T.G.'s Photography Blog

  CSXT 1850 and BNSF 6901 are on the point of manifest train M380 at CP-286 of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. M380 is stopped on Track 8, waiting for room at DeWitt Yard. Next to M380 is I003 taking head room on Track 1 at CP-286 as it gets in position to start working DeWitt Yard.  CSXT 1850 honors the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N). The L&N was founded in Kentucky in 1850. and grew to serve fourteen states. Eventually, the L&N through a series of mergers became part of CSX.  Photograph taken on November 2, 2024, at East Syracuse, NY.

CSXT 3191 leads I020-23 eastward through the rain and fog at East Syracuse, NY., on Christmas Eve.  No white Christmas for Syracuse, NY., this year. The closest the area got was rain and fog on Christmas Eve. Here, CSXT 3191 leads priority intermodal train I020 (Bedford Park, IL., to Worchester, MA.) east through rain and fog at East Syracuse, NY. The train is passing through CP-286 of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision . I020 would cross from Track 2 to the North Runner and head into CSX's DeWitt Yard . Photograph taken on December 24, 2023.

  NYSW 3014 is eastbound, running light through CP-293 after dropping cars off at Belle Isle in Solvay, NY.   After a bike ride on Tuesday at Onondaga Lake, I heard Z520-10 call the CSX NF dispatcher for permission to shove west across CP-293 from the Geddes Street Lead to the pocket track at Belle Isle to drop a block of interchange cars. I quickly headed over to CP-293 of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision, which sits on the eastern edge of Belle Isle in Solvay, NY. There, and just in time, I caught NYSW 3014, running light, back through CP-293 after making the drop. Z520 is a New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway interchange job. CSX uses the Z designation for foreign railroad trains. NYSW 3014 is an EMD SD40T-2 "tunnel motor" that was built for the Southern Pacific in 1978. 45 years old and still going.

  CSXT 3206, and five GECX locomotives lead M368 east among the fall foliage at Canastota, NY.   Yesterday, while bike riding, I caught CSX's M368-29 at BeeBe Bridge Road at Canastota, NY. M368 had a group of five GECX locomotives (ex-BNSF) trailing behind CSXT 3206. M368 was photographed as it came around the curve to the west of BeeBe Bridge Road, where the tracks intersect with the old Erie Canal, which is out of sight to the right of the photograph. This location is milepost (MP) QC271 of CSX's Syracuse Terminal Subdivision . The five locomotives are GECX 4528, GECX 4827, GECX 4933, GECX 4851, GECX 4923. A going-away photograph of the five GECX locomotives on M368-29 at BeeBe Bridge Rd. Photograph taken on September 29, 2023.

  CSXT 1976 and CSXT 2626 lead M634 east through the curve west of BeeBe Bridge Rd.   After heading west on M363 earlier this month , CSXT 1976 came back east on M363's counterpart train, M364. M363 and M364 run between Selkirk, NY., and Avon, IN. While bike riding along the old Erie Canal at Canastota, NY., I caught M364 being led by 1976 at BeeBe Bridge Road (MP 271.5 of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision). The canal is just out of sight to the right of the rectangular pond in the photograph. The rail line and canal intersect just around the curve, in the background. Looking at old topographic maps from the late 1890s, the rail line and canal have always met here. I'm assuming the rail line at one time crossed over the canal on a bridge, though today, the old canal segments just end on each side of the tracks.  Photograph taken on September 7,  2023, at Canastota, NY.

I007-28, led by CSXT 1982 and CSXT 877, is slowly passing under the westbound absolute signal at CP-286 in East Syracuse, NY.   Last week CSX's Seaboard System heritage unit, CSXT 1982, made an appearance in Syracuse. CSXT 1982, along with CSXT 877, led intermodal train I007-28. I007 is a daily train runs from North Bergen, NJ., to Rose Lake, IL., (just outside St. Louis, MO ). Along the way I007 stops to work DeWitt Yard in East Syracuse, NY. The train also stops to work at Avon, IN.  CSXT 1982 and CSXT 877 sit at CP-286 waiting to reverse and shove east toward DeWitt Yard. In the background are the steeples of St. Matthews Catholic Church.   CSXT 1982 was the third heritage unit to be painted at CSX's Waycross, GA., paint shop. The number 1982 signifies the year that the Seaboard System came to be, from a merger of the Seaboard Coast Line and the Louisville and Nashville railroads. According to CSX's website, "the Seaboard System was the first step under the CSX Corp...

  L024-09 is eastbound at CP 286, passing under Burnet Ave. at East Syracuse, NY.   L024-09 is returning from picking up cars from the pocket track at Belle Isle that the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway (NYSW) set out. In addition to the interchange cars from the NYSW, L024 also has two cars of scrap metal picked up from Metalico, a scrap dealer in East Syracuse, New York. L024-09 is heading east on the North Runner track at CP 286 and is heading into DeWitt Yard. Photograph taken on May 9, 2023, at East Syracuse, NY.

  With snow falling, M363-25 is stopped on Track 1 at CP 286 waiting for I009-24 to clear ahead of it.   On January 25th, on what had been, up to that point, a rare snowy day, I caught M363-25 at East Syracuse, NY. Due to priority intermodal train I009 departing as M363 passed by DeWitt yard, it had to stop at Control Point (CP) 286 of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. M363 got back underway after I009 had gotten enough of a head start.   Led by CSXT 3057, M363-25 is back on the move, passing under the westbound signal bridge at CP 286. Photographs taken on January 25, 2023, at East Syracuse, New York.

With three M7 EMUs behind CSXT 255 and CSXT 396, M367-06 passes under the Empire State Trail bridge on the southern end of Onondaga Lake.   On Monday and Wednesday this week, two movements of former Long Island Railroad (LIRR) M7 electric multiple unit (EMU) railcars passed through Syracuse, NY., on CSX manifest train M367 . On Monday, three M7s came through Syracuse on M367-06. Then on Wednesday, another set of three came through on M367-08. The cars had been stripped of most of their components and were just the railcar bodies bound for a scrapper.  M367 on the North Runner with three M7s on the head end passes through CP 286 at East Syracuse, NY.   The M7s were built by Bombardier and were used on both the LIRR and Metro-North Railroad (MNCW). Delivery to the railroads began in 2002. The MNCW's version was known as the M7A. The M7A differed due to the different electrical system the MNCW uses. The M7s were used in pairs and each car contained a set of controls. LIRR 7...

  I001 passes by the old NYC coaling towers between CP 285 and CP 286, near DeWitt Yard.   With snow on the ground and more still falling, I001-28 (North Bergen, NJ., to Chicago (Bedford Park), IL.) is westbound, passing by the old New York Central steam locomotive coaling towers. The coal towers sit along the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision between Control Point (CP) 285 and CP 286 . To the left is manifest train M560-27 on the North Runner heading east into DeWitt Yard. I001 is led by CSXT 7030 and CSXT 5115.  Photograph taken on February 28, 2023, at East Syracuse, New York.

  With snow falling, CSXT 846 leads I162 by CP 285 and into DeWitt Yard.   Yesterday, another round of snow fell on the Syracuse, New York, area. With snow falling, I162-27 makes its way into DeWitt Yard at Control Point (CP) 285 on the Inbound Lead . The Inbound Lead diverges from Track 1 of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision at CP 286, a half mile to the west of CP 285, and leads into DeWitt Yard. The Inbound Lead isn't officially part of CP 285. I162 is heading to the South Runner to work the intermodal departure yard. I162 runs daily from North Baltimore, Ohio, to Port Newark, New Jersey.  Photograph taken on February 28, 2023, at East Syracuse, New York.

  AMTK 709 leads P284 through CP 285, with Bridge St. and the old NYC coaling towers in the background.   With fresh snow on the ground and more falling, AMTK 709 leads train P284-28 east through control point (CP) 285 on the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. CP 285 is at the west end of CSX's DeWitt Yard. In the background is Bridge Street and the old New York Central (NYC) coaling towers.  Photograph taken on February 28, 2023, at East Syracuse, New York.

  As rain falls, CSXT 966 passes a MoW truck at CP 286 in East Syracuse, NY.   With rain falling, CSXT 966 leads intermodal train I004-16 east on the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision at CP 286 , while a maintenance of way (MoW) crew takes a break in their truck. I004 is on Track 2 (Main 2). In the background is the eastward absolute signal (EAS) bridge for CP 286. I004 runs daily from Bedford Park, Illinois, to South Kearny, New Jersey. Bedford Park is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Photograph taken on January 17, 2023, at East Syracuse, NY.

  W003-15 with CSXT 9969 sits on the Peat Street Lead near the west side CSX's DeWitt Yard.  CSX geometry train W003 made an appearance in Central New York this week. The consist of W003 is comprised of CSXT 9969, a rebuilt EMD GP40WH-2; Hocking Valley, a crew quarters car; and TGC3, the track geometry car. CSXT 9969 is always paired with W003. W003-14 came east from Buffalo, New York, on February 14th, and then tied down overnight in East Syracuse, New York. The next day W003-15 went north from East Syracuse to Massena, New York. CSXT 9969 is shoving W003-15 west on Main 1 through CP 286 next to the old Spano Rail facility (left).   Before going north to Massena, W003-15 had pull east off of the Peat Street Lead to the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision at Control Point (CP) 285 (west side of DeWitt Yard). It then shoved west from CP 285 to CP 291. CP 291 , in Syracuse, New York, is where the St. Lawrence Subdivision to Massena starts. At CP 291 W003-15 tested both legs...

  I004-09 is eastbound, just to the east of DeWitt Yard, passing by a frozen pond at milepost QC 282.   Intermodal train I004-09, led by CSXT 915, is eastbound at Minoa, New York. The train is just east of CSX's DeWitt Yard, which is on the other side of the bridge in the distance. This location is at milepost QC 282.0 of CSX's Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. I004 is on Track 2, with Track 1 to the right, and Track 4 to the far right. Photograph taken on January 9, 2023, at Minoa, New York.

  UP 2584 and UP 7323 passes by the old Railroad "Y" (red building to the left) at East Syracuse, NY. B741-07 passed through East Syracuse, New York, last weekend, and was led by a pair of Union Pacific (UP) locomotives. UP 2585 and UP 7323 provided another primary color to the railroad landscape of Syracuse, which primarily sees CSX blue. In the above photograph, the locomotives are leading B741 through CP 286 of CSX's Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. B741 is a loaded ethanol train that runs from Proviso, Illinois, to Linden, New Jersey. The train is handed over to CSX from UP at Proviso.  Photograph taken on December 10, 2022, at East Syracuse, New York.

  Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited crosses over Onondaga Creek, at the southern end of Onondaga Lake.   AMTK 108 , Amtrak's Phase VI 50th anniversary locomotive, leads the eastbound Lake Shore Limited across Onondaga Creek . AMTK 108 is one of six locomotives painted to commemorate Amtrak's' 50th anniversary. Here, Onondaga Creek empties into Onondaga Lake on the lake's southeastern end. The view is looking northwest towards the industrial area that sits to the south of the New York State Fairgrounds on the lake's western side. Photograph taken on October 11, 2022, at Syracuse, New York.

I001 is westbound, passing through CP 291 of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision.    I001 , the once-a-week westbound UPS priority train, came through Syracuse, New York, today. I caught the train as it came west through Control Point (CP) 291 on the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. CP 291 sits along the southeastern edge of Onondaga Lake. At 196 axles, the entire train can be seen in the photograph above. The green colored bridge behind the eastbound signal bridge is I-81. The westbound signal bridge stands on the east side of the interstate.  The slight hill the train is coming over is the bridge over Onondaga Creek . Photograph taken on November 29, 2022, at Syracuse, New York.

I004 is eastbound, rolling under the eastward signal bridge at CP 286.   CSXT 7210 is leading intermodal train I004-24 (Bedford Park, Illinois, to South Kearny, New Jersey) through Control Point (CP) 286 on CSX's Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. The train is passing under the eastbound absolute signals which control tracks 7, 2, 1, and 8 (left to right). To the left of the train is the east end of Track 7.  Photograph taken on November 25, 2022, at East Syracuse, New York.

  With CP 291's eastbound signal bridge in the distance, I017 hustles west at Syracuse, NY.   From the New York Empire Trail bridge on the southwestern corner of Onondaga Lake I caught CSX intermodal train I017-17 (Worcester, MA., to Bedford Park, IL.). I017 is westbound on Track 1 and is passing through CP 291 (in the distance) of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. Here, the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision follows the southern end of Onondaga Lake between Interstate 81, to the east, and Interstate 690, to the west. Photograph taken on November 17, 2022, at Syracuse, New York.