Upstate New York 2021
Published 10-12-2021
Audio Narration is available for this trip report.
Note: This article may be best viewed on a computer.
Hello Readers! This is Ryan Casey, and welcome to Upstate New York 2021. After a very humid and dismal summer in New Jersey, we felt a new place to explore was in order. A trip to Upstate New York in the beginning of October was just the ticket. With a visit to Steamtown National Historic Site to top off the adventure. Each summer and fall, many rail buffs living in the New York City region often venture out to Pennsylvania to experience large numbers of freight trains and steam locomotives. With a variety of places to choose from. But few of these rail buffs have ventured to Upstate New York and New England. Although there are many attractions in New York State, such as Howe Caverns and the Baseball Hall of Fame, no large crowds usually go there during the summer or fall because of the driving distance, and colder conditions in the Mountains and Valleys. On the plus side, less people living in the area of Oneonta and Cooperstown, means much better opportunities for railroad volunteering.
To Oneonta September 30th
On Thursday September 30th, 2021, we ventured up to Oneonta, New York to visit two Upstate New York attractions. Howe Caverns, and the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad, located in Otsego and Schoharie Counties. Driving up through New Jersey and onto I-87 North, we took Exit 16 out to NY-17 westbound. Traveling on NY-17, we passed by population centers near Middletown, and Monticello, New York, in Orange and Sullivan Counties, before reaching Delaware County and Roscoe, New York. Continuing west, we eventually reached NY-206, where only corn farmers, and those who can afford to own summer houses, are known to go. In this region of New York State, there are numerous corn farms, lakes, and streams. Add to this, the numerous valleys with trees on mountains boasting the early stages of fall foliage. We passed through Downsville, where originally, we were going to drive up a different route. But there was a bridge out, so we turned back to NY-206 and went further west, to Walton. Here one will begin to see Buffalo Bills NFL team flags, as in the rest of New York State, this is “Bills Country”. No Jets or Giants flags here. We drove through more valleys, farms, and lakes, until we reached NY-28 at a traffic circle. From there we reached our final destination of Oneonta, in Otsego County, where we would spend the next couple of nights.
Howe Caverns October 1st
Next morning, Friday October 1st, 2021, we got up early to do a trail hike at Robert V. Riddell State Park, off I-88 at Exit 17. The temperature was almost 42 degrees Fahrenheit, as there was a low morning fog. Upon arrival, we took the Orange Trail up to a clearing. Like Bear Mountain, the trail colors are marked on trees to keep hikers on the trail. A couple of river streams ran next to the clearing, and the water in it was cleaner than any New Jersey or Pennsylvania creek. One can actually see the whole depth of the streams as well. Unfortunately, the ground was muddy and soaked, so our shoes got wet. After taking a couple of hours to dry off, we then drove up I-88 East again towards Howe Caverns, now traveling into Schoharie County. At the time of our visit, both sides of the highway were being repaved. But the road was still open to all traffic, with only one lane each way in some places. Unlike other places, there was hardly any traffic or people bothering you, so we got to Howe Caverns in time for our 1:00PM tour.
At Howe Caverns, we entered the main building, which was actually a new entrance to the cave. Prior to descending, we were given a presentation about the history of Howe Caverns. Discovered in 1842 by Lester Howe, the caverns were originally a gathering point for cows to graze on his neighbor’s farm property. Going against his wife’s advice, Lester Howe initially ventured into the cave using only an oil lamp and a rope. Eventually, his neighbor Henry Wetsel saw past his ambitions, and helped him discover more and more of the cave overtime. When Mr. Wetsel sold the property, Howe began to run eight to ten hour tours, and the spelunking aspect was born. Howe eventually sold parts of his property until a limestone quarry purchased it. In 1927, the cave was closed to visitors, but eventually a new entrance was built by 1929, and was opened to visitors, once again. With elevators, walkways, and oil lamps. Nowadays, there’s colored lighting to point out the rock formations and grottos. The temperature in the caves is 52 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, and as a pun, one can say that this is a “cool cave” to explore!
Entering the depths of the cavern, we began our walk, encountering the river Styx. A natural riverbed, which over millions of years ago, carved out what most visitors see in the caverns today. Continuing on, we reached a bridge chasm, and many more stalagmite formations. A Chinese Pagoda, the Turtle Rock, and a Bridal Altar were all see along the way. But the most memorable part of the experience was the boat ride, in the Lake of Venus section, where the river Styx gets to its deepest point. The tour ends at the dam, although there is a lot more of the unconditioned and extremely dark cave to see. But bats hibernate there during the winter. So it was time to turn ’round and head back the way we came. But not before stopping at the Bridal Altar, and traversing the Winding Way. Those who walk over the translucent calcium heart near the altar, are said to have good luck for a year. They actually still hold weddings there! In the Winding Way, the passage and clearances can either be really narrow and really short, or really wide and really tall. We then passed through the Manmade Walkway, which was blasted through, before returning to the surface.
Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad October 2nd
On Saturday morning, October 2nd, 2021, the main event of the trip took place. A booking on the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad’s Guest Engineer Program. Where for two and a half hours, and $375, one can operate an MLW/ALCO locomotive under the supervision of a certified locomotive engineer. Located in the village of Milford, New York, the 16 mile long Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad operates weekend excursion trains. From March 2020 to August 2021, this tourist line did not operate public excursion trains at all. Now thanks to the vaccine, people are traveling once again, and operations are picking up as well. With some Fall Foliage and Great Pumpkin Specials running. Construction began on what was then known as the Cooperstown and Susquehanna Valley Railroad in 1868. With the railroad’s purpose to provide a transport route from Cooperstown to Colliersville, New York, connecting with the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad at Cooperstown Junction. The line was originally built as a 6ft gauge track, but was narrowed down to standard gauge. All happening in just one day, on May 28th, 1876. In 1888, the C&SV became the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad. Providing an eastern extension from Cooperstown Junction to the Charlotte Valley, and out to West Davenport, New York.
In 1899, the Ulster and Delaware Railroad was building an extension of their railroad west of Bloomfield, New York, to connect to the new Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad. When the builders reached Davenport Center, no rail connection was ever made, and those traveling from Kingston to Cooperstown had to transfer by road in a joint station. Passenger train service lasted only four years, and was discontinued in 1903, just as other railroads across the country were growing. In 1903, that same year, the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad merged with the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, who renamed it the Cooperstown Branch. From 1903 to 1969, the D&H ran freight only, and by 1970, the Delaware Otsego corporation purchased the line. Under Delaware Otsego ownership, the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad name was resurrected, and began to run excursion trains in addition to freight trains. By December of 1987, the last freight train ever to run on this line departed. The trackage between Cooperstown and Milford was not active again until 1996, when it was purchased by the Leatherstocking Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. From 1999 to the present day, and still retaining the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley name, the Leatherstocking Chapter NRHS began running seasonal excursion trains, once again.
On this day, we arrived at the depot in Milford, New York, headquarters and main base of the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad. Beginning in May 2021, a new tenant has also taken residence on C&CVRR property in the form of Rail Explorers. A rail bike company, which provides tourists with rail bike vehicles resembling Hand Cars for the purposes of recreation and exploration. This is Rail Explorer’s newest branch, with three other branches being located in Rhode Island, Las Vegas, Nevada, and another location in Upstate New York. Today, the rail bikes would be sharing the tracks with us. We were ready for the run as 10:30AM EST. We climbed up into the cab of engine #3051, an MLW/ALCO S4 locomotive of Canadian National Heritage. Originally numbered 8181, and built in 1956, this is the railroad’s primary motive power. Upon reaching the cab, we began our trip by starting up the locomotive. The real engineer activated the battery switch, and to my surprise, the fuel pump was automatic. Then, with a push on the starter button, the locomotive began to stir, until the oil pressure reached above 30 PSI. Unlike older EMDs or GEs, the cab push button auto-starter technology on the MLW unit was ahead of its time. No need to walk the hood and manually start the loco! Industrial GE locomotives, like the ones I operated on Pine Creek, also have this start up mechanism. But they were narrow gauge. This was the first time I saw this concept applied to a standard gauge locomotive.
Once enough air pressure was built up, we began our trip. Due to FRA regulations, the real train crew had to operate the locomotive over the high traffic public railroad crossing in Milford. Then I took the controls, and ran #3051 for the next four miles. The line that excursion trains actually run on, is the northern half of the railroad, from Milford to Cooperstown, running for nearly 8 miles along the Susquehanna River. Track conditions were rough, and the line was a roller coaster route. Meaning that there were grades, winding up and down. Through woods and up these grades, I checked the engine’s speed, and maintained control all the way. This line is in close proximity to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and in years past, trains made stops right next to the Cooperstown Dream Field Park. There are two steel bridges dating back to 1896 along the way as well. Both of which cross the Susquehanna River. At the second bridge, the County 11 road crossing had to be flagged, so I had to hand control over to the real engineer again. Then it was on to Cooperstown.
Past the second bridge, we then reached an old iron truss bridge, called the Phoenix Mills Bridge, built in 1895 by the Groton Bridge and Manufacturing company. This Bridge carried once Phoenix Road over the Susquehanna River, and was closed to road traffic at an unknown point in time. At this point, this is the end of the line for Rail Explorers’ segment of the railroad. As there were no less than five red deck chairs placed near the old bridge. Soon we reached Cooperstown, just short of the Linden Avenue road crossing where a run around track was. Stopping just beyond the fouling point, we then reversed direction, returning down the line. From here on, and for the next half hour, I ran the engine back and forth between Linden Avenue and the Phoenix Mills Bridge. The rail bikes got to the bridge, necessitating the need to run back and forth. It was 12:20PM EST by the time we reached the Phoenix Mills Bridge once more. The rail bikes left, and went out ahead of us. So we had to wait five minutes before moving again for the entire eight mile trip back to Milford. Due to being limited to running to 15 mph, the entire trip back still took another forty minutes.
At last, we reached Milford, New York well past 1:00PM EST, and a little late for the actual excursion train of the day’s departure. But who’s watching or counting? The Rail Explorer crews still had work to do to clear the line of rail bikes, anyway. During the experience, the crew was so impressed with my skill in running #3051 that, except for when they needed me to stop, they let me just run and only provided a good look out. With this experience, comes a new opportunity for me to volunteer at this railroad. Volunteers at the C&CVRR are extremely hard to come by in Upstate New York, and I see a newfound future in train service here. Hopefully, I’ll learn the ropes of this railroad, and make new memories. Writing about them for a long time to come. Now it was time for pictures and videos! I got my shots of the train at the station, and then went over to the porch to witness the arrival and departure of the excursion train of the day. On the east side of the road crossing, the rail bikes are all parked there, and really ruins the appearance of the train departing. So we went to the west side to see off the train, ending the day’s activities. Video of this and my running the engine appears on the right. After viewing the depot, we drove all the way to Scranton, Pennsylvania via I-88 West and I-81 South, for the next and last segment of the trip. To the Place That Began it All!
Steamtown COVID edition October 3rd
On the morning of Sunday October 3rd, 2021, and for the final segment of our last trip of the year, we stopped in Scranton to once again see Steamtown National Historic Site. However, this visit was going to be different. For the most part, since COVID-19, Steamtown had not run any public excursion trains, and progress on the restoration of #3713 had stopped for some time. But Steamtown train crew qualification runs and the Delaware Lackawanna freight trains were still running along the former DL&W mainline. This meant a lot of ALCO and MLW diesels and freight cars still hanging around the yard, providing good photo opportunities. Driving through downtown Scranton, we noticed that one of those trains of Delaware Lackawanna ALCOs and MLWs was sitting on Bridge 60. In all the years I’ve been to Steamtown, this was my first time seeing engines on the bridge. So a great photo opportunity presented itself. We then proceeded to the parking lot, and witnessed the recently repainted Union Pacific Big Boy #4012, sitting where the Reading T-1 Northern #2124 once stood. Ironically, #2124 now sits where the Big Boy had stood for many, many years.
Proceeding on to the information booth, we were surprised to know that access to all National Parks was free during COVID, as in years past we had to pay to get in. This visit was going to be different in the way that, in order to comply with CDC guidelines, social distancing policies, and Federal Law, all visitors had to go on a one way path. No locomotive cabs were open, and the EarchCam wasn’t working, either. The Technology Museum was still closed, but the history museum and roundhouse were still open. Browsing through the history museum, we refreshed our memories of the importance of the railroad’s role in American Industrial development. Soon we reached the Roundhouse. Unlike in years past, we entered the roundhouse from the south side this time. But the locomotives were still the same. Grand Trunk Western Northern 4-8-4 #6039 was still looking good, and Nickel Plate Road Berkshire 2-8-4 #759 is still there. Lackawanna Mogul #565 was still in pieces, and its cosmetic restoration is on hiatus. I was able to see CP 2317 and CN 3254 parked facing the walkway, and got some got detail photos. Number 26 was parked right next to them, and was getting a hydrostatic boiler test. A good time to do it, now that people weren’t riding trains.
Continuing past the main roundhouse, we then ventured into the original 1902 built-roundhouse. This is where steam engine #8 sits, in which half of it was cut up to demonstrate the inner workings of steam locomotives. A move which offended some preservationists. Before leaving the old Roundhouse, we mentioned that the technology museum was closed, as there is little room for social distancing inside. Continuing out of the roundhouse area, we browsed to look at what equipment was still on display around the turntable. Hopefully someday we’ll see #26 or #3713 in steam, and sitting on it again. We then went into the Visitor’s Center before heading to the Electric City Trolley Museum. Now open for twenty years. While there were no out of town steam excursion trains running this year, one thing did still run. One of the Trolley Museum’s restored trolley cars. Which on this day, was running between Scranton and PNC Field in Moosic, Pennsylvania. Our trolley car for the day was former Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company #80.
Recently restored to operating condition, #80 was built in 1932, and ran for fifty years, before being retired by the Southeastern Pennsylvania transportation Authority (SEPTA) in 1982. This car is unique among trolleys as it had sleek bus-like windows and leather seats, like those in cars. More comfortable than any yellow school bus to say the least! It ran faster than #76, and all the advertisements, plus other details were original, except for the roof. We rode this trolley car for the 12:00 PM EST departure. The line that the trolley takes was originally the built by Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley interurban railroad. From 1903 to 1976, this line provided connections with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in Scranton, the Erie Railroad in Pittston, and the Lehigh Valley Railroad in Wilkes-Barre. Currently, the line is owned by the Pennsylvania Northeastern Regional Rail Authority, and leases the trackage to Delaware Lackawanna, and the ECTM.
On a visit in June 2004, we rode car #76 all the way through to the Crown Avenue tunnel in South Scranton. In 2006, an extension to track to PNC Field was completed. PNC Field is a minor league stadium which hosts the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders, a Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. Today’s run took us there. The Delaware Lackawanna Railroad runs freight along this section of the line during the week. Along the way, we stopped on a bridge to see the Brooks Falls, and then passed through the Crown Avenue Tunnel in South Scranton, the longest interurban railroad tunnel in the United States. Additionally, this trolley excursion is more unique than that. The Electric City Trolley Museum is the only railroad in the United States that provides service in a 100 plus year old trolley car, to a baseball stadium on actual game days. Game day or no game day, the Trolley runs right up to the platform near the stadium, and then the motorman changes the trolley poles around for the return trip. Returning to Scranton, it began to rain.
It was a light rain, but I still managed to get some shots of ALCOs and other equipment in Steamtown’s yard. The four Boonton Coaches, once used in DL&W commuter service and Steamtown excursion service, were wrapped in tarpaulin for storage. A Lehigh Valley painted SW-1 was still sitting on one of the yard tracks in bad condition. Then there was the Long Island Rail Road steam rotary snowplow, still sitting there. Walking up the bridge to the Steamtown Mall, we saw the three DL&W F3 units all parked outside the shop. But the most interesting piece of rolling stock on the property, was former Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus Elephant Car #60017. This car was originally Union Pacific Baggage/Messenger Car #6304, one of three circus train cars acquired by the Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society in 2017, when the circus closed forever. At the time of this writing, this car, as well as two other sleeper cars of Circus Train heritage, are for sale. But cannot be moved with the Circus labels or reporting marks.
After grabbing a bite to eat at the Steamtown Mall, we walked over the bridge one more time. Heading back to the car, the rain stopped, and we eventually stopped by to see the Big Boy locomotive to admire its size. For years, this locomotive was painted black over and over. But the painted kept peeling or fading in the Northeastern winter snows and summer sun rays. Until one day in February 2020, a proper cosmetic restoration finally happened. In May 2021, the cosmetic restoration was finally completed, and the #4012 looked the best it’s been since arriving at Steamtown nearly sixty years ago. This was the first time that a Big Boy on static display was closely accessible to all visitors. Soon it was time to leave Scranton and return home to New Jersey. The amount of road traffic on I-80 going eastbound towards New York City on a Sunday evening has gotten terrible. In the future, if Amtrak’s Connect US Plan goes into effect as part of a major infrastructure bill, there could be Amtrak service to Scranton by at least 2035. This would be ideal in taking cars off the road going between Scranton and New York City. But that’s another story.
Thanks for reading!
Empire Of Rails wishes to thank the staff of the Leatherstocking Chapter NRHS, operator of the Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad, for offering the October 2nd booking of the Guest Engineer Program, and making part of this trip report possible.
Coming soon: Pittsburgh Line Adventures, Strasburg and Lancaster: Retrospective, and August 2010 Road Trip.
To catch up on my previous post, click here: https://empireofrails.com/index.php/2021/08/21/baseball-citi-field-tour-exclusive-new-york-mets/
To view more pictures of this trip, visit Empire Of Rails Flickr page:(Link to be added as time permits).
Visit these attractions, and tell ’em you read my trip report about them!
Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad: https://www.lrhs.com/
Howe Caverns: https://howecaverns.com/
Rail Explorers: https://www.railexplorers.net/
Steamtown National Historic Site: https://www.nps.gov/stea/index.htm
End of Report
Disclaimer: Empire Of Rails is not affiliated with the Delaware Lackawanna Railroad, Howe Caverns (Showpass), the Leatherstocking Chapter NRHS, Pennsylvania Northeastern Regional Rail Authority, Rail Explorers, or SEPTA. This text is for informational purposes only, and no profit was made from this trip report.
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Pittsburgh Line Adventures 2001-2015 - Empire Of Rails - Road Trips · October 25, 2021 at 4:54 pm
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