what was or what might have been. But dioramas can often be produced in full size, as well. Such was the case at the  open house held by the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey at its restoration shop in Boonton.

The URHS was established in the late 1980s to assist in the establishment of a state-funded railroad museum; three decades later, the state has yet to act on funding such a project. But back in the beginning, New Jersey Transit was on the brink of a complete modernization of most of its commuter lines in the northern part of the state. The agency asked the URHS which pieces of equipment were worthy of saving. The URHS identified some 60 pieces of equipment and sent the list to NJT. The transit agency gulped -- but to the amazement of everyone, donated nearly all the items on the list.

United Railroad Historical Society; Boonton, N.J., September 21, 2014

The URHS found itself in possession of a ton of equipment including three GG1 electric locomotives, several E8 passenger diesels, a fleet of passenger cars and some former multiple-unit electric cars that worked for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western; there was a host of other equipment as well. The collection was put into temporary storage at a variety of locations around the state awaiting the funding for the state museum. A restoration yard of sorts was established at one of the sites in Lebanon, N.J. As the years dragged on, though, and no museum was forthcoming, one by one the owners of the "temporary" storage locations asked URHS to move its equipment. A permanent site needed to be found.

One thing URHS was able to accomplish was getting some of the equipment restored. Various short lines and tourist railroads leased URHS equipment for favorable rates with the understanding they would restore the units. Even Metro North, the New York commuter operator, leased a pair of ex-Chicago & North Western F7s under the condition that they come back to URHS in running condition -- and painted for the Lehigh Valley! The generous rules around various federal transportation funding bills allowed more equipment to be restored.

United Railroad Historical Society; Boonton, N.J.; September 21, 2014

 Finally, a permanent home was found for the collection when NJ Transit donated its unused rail yard in Boonton. The equipment that hadn't been leased out was gathered and moved to the new site. A restoration shop, cleverly built out of storage containers, was constructed. Money from donations and grants was still coming in, and equipment began to enter the shop and come out at least cosmetically restored. A few luxury passenger cars had been put back into service, fully certified to run on Amtrak, to generate additional revenue. The crown jewel of the fleet is the Hickory Creek, an observation car that ran on the New York Central's 20th Century Limited.

All this brings us back to dioramas. The facility at Boonton is a restoration yard, not a museum site. Nonetheless, each year the URHS holds an open house at the facility. The space is limited, but for photographers there are a couple of "dioramas" set up. The effect is especially effective after dark when night photography comes into play.

United Railroad Historical Society; Boonton, N.J.; September 27, 2014

For the open house, one end of the shop complex held a New York Central scene. The Hickory Creek was posed next to E8 passenger diesel No. 4083. No. 4083 wears a love-it-or-hate-it experimental scheme of jade green the NYC tested in the 1960s -- No. 4083 was one of six units to receive the scheme, and is the only survivor. Perhaps this scene could represent the eastbound and westbound 20th Century Limiteds meeting somewhere in the dark, or perhaps the engine change at the Harmon Shops in Croton, N.Y., where electric locomotives that led the train out of Grand Central Terminal were swapped for diesels for the rest of the run to Chicago.

United Railroad Historical Society; Boonton, N.J.; September 27, 2014

The other end of the shop featured units that operated for New Jersey Transit on its New York & Long Branch service from Hoboken and New York City to Bay Head, serving the northern towns of the Jersey shore. In the early 1980s NJT trains left Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan behind GG1 electric locomotives that had served the Pennsylvania Railroad since the 1930s and 1940s. At South Amboy the massive motors were swapped out for E8 passenger diesels, classics in their own right, to continue on to Bay Head.

United Railroad Historical Society; Boonton, N.J.; September 27, 2014

 This scene was a slight mismatch of eras, however. By the time NJT got ahold of GG1s for service, they had lost their attractive Brunswick green paint and gold striping, replaced by solid black from when they worked for Penn Central. Thus, in real life the good-looking blue and silver NJT diesels would not have ever appeared with Pennsy-painted GG1s. Nonetheless, the locomotives did work together at South Amboy at one time.

United Railroad Historical Society; Boonton, N.J.; September 27, 2014

The URHS has done a remarkable job in the cosmetic restoration of these two GG1s. No. 4877 has received the five-stripe whiskers scheme, while No. 4879 has the single large stripe with a larger Pennsy keystone on the side. Both look really good.

United Railroad Historical Society; Boonton, N.J.; September 27, 2014

So there you have some full-size modeling. Perhaps someday the state will finally establish the transportation museum and the equipment will be more readily available to the public. In the meantime, watch for the URHS open house each September. For more information check out the URHS website.  For more daytime photos of the equipment at Boonton you can click here. For more night photos from Boonton you can click here and scroll to the second page.

The Ruins of Gary Union Station

Gary Union Station; Gary, Ind.; July 6, 2013

The past grandeur of railroading is often reflected in its great passenger stations. Many of these icons have survived into the 21st Century with varying degrees of preservation. Grand Central Terminal in New York is perhaps the most elegant of the survivors. celebrating its 100th anniversary last year; meanwhile, just a few blocks south in Manhattan, Pennsylvania Station was demolished in 1963. Buffalo Central Terminal has been stabilized and its concourse open for public events, despite limited electricity and no plumbing. Michigan Central Station in Detroit is undergoing stabilization, but remains closed to visitors. And then there is Gary Union Station in Gary, Ind.

The station is only slightly younger than the town it served; Gary was established by U.S. Steel in 1906 and the station was built in 1910. It is situated between the elevated lines of the former New York Central and Baltimore & Ohio, and is now in the shadow of I-90. While it looks like it is built of stone blocks, the station is actually cast concrete. It was designed by architect M.A. Lang in the Beaux Arts design. The last trains served the station in the 1950s.

Gary Union Station; Gary, Ind.; July 6, 2013

The station caught my attention when it was named to the inaugural list of the Eight Most At Risk Railroad Landmarks issued by the National Railway Historical Society in 2013. A trip into Indiana last July put me close enough to the station to check it out. While Gary has the reputation of being perhaps a dangerous town, a quick check of satellite maps showed that it was located on the northernmost edge of the city, with what's left of the steel mill on the opposite side of the railroad tracks. There really wouldn't be any reason for traffic -- by auto or on foot -- to be in the area. And that is pretty much what I discovered when I got there; no one was around. The main entrance is covered with a rotting piece of plywood, but walking to the south side of the building revealed an obvious entrance.

Gary Union Station; July 6, 2013

Gary Union Station

Once inside, it was easy to see how grand the station must have been in its prime -- and how much the elements have affected the structure in the half century since the last trains stopped here. The walls are solid -- the building isn't going to fall over any time soon. But the roof is another matter. You are always looking up, both to admire what must have been magnificent skylights and to make sure none of the ceiling would be falling on your head. I'm not sure what's holding up the big center beam. The front entrance can be seen in the photo on the right.

A set of steps in the back leads up to what's left of the second floor. The steps are blocked with debris, but even without the obstructions it would be unwise to venture up -- there isn't much floor left of the second floor.

Gary Union Station; Gary, Ind.; July 6, 2013

Apparently some artistic philosopher noted that as time progresses, one's mood gets worse. I guess that's what this graph indicates. This is under the rear area where the second floor is located.

Gary Union Station; July 6, 2013

Turning around, we get this view out into the main concourse.

Gary Union Station; Gary, Ind.; July 6, 2013

Other artwork adorns the walls, although by some standards the graffiti isn't as prevalent as you might see in other places.

Gary Union Station; Gary, Ind.; July 6, 2013

Among all the debris that lies around -- tires and trash -- one item stands out. There is a chair that occupies the center of the concourse, and Internet searches of photos others have taken here show that the chair has been there for quite awhile. It has become the unofficial icon of the station.

Gary Union Station; July 6, 2013

There are no plans to restore or stabilize the station. The closest an attempt gas come was back in 2000 when a federal grant was made available to repair the roof, but the city was unable to come up with the matching funds that were required. As I said earlier, the building's walls are strong and should stand forever. But someday the ceiling is going to be occupying the floor more than it already is.

Gary Union Station; Gary, Ind.; July 6, 2013

For more photos of Gary Union Station click here.

Boston & Albany Stations

Amtrak; Springfield, Mass.; January 25, 2014

Each year in late January the Amherst Railway Society holds one of the biggest railroadiana and model train shows and sales in West Springfield, Mass. While the show runs two days, I decided to spend only one day at the show and spend the second day meandering along the former Boston & Albany (now a part of CSX). After the show on Saturday evening I headed over to the Springfield station to drop off a friend who was taking Amtrak home. The gray skies were just beginning to spit snow as darkness moved in (above). The Springfield station still uses the old B&A platforms and canopies, but the station itself is modern and utilitarian. I then went to Palmer, Mass., with another friend for dinner at the Steaming Tender Restaurant, which is located in the town's former B&A station. While I didn't get any photos there, I did get a very good and reasonably priced meal that was a great way to end the day.

Pioneer Valley; Springfield, Mass.

The first stop the next morning was at the former B&A station in Westfield. The large brick structure now houses an insurance agency. Over the years, the railroad has been raised through this area, so now the CSX tracks are substantially higher than the old level of the platform floors. The Pioneer Valley used to cross CSX here on a diamond, but the elevated CSX right of way now covers where the diamond was. The bridge on the Pioneer Valley just south of CSX is now abandoned. Also nearby is what's left of a signal that controlled Pioneer Valley movements over the diamond.

Boston & Albany; Westfield, Mass.; January 26, 2014

Chester Railway Station; Chester, Mass.

Heading west, the next station still in existence on the B&A is at Chester. Now housing a railroad museum, the wood frame depot is a survivor; the date it was built is unknown, but it was likely in the 1840s. It shares a design that was quite common on the B&A, but when the B&A's parent railroad, the New York Central, modernized the line's depots in the 1880s, most of the wood frame depots were demolished. In addition to Chester, one still exists in Hinsdale, but it has been moved away from the tracks. The Chester Railway Station & Museum has several pieces of equipment on display, including an 0-4-0T steam locomotive.

Chester Railway Station; Chester, Mass.; January 26, 2014

CSX; Washington, Mass.

Exploration further west revealed some surprises. A station I had seen at Becket many years ago was gone, with only the remnants of a derelict wooden caboose left at the site. The station in Dalton that was a restaurant the last time I was there is now a private residence. Since the light was not real good for shooting, we decided not to bother the owners to see if we could take a photo. We did see the wooden station in Hinsdale that was moved from the tracks, but once again the light was not favorable. But while we were in Hinsdale, we heard an eastbound CSX freight approaching, and we chased it to near the summit of the Berkshire Mountains in Washington, where the B&A passes through a deep cut. We chased the train eastward, and got it again at Huntington. But our patchy blue skies were giving way to gloomy gray, and with Amtrak still three hours away we decided it was time to head for home.

A few more photos from the day can be found here.

CSX; Huntington, Mass.; January 26, 2014

A New York Central Christmas

All photos taken on this day can be found in Photo Lines here.

Grand Central Terminal; New York, New York; December 21, 2013

A couple of weeks ago we ventured into New York City to take a look at the Centennial Holiday Light Show at Grand Central Terminal in New York. With an unusually warm evening occurring on December 21, I headed back into Gotham for a walk around the exterior of Grand Central and a visit to the former New York Central Building (now the Helmsley Building) a couple of blocks north of GCT. First up was the beginning of the Holiday Light Show -- I had managed to get a slightly off composition of the beginning of the show last time when "GCT" was displayed in the windows, so that was remedied this time.

Grand Central Terminal; New York, New York; December 21, 2013

GCT; December 21, 2013

One the iconic images available in new York is the clock in the middle of the Terminal's concourse, and it drew some attention for a few shots before heading outdoors. All four faces of the clock are made from high-grade opal, and the clock is valued at somewhere between $10 and $20 million. If you need to meet someone in New York, meeting under the clock is probably the most famous place to do such a thing -- four generations have met here through the decades.

Helmsley Building

As I said, the evening was quite pleasant so I headed outside and walked north several blocks. The New York Central Railroad had offices next to Grand Central Terminal, and that building survives today, now known as the Helmsley Building. The impressive structure is lit throughout the year (as is Grand Central), but for the holidays it receives a red, green and blue treatment.

Grand Central was opened in 1913; the New York Central Building was built in 1929 as part of "Terminal City" and was designed by Warren & Wetmore (who also designed GCT). At 35 stories tall, the NYC Building dominated the skyline around the terminal until the construction of the Pan Am Building (now the MetLife Building, opened in 1963).

Helmsley Building; New York, New York; December 21, 2013

From there it was back to Grand Central for some exterior shots. At this point I'll wish you a Merry Christmas and leave you with a few scenes from outside Grand Central.

Grand Central Terminal; New York, New York; December 21, 2013

Grand Central Terminal; New York, New York; December 21, 2013

Grand Central Terminal; New York, New York; December 21, 2013

Cool Chromes -- From the Bridge

Cool Chromes is a semi-regular mini-feature looking at some slides that have recently passed through my scanner.

Union Pacific 844 and Frisco 1522; St. Louis, Mo.; June 1990

In this edition of Cool Chromes we'll look at a few shots taken from a bridge. We'll start our selection with a view of Union Pacific 4-8-4 No. 844 (sporting the spiffy Greyhound scheme it wore for a few years) along with Frisco 4-8-2 No. 1522 in St. Louis in June 1990. The pair had been a part of the National Railway Historical Society Convention in the Gateway City, and the 844 had to head back to Cheyenne while the 1522 needed to get back to the National Museum of Transport in the St. Louis suburbs. Since the 844 was heading that way anyhow, the 1522 was tucked in behind the Northern and dropped at the museum grounds. Here the two are getting ready to get on the train for the westward trek.

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Caltrain; San Francisco, Calif.; June 20, 1999

Next we have a shot from the Left Coast. Caltrain operates commuter service between San Francisco and San Jose (with some trains continuing on to Gilroy). Leaving San Francisco on the former Southern Pacific, trains pass through three tunnels in the city limits. The first tunnel's south portal is at Cesar Chavez Street (formerly Army Street) and the third pops out just north of the Bayshore commuter station. This scene is from the middle tunnel, from the Williams Avenue overpass on June 20, 1999. This train is actually pushing north -- the train is going away from the bridge into the tunnel.

Back in 1999 Metro-North Railroad, the commuter operator for trains running north and northeast out of New York City, painted a pair of FL9 locomotives into the paint scheme of the New York Central to celebrate the 150th anniversary of NYC and Metro-North predecessor Hudson River Railroad's arrival in the city of Peekskill. The duo is seen here heading north on the NYC Water Level Route emerging from the tunnel under Breakneck Ridge just north of Cold Spring, N.Y.; the view is from the pedestrian bridge at the Breakneck Ridge station. The pair retained their NYC colors and most often worked separately until they were donated to museums.

Metro-North; Breakneck Ridge, N.Y.; October 2, 1999

Our final view from a bridge is at Port Royal, Penn. Since we just saw a shot above from the former New York Central, we need to give NYC's premier rival, the Pennsylvania Railroad, its due. After going to Penn Central and then Conrail, the ex-Pennsy main line ultimately wound up in the hands of Norfolk Southern. In this scene from October 2000 we see a NS eastbound auto rack train (led by SD40-2 No. 3397 still in Conrail paint) passing a couple of ex-PRR signals in Port Royal, Penn.

Norfolk Southern; Port Royal, Penn.; October 2000