Train watching/photography in Syracuse NY

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Hi,

Can anybody recommend some good spots for train watching/photography around Syracuse NY? I generally go to an overpass near where I live, but there’s a lot of traffic and the view isn’t as good as it could be.

Thanks.

dlund

2

Carousel Mall - right next to the Chicago line with a defect detector just west. You might even be able to hang out on the OnTrack platform, but don’t quote me on that.

If you’re willing to go an hour east, head for Utica Union Station, just a few exits down the thruway. Also on the Chicago line, most of the trains come through at speed, which can be a thrill. There is also a covered overpass that allows you to get above the tracks and over to the other side.

3

Thanks, I’ll definitely try the Carousel mall. That’s about 15 minutes from where I live.

dlund

4

While the line isn’t all that busy, the Montreal Secondary (which splits off at Woodard for Oswego as well) joins the Chicago line right across from the mall.

5

I visited Syracuse over a decade (more like 20 years) ago, when one of Pat’s brothers was living there. As I recall, the mall itself was some distance from the tracks, but some of the parking lots spanned the intervening distance. It was a snowy, windy day (in late April–how very Syracuse!), so I was glad to stay inside the mall (by the carousel itself) to watch a couple of trains.

I also found a spot near the Amtrak station at the west end of DeWitt Yard where I could park and watch the action without being bothered. Larry, has that station moved since?