Just a few shots taken on Wednesday at the New York & Lake Erie in Gowanda NY, and the Arcade & Attica in Arcade NY. The NYLE no longer runs passenger service, but the A&A still is. Despite thier steam engine being out of service for the past 4 yrs (and currently finishing it's rebuild) they have continued passenger service with one of thier GE 65tonners. 2 trains on wednesday, with the first on almost sold out, and our train almost 3/4 full. first shot is of the ex-VIA MLW FPa's and the high nose C425. Second shot is of the C425 #1013. One other C425, and ex-PRR unit was in the diesel shop. The 3rd shot shows the Arcade & Attica 65t #112 returning with the noon train. And the final shot of #112 running around it's short passenger train at the Curriers NY Depot.
I didn't know the A&A was still operating. Do they have any freight service? Or is it all excursions? Boxcab E50
They run passenger trains through july and august on wed, fri, sat, sun, and freight service 2 times a week right now. Thier biggest customer, at North Java, Riesdorf feed mill does about 1000 cars a year according to the conductor i talked to. 86 lumber (or whatever the name is) does 40-50 cars a year of lumber, which they unload near the enginehouse. They are going to be adding 2 more customers in the next year or so. Things are picking up. They have started doing some much needed track work. It is a nice operation, and well worth the visit, steam or diesel. On our trip they were running the combine, coach and open gondola.
Nice to see those old ALCO's back in my birth state. The FPA, is it basically an FA? I didn't think there were any other PA's left other than the two out here in Oregon. :teeth:
Don't think of it as a PA. The locomotives were built by the Montreal Locomotive Works for CN. They are 4 axle passenger locomotives hence the "P" in the designation. One is an FPA-2u (upgraded) the other is an FPA-4. I had the opportunity to run the units a few years back out of Corry, Pa. Pull the throttle out and put your feet up, the pick up was rather slow. These are the same units that are in use on the Napa Valley Railroad, Cuyahoga Scenic, Grand Canyon Railway, the list goes on and on. They were all Canadian built for Canadian railways, and now pretty much all of the remaining ones are in the US. Hope that answers your question.
It certainly does, and thank you. The photo, maybe it was the lens, made that "snout" look like a PA to me. We have one in restoration nearby.
The nose of both units is identical in many ways. Of course, the most obvious thing is the fact that the FPa is shorter than the PA.
My only Arcade & Attica item. A blank form 31 train order. Sure wish I could find a completed issue! Boxcab E50
