One time many years ago I did get to see the CP Rail big MLW M-630’s and M-636’s idling away at Buffalo, but that’s the only time I’ve ever seen/heard live ALCO/MLW’s of any kind.
I have a friend who is actually a really good photographer, and with fall coming we were planning to do a little railfanning in northern PA–but we don’t want to sit all day to maybe see one train, either.
Can anyone offer insight regarding the current best opportunities to see big ALCO/MLW’s in action on either Delaware-Lackawanna or WNY&P? Which location(s) might allow us to see more action?
Also, would Monday or Friday be any better or worse than on the weekend?
The linked thread was posted in response to Cop CarSS’s request. It was posted requestion information on ALCo’s in NY and Penna for a trip he was planning. You might PM him for more pertinant information as to what he found on his trip there from Colorado.
I looked to make sure I wasn’t giving you bad advice, but CP has a yard in Binghamton NY - About a hour north of Scranton PA on I81. Plus, according to the map, they serve a few industries in the Scranton area and they own the lin from Binghamton south through Scranton towards Harrisburg. Hope this helps!
Thank you for the info, but I’m asking about big Alco/MLW diesels: That would include the M636, M630, C636, C630M–none of which have operated on CP Rail since about 1998.
MLW stands for Montreal Locomotive Works. They were not Canadian versions of General Motors or General Electric diesels–but are Alco’s (American Locomotive Company) designs.
In western PA your best chances would be in Meadville. Last week I spotted WNYP 630 on the ME-100 w/b out of Falconer to Meadville. I can’t say for certain that 630 is still there, since they most often run four axle units on that train, three of them last Wednesday.
WNYP runs south out of Olean to Driftwood, PA on an as-needed basis. With luck you might catch some six axle power on that run. Keating Summit demands big power. And of course if you want to go to Olean you should find a unit or two there between trips.
BTW, I was in error in an earlier post describing the action at Falconer. When the e/b out of Olean (OL-3 maybe?) meets ME-99 from Meadville, they don’t swap crews. Rather, they swap power so the engines and crews return to their origin with a new train. ME-99 e/b becomes ME-100 w/b. Also note that if you find yourself on a chase out of Falconer to the west, ME-100 usually stops for lunch at the Lakewood Wendy’s. If you are parked at a crossing somewhere west and the train doesn’t show up, it is easy to imagine it may have already passed, when in fact it is still sitting in Lakewood with burgers and fries.