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Matt A posted:

Did you take these pictures up in Geneva?

The pictures appear to have been taken in Watkins Glen.  The first two look to be in the vicinity of Cargill Salt, perhaps from the Wal-Mart parking lot.  The remaining pictures appear to be in the neighborhood of the marina (and presently a winter boat storage) and hotel.  2308 has been consistently working the Himrod-Watkins Glen route for several months.  2201 hasn't been on that route too much since sometime last summer so that was a fairly rare catch.

poppyl

HI,  Yes indeed, Watkins Glen, as noted in op.  We're in the process of gutting two heads and part of the V-berth, adding showers, floors and new cabinetry in a 70-odd foot ketch in the marina there.  I take a break whenever I hear a train....

Below is from an old chart, all that is left of the yard is a single track.  The wye is gone as well, Walmart is there now.  The tracks still serve two large salt factories.  Used to fish in the marina, then derelict, and occasionally get cab rides from the trains after finishing my paper route.  The salt plant on the chart had a rotary dumper for coal loads, seemed the whole town shook when operated in the middle of the night.

 

IMG_1164

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A couple of years ago, FGLK extended their trackage farther south of the Cargill plant and laid a passing siding so they wouldn't have to push cars northbound back past the marina/hotel area.

FWIW, back in the day that trackage was part of the PRR's Northern Division that ran from Northumberland PA to Sodus Bay NY-- primarily a coal hauling route.  The Watkins Glen yard held coal drags and pushers waiting to make the 15 mile northbound climb up to Starkey on the way to Sodus for loading on ships.

Poppyl

More specifically the trackage is one of the few remaining sections of the PRR Elmira Branch. Ran from Williamsport to the Southport yard in Elmira, then from there to Sodus Point. Do a Google search for PRR Watkins Glen for some steam era pics. The lower half of the branch was one of the very last steam dominated areas, fall of '57.

 

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