An overcast morning at CSX's DeWitt Yard in East Syracuse, NY

 The kids wanted to go and see an Amtrak train, so we headed out to East Syracuse, NY., to catch Empire Service Train 284 at DeWitt Yard. The morning was heavily overcast, but we the outing sounded fun, so off to DeWitt Yard we went. We had been to DeWitt Yard once before, a few days previously, but didn't have much luck seeing any trains. Today's outing was a bit better. 

AMTK 713 leading Empire Service Train 284

  After waiting about 15 minutes at the Tractor Supply parking lot, at the east end of East Manlius Street, AMTK 713 (a GE P32AC-DM) came around the curve at the west end of DeWitt Yard and led Train 284 through CP285. CP285 has a part A and a part B. The two sets of block signals are at CP285 "A" (MP QC285.97). Just to the west is CP285 "B" (MP QC285.98).

Empire Service Train 284 at CP285

  The train is traveling east on Track 2 of CSX's Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. Track 2 and Track 1, the main through tracks, are on the south side of the yard. 

AMTK 713 leading Empire Service Train 284

New York Central coal loading towers at DeWitt Yard

  In the two photographs above you can see an old coaling tower that still stands from the days of the New York Central's steam era. Originally, the towers look to have had four tracks running underneath that could load coal into the tenders of steam locomotives. 

NYC coal loading towers at DeWitt Yard

  Some of the original structure is missing. In photographs at this link (alternate link at Internet Archive) you can portions of the structure that facilitated the unloading of coal from coal cars to be loaded into the towers.

CSX Train Q161-27

  CSXT 3328, CSXT 3128, and CSXT 795 are switching and putting together intermodal train Q161-27. Train Q161 runs daily from Syracuse, NY., to North Baltimore, OH. This train wouldn't depart until much later in the day. It rolled through Fairport, NY., at 9:05 PM, and Fairport is only an hour west of Syracuse, when driving. When Q161-27 did depart, CSXT 3128 had been removed, and CSXT 795 had been repositioned as a mid-train DPU.

Q161-27 switching in DeWitt Yard on the signaled siding.

Photographs taken on August 27, 2021, at East Syracuse, NY.