Connector, and Schenectady during the morning hours; changing sun angles will favor one fleet over the other at dif- ferent times of the year. Although there is the disclaimer on schedules, CP has operated train 450 fairly routinely, hauled by SD40-2s. The train passes through Mechanicville in the late morning, which opens several doors to photo opportunities between Mechan- icville and Albany during winter months and the northbound counter- part during summer months, and of course a little of both in the spring and autumn months. Generally, all other CP trains will sport modern ES44AC or AC4400CW locomotives. The NS trains, and CP trains 938/939 general- ly host high horsepower six-axle NS power. PAS trains, except MOAY/AY- MO and grain/coal trains, generally have Pan Am SD40-2s and GP40s. CP locals, including 554/555, usually have some form of GP38-2 or GP40-2 and PAS generally keeps a GP40 for RJ-1 service. The old Guilford gray and or- ange is quickly giving way to the new Pan Am navy blue. From sunrise to sunset, this is a piece of the capital dis- trict you won’t want to miss!
Amtrak Operations
TOP: Springfield Terminal GP35 No. 207 is entering Mechanicville and the junction with the D&H on October 24, 2008. The tracks and signals at this location have been reconfig- ured with the opening of the new Mechan- icville Yard. —OTTO M. VONDRAK ABOVE: CSX train B765 (now Q633) prepares to depart Selkirk’s West End with a trio of SD40-2s on September 4, 2008. Sabic Innovative Plastics forms an impressive backdrop. LEFT: The wa- ter is still at French’s Hollow in Guilderland Center as the CSX Selkirk/Rotterdam transfer job (Q633) rumbles west behind a pair of SD40-2s on April 6, 2012.
time in the area and the dispatcher will often tell work crews what traffic pat- terns are so they can plan their day ac- cordingly. While schedules are always subject
to change, the pattern has been steady with trains fleeting in both directions between Mechanicville, the Canadian
The heart of Amtrak in the Capital District is in Rensselaer, which rests beneath Troy and across the Hudson River from Albany. Amtrak offers ser- vice to New York Penn Station, Mon- treal, Boston, Rutland, and Toronto. Service between Buffalo and New York City (via Rensselaer) is Empire Ser- vice, and is the primary traffic that graces the Capital District. Amtrak maintains a locomotive facility in Rens- selaer due to the volume of service that operates in and out of the Capital Dis- trict on a daily basis. Public access to observe Amtrak service at Rensselaer can be tricky and is basically limited to the Herrick Street and 3rd Avenue overpasses, both of which have public sidewalks. There is a nice morning view from the north side of East Street as Amtrak trains approach the station from the shops, which has Albany’s capital buildings in the background. At press time, the Broadway Bridge (east side of Amtrak shops) is under con- struction and is closed to automobile and foot traffic. Similar to freight oper- ations, Rensselaer can be a starting point to take a drive down to see the Hudson River Valley or proceed west to the Mohawk River Valley. Albany is al- so a major stopover for the Lake Shore Limited, where the Boston section and New York section are joined for the trip west to Chicago. There’s also the Adirondack to Montreal, the Ethan Allen to Vermont, and the Maple Leaf to Toronto. Amtrak’s motive power is a steady
flow of General Electric locomotives in 31
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