Rochester & Erie Railway Report From Last Friday

[SecondCreek]

I explored the new Rochester & Erie Railway shortline last Friday. Their GP15 was parked on the main track next to the Rochester Iron & Metal scrapyard on Lucas Street. A pair of empty gondolas were on the spur to the scrapyard. The crew did not go on duty when I was there from noon to 2PM EST. A high rail truck was parked next to the engine.

The R&E put a lot of work into upgrading the track it appeared from the new ties that had been inserted, a new looking switch to the scrapyard spur, and vegetation cleared on the connection to the former Erie Railroad segment as well as new ties installed in that segment.

On the old Erie line there was a long string of new looking, white tank cars in storage that stretched out toward US 31. The Erie depot still stands but is in poor shape with graffiti on it.

No covered hoppers were seen at either Wilson Fertilizer & Grain or at Praire Mills Products, two customers with their own spurs.

Farther north in Argos the two Elkhart & Western engines were parked along their caboose.