BY STEVE “LOW BRIDGE” BARRY PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
I
T’S CALLED THE WATER LEVEL ROUTE, and for a good reason. The former New York Central mainline from
New York to Chicago starts out by hugging the east shore of the Hudson River. Upon reaching the Capitol District around Albany, the railroad turns west to follow the north shore of the Mohawk River. And, later in its journey, the train follows the shores of Lake Erie as it crosses Ohio.
One of the most pleasant places to view the action on the Water Level Route is Lock 10, located just a couple miles east of Amsterdam, N.Y. The Mohawk River and Erie Canal formed the early transportation link from Buffalo to New York, and the Mohawk was made navigable through a series of locks. Through the years the locks have been modernized and they still see heavy use. Many of the locks on the river canal system were heavily damaged in a flood in 2011; Lock 9, located in Amsterdam, is still being repaired from the storm. Lock 10 and the surrounding area was washed out. In the intervening years, the lock has been restored, offering a pleasant access point for visiting railfans.
Train Watching At Lock 10 While the railroad is located to the
north, the best train watching is from the south shore of the Mohawk. Today the track is owned and operated by CSX, and it is an important artery from the Midwest to the northeast. Amtrak also uses the line, and you’ll see Empire Corridor trains that terminate at Niagara Falls along with the Maple Leaf to Toronto and Lake Shore Limited to Chicago.
Finding Lock 10 is easy, just follow New York Route 5S from the Thruway at either exit 26 at Schenectady or exit
66 DECEMBER 2015 •
RAILFAN.COM
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