It was announced on Saturday that a new live internet Scanner Feed is now in operation on www.railroadradio.net This site hosts live scanner feeds from across the country. The latest addition is titled NS West Slope Johnstown, Pa. The host has frequencies tuned in to NS between Cresson and Conpitt, West of Johnstown. He also has CSX dialed in on the West end of the Keystone Sub, otherwise known as the Sand Patch line. Activity on the Mon Line, which serves coal mines South of Pittsburgh can also be heard when traffic is light on the NS Main. To access the Feed, simply go to www.railroadradio.net, and then scroll down the list of feeds on left side until you find NS West Slope…click on and then select whatever mediaplayer you use to listen in. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com
…Great news Dave…I’m ready to shut down here now but we’ll check it all out tomorrow…Thanks.
The host was testing it out on a private server for a few months until it got moved to Railroadradio.net…I have it on now…there was a flash flood speed restriction up for awhile toward the Latrobe area…West of MP300, because of Thunderstorms in the area. I have been listening to trains coming through CP C in Conemaugh…heard a engineer on an Eastbound telling his rear helper that he had a restricting at CP MO in Cresson…fun to listen to all of this from 4 hours away…now I can keep tabs on things with the Scanner Feed, as well as Webcams at The Station Inn, and Horseshoe Curve in between my visits…Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com
…I had it on twice today Dave…I’ll be tuning in to hear the chatter.
Sounds good… And there seems to be quite a bit of action, even at 12:30 AM local.
Dave
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One thing to note…The Feed also picks up action on Sand Patch to the South…You will hear the Jacksonville Dispatcher come on from time to time, and Sand Patch Place names will be mentioned, such as Pinkerton,Draketown, etc. The host also dials in the Mon Line around Pittsburgh if Mainline action on NS is slow at the time…You will hear NS and CSX Coal trains get permission to move in and out of the lines to the mines,will often hear chatter on Hopper trains moving up and down the South Fork Secondary, a coal branch that runs through the remnants of the South Fork Dam that burst in 1889. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com
…South Fork Secondary…So that is what that is…I’ve been to that location out on the *** of the dam and past that area on 219 and wondered what part of the old Pennsy that was up through there. Is it continous…joining the east - west main farther east…?
Again, have been listening to the live feed out of Johnstown and trying to become familiar with the chatter…I’m sure I’ll better understand what they are talking about after some practice of hearing their chatter…Even understanding the lady DP.
Interesting…very…very interesting!
The South Fork Secondary runs North to South…it joins the Main in South Fork. If you take Rte 53 down from Summerhill, it will make a sharp bend to the left in downtown South Fork…if you look to the right just before the road makes that left curve,you will see the Mainline curve to the West toward Johnstown and you will also see the Wye, where trains come in off the Main onto the South Fork Secondary…It is an active line and sees empty hoppers heading South and Coal loads North almost daily, There are two loadouts…one called Huskins, and another down in Central City. The line itself is about 20-25 miles long and deadends. If you like SD80MACS, this is where many of them are used…on the South Fork Secondary. Another thing to remember on the Feed, you are hearing NS between Latrobe and Cresson, MP 300 to MP 248. You are also hearing CSX to the South on Sand Patch. You will also hear talk on the Monongehela lines near Pittsburgh, where NS and CSX load a considerable amount of Coal trains. If you hear the Jacksonville Dispatcher on the radio, you are hearing Sand Patch. If you are hearing 'Pittsburgh East Dispatcher, then you are hearing talk on NS in the Johnstown area. Hopefully, Railroadradio.net will fill in some information with what you are hearing, on the description page for the Feed. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com
…Thanks Dave for the info…It all helps. I now know a bit more and understand about where the southfork line serves. I remember the line into Central City and it used to go even a bit farther south and believe it receives coal from the Reels Corner area…Check our posts back a couple of pages…Brian Brant is supplying most of the info re: the PBS coal Co. branch that has been dormant is being reactivated. It comes off the S&C near Coleman and runs to near Shanksville a distance of about 7 miles. We understand it is going to be put to use again hauling coal out of the same region…the Reels Corner / Shanksville area…We have no dates yet but I was in Pennsylvania about 2 weeks ago and went out and checked it out at a crossing and witnessed some work has been started on getting it ready to use again.
The South Fork Secondary used to also host local passenger traffic back in steam days. It brought people up to the Station at South Fork, where they could connect with Mainline Passenger Trains. The Dam burst in 1889. The Secondary line was being constructed in 1891…only 2 years later…so the Pennsy saw the strategic importance of getting to the rich coal deposits in that area. Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com
Yes, we had rail passenger traffic to many little burgs back in steam days and pre 30’s…Even on the {aforermentioned}, S&C from Rockwood to Johnstown…
I believe the brick passenger station {in Windber|, may be still witness to some of that. The one still standing along the main st. there. I’m not sure if it was just for traction car passengers from Johnstown or if it included steam rail passenger traffic as well…Perhaps someone can help on this question…
There are several old tracks that swing off the South Fork Secondary and cross over the Main Strret in Windber…Rte 160… most of those tracks are not used anymore. The route currently used by the South Fork Secondary Coal traffic is closer to 4 Lane Rte 56 in this area of Windber, before it crosses over 56 and continues South…I will have to pull out my ‘Triumph 1’ book as it has a listing of all the Station Stops that Passenger trains once made on the South Fork Secondary…I still have relatives living in Windber…Dave Williams @ nsaltoonajohnstown@yahoogroups.com
…In Windber I remember of tracks that crossed main st. at an angle near that station I mentioned…And yes, Dave I remember the route you speak of near Rt. 56 and then out past that old power plant…I believe that’s correct in my memory and then works it way to Central City and just a bit beyond I believe.