(erielack) Attica Branch Questions

["Paul Brezicki" <doctorpb_@_bellsouth.net>]

Steve and List,

I have a few questions about EL operations on this branch; Steve, I think 
you may be familiar with this area also. The first involves interchange of 
salt traffic with the G&W. It appears that this took place at 3 locations: 
the bulk of it occurred at Greigsville on the former DL&W main, and less 
than a mile from the big salt mine at Retsof; G&W Jct (Caledonia) on the 
Erie Rochester branch; and indirectly via P&L (Pittsburgh & Lehigh) Jct to 
B&O's BR&P line at Silver Springs on the Erie Buffalo main. (This last 
became the interchange with D&H when it assumed traffic rights on Conrail). 
Why 3 interchanges for the salt traffic?

Secondly, was all of the Attica branch traffic routed through Buffalo, or 
did some head directly east from Attica? As far as I can tell, operations 
consisted of the following:
RC-98 or 298, BFO-Rochester and running off BR-100 from Meadville
RM-97, Rochester-BFO
Groveland Turn out of Bison, mostly salt off the G&W at Greigsville
Avon local, based at Avon and running west as far as Attica

In addition, the salt business was heavy enough to warrant solid salt 
consists, although I don't know how frequently these were operated. Much of 
this salt traffic traffic headed east to the Port of Albany, which continued 
after 1976; the D&H operated dedicated consists of this traffic.

In the 1970's, both BM-7 and BM-9 usually operated via Attica and River Jct 
mainly to avoid the steep WB grade on the B&SW. Did these trains and EB 
trains like ATC-4 and BS-2 pick up Attica branch cars at Attica to save the 
25 mile backhaul to Bison?

As an aside, the name "Attica Branch" is an anomaly, since branchlines are 
generally named for the endpoint, not the mainline Jct; eg: it's the Dayton 
Branch, not the Marion Branch.

Paul B

 


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