Next week we are taking the Lake Shore Limited from Cleveland to NY state. We can get off at Utika, Schenectady, or Albany. Does anyone have a recommendation as to which would be the best ‘layover’ for railfans. Is there anything that we should see? (or avoid?) We will be heading home the same day.
Thanks Rich
Rich, Please take note of how names of cities are spelled,
It’s spelled : Utica, I’m from the Rochester and there is a RR line that went along Lake Ontario near where I grew up in Irondequoit. That may in fact be the RR you are refering to. Also if you need more historic background on New York State I would be happy to supply the info.
johncpo
Utica. The others are east of Hoffman’s (CP-169) where the freight traffic heads south towards Selkirk yard. At Schenectady and Albany-Rensselaer, all you’ll see is Amtrak trains.
If I remember right, NYS&W also has a presence in Utica and is within walking distance of the station.
You’ll probably want to do a Google maps hybrid view to get the lay of the land before you make the trip.
How come you don’t include Syracuse? I believe the station there is near the throat of DeWitt Yard, which ought to give you considerable freight presence.
To all
Thank you so much for the replies. It looks like it will be Utica. We would go to Syracuse, but we like being on the train as long a we can. We will have our camera’s ready when we roll by DeWitt yard.
If there are any places to avoid in Utica, please let us know . Thanks again Rich
Since you’re leaving the same day, and don’t have to worry about hotel accommodations, I’d say Utica is your best bet. The restored station is nice, you’ll see all of the CSX freights traveling from Selkirk Yard (near Albany) west to Chicago or St. Louis. Excursion trains for the Adirondack Scenic Railroad also use the station. Across the CSX main line is a yard for the Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern. NYS&W has a shop building farther west of the station, in an urban residential area, but I don’t know how accessible it is.
The Schenectady station sits on an elevated right-of-way at a junction where Amtrak trains from Albany can go west on the Water Level Route to Buffalo or north on Canadian Pacific (ex-Delaware & Hudson) to Rutland and Montreal. I’ve never explored the area. D&H freight traffic passes through here, but it doesn’t have the volume the CSX main line does. (CSX mainline freights don’t go through downtown Schenectady; they use a bypass farther south to reach Selkirk Yard.)
Albany has a relatively new station, with a coffee shop inside. But access to the platforms is limited only to passengers immediately boarding or disembarking. There is a road bridge north of the station. The only freights you’d see here will be the triweekly CPR train from New York City to Saratoga Springs, and perhaps a CSX local headed to the Troy Industrial Track north of the station. Albany has a servicing facility for Amtrak Empire Corridor trains.
No matter what you do, you’ll have a great ride, though!
Matt Van Hattem
Trains Magazine
[sigh]The station in Syracuse has been moved more toward the center of Syr. ( I -81 & 690) The Train station is part of an intermodal complex with rail & bus combined.
Rob
Rich;
Just be aware that the on time performance of the Lake Shore Limited is still n ot all that great, even with the schedule change.
Mel Hazen
Jacksonville, FL
Thank you all for the tips.
Mel I hope it’s not too late. But I have heard called the ‘Late forSure Limited’ Rich
Do your railfanning at Utica. At Albany-Rensselaer, you will be harrassed and no one wants that. If you insist on going there, remember it is “illegal” to stand upon an overhead bridge, it is “illegal” to take pictures or to linger on the platforms at Albany-Rensselaer. Oh, and there are no freights through there.
The NYS&W is merely doing switching in Utica since the line up from Chenango Forks was washed out last year and will be abandoned. The Mohawk Adirondack & Northern, a Genesee Valley Transportation line might have a C425, M420 or C420 around-you never know.
This AM 48 went through Mudville nearly an hour late, then got delayed at Depew and left 90 minutes in the hole. CSX is doing LOTS of track work up here. Count on being at least two or more hours late coming into Utica.