AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
While searching for prototype photos of AA 7771 I stumbled to this shot of the unit sitting at Pittsfield junction
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1214034
It shows AA 7771 assigned to switch saline. I recall when they would leave one unit on the branch and have no train, but I don't know how the ops went back then. Now they will switch saline on the NB or SB run.. I was just wondering how the ops worked when they left a unit there. Was it leaving the unit to get the cars when they were ready, or because it was the time When the branch required switching multiple times a day?
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1214034
It shows AA 7771 assigned to switch saline. I recall when they would leave one unit on the branch and have no train, but I don't know how the ops went back then. Now they will switch saline on the NB or SB run.. I was just wondering how the ops worked when they left a unit there. Was it leaving the unit to get the cars when they were ready, or because it was the time When the branch required switching multiple times a day?
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Re: AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
I don't recall them assigning a unit to Saline. I do recall them taking the whole road train down there a few times and leaving the cars on the "main" west of the Ford switch.YpsiAmtrakBoy wrote:While searching for prototype photos of AA 7771 I stumbled to this shot of the unit sitting at Pittsfield junction
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1214034
It shows AA 7771 assigned to switch saline. I recall when they would leave one unit on the branch and have no train, but I don't know how the ops went back then. Now they will switch saline on the NB or SB run.. I was just wondering how the ops worked when they left a unit there. Was it leaving the unit to get the cars when they were ready, or because it was the time When the branch required switching multiple times a day?
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Re: AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
When I was in grad school at UM (1986 and 1987) I would drive over to Pittsfield Jct if I had time, and knew a train would be running to Saline. I don't recall any specific unit being assigned to Saline, but that doesn't mean anything, as there are plenty of other things that happened nearly 30 years ago that I don't recall. I DO remember that they always used a caboose for the long backup move from Pittsfield Jct to what was then Ford in Saline, which was really cool to watch.
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Re: AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
The Ford plant used to get switched 2x per weekday so I don't know if assigning an engine to the Saline Branch was a regular job or just an occasional move to switch the Ford plant at a specific time when the road train was not able to do so.
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Re: AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
More than likely, the Ford plant was switched twice a day, at shift change. Ford uses a just in time supply system. And emptys come out, and loads go in during a short window during shift change.
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Re: AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
Good point, hobo. IIRC the switch times were normally 3pm and 11pm on weekdays.hoborich wrote:More than likely, the Ford plant was switched twice a day, at shift change. Ford uses a just in time supply system. And emptys come out, and loads go in during a short window during shift change.
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Re: AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
That sounds about right.. About 10 years ago I would sometimes go down by the plant to watch them switch between 3 and 7.AARR wrote:Good point, hobo. IIRC the switch times were normally 3pm and 11pm on weekdays.hoborich wrote:More than likely, the Ford plant was switched twice a day, at shift change. Ford uses a just in time supply system. And emptys come out, and loads go in during a short window during shift change.
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Re: AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
There's some good info on this thread from days of old: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=23293
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Re: AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
Back in those days they would often switch the Ford plant very early Sunday morning too.ns8401 wrote:That sounds about right.. About 10 years ago I would sometimes go down by the plant to watch them switch between 3 and 7.AARR wrote:Good point, hobo. IIRC the switch times were normally 3pm and 11pm on weekdays.hoborich wrote:More than likely, the Ford plant was switched twice a day, at shift change. Ford uses a just in time supply system. And emptys come out, and loads go in during a short window during shift change.
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Re: AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
This question was posted at the other board. I can't post there but if someone would like to do so this thread would be helpful to him.
https://members4.boardhost.com/OtherMic ... 89560.html
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Posted by Alex on 11/23/2021, 12:46 pm
Just curious,
What saved the Saline Branch, in history.
Currently no active customers, just storage and access to an industrial park. 20 years ago +/-, Visteon was an active customer.
But, prior to the Visteon plant as erected, what was the active customer that saved the line? Was there an active elevator in town for years? I can't imagine that the Visteon plant has been around since before the expressways were built.
The ex-NYC has largely been gone for 60+ years, predating bot the the US 23 and I 94 expressways.
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Re: AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
A produce company, Crossett, used that track to unload an occasional refrigerated box car of potatoes or something like that. It seems they received rail service past the year 2000.Posted by NILE on 11/24/2021, 10:50 am, in reply to "Re: Saline Branch - What saved the line"
Currently, there is a short spur off the Saline branch at Industrial Rd. It is behind a company called Flatout INC. I think cars were stored there in the mid-90s, but I don't know what customer every used that spur.
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Re: AA Pittsfield Junction Ops
That track was installed at the request of Saline as industrial term track.