What an interesting layout! Would be a very interesting concept for designing a model railroad, although you would really need quite a large space compared to the amount of industries. Could be fun for a walk around layout though. Make it so that you can't see what you're doing from every angle and have it so that you need to walk around the layout for switching each industry.
I saw another viewer commented on the curved building that no longer had track and the warehouse next door that clearly had spots for boxcars. Railroad archeology is fun! I look for curved buildings on maps, one of the best ways to locate where an industrial track used to run. Sometimes we’re lucky and there’s one dedicated customer keeping the branch in service.
I just recently discovered a siding that I didn't know existed on the Arcade & Attica. The track is almost completely covered in dirt and pavement but while I was filming the soon to be pretty much replaced center cabs I noticed the rail just barely peaking through the dirt. The switches are long removed and the ROW doesn't even look like they existed but the rails are there.
That lumber company was called BENCO Building Products ,and the Logistic company was a Cardboard factory in the late 70s ,they would deliver big rolls of kraft paper to them . That dead end spur used to go to the NS mainline east of Greensburg station . I dont know if the bridge still crosses East Pittsburgh st in Greensburg or if they tore it down . Youngwood also had a wye when it was still a yard . My Dad had 42 years of service with PRR and Conrail ,mainly at Pitcairn but also at Shire Oaks ,Got my first locomotive ride at Shire Oaks when I went to work with him one day
We get this on the UK - abandoned tracks full of weeds that don't get used, but sometimes they get reinstated. There is now a push to get more road traffic onto the rails to reduce carbon emissions, so having a spur to send goods that way is a bonus.
Still have a operational wye track here at Balcony Falls, CSX uses to interchange with the NS at Glasgow. Though I don't believe much is interchanged anymore. Last time I remember using the wye track was to turn my engine to face eastbound after grabbing a cut of loaded ballast cars. Years back when they ran the Chessie Steam Special excursions, they would use this same wye to turn the steam engine.
Great video and tutorial of finding abandoned track from above! Pretty neat how a WYE is used by a railroad whether Class 1 or Local Short Line railroads. Having that drone really gives a great perspective view of what we don't get to see that often. Thanks again DJ for another great video along with your PRICELESS time and effort! Cheers from Laurel, Delaware USA.
At 0:09 you can see the building on the left has a curved rear wall. Almost certainly there was a siding running along there and they built the building after the fact and followed the tracks curvature to use all the footage. As that building ends you can see a raised platform. Checked google Earth and this spot in 2014 also had steel crane framing out over where a siding would have been. At 4:56 you can see the remnant of another track that has the switch stand removed. At 5:03 you can see end of track. However the steel lot past it clearly has overhead crane rails with stubs out over where track would have been so you could model spots for that as well. Not far south of this wye is a team track that looks to be offloading cement for an industry that is North of the wye but doesn't have an onsite track. Compress this as space allows for a nice layout. I agree. Industrial Archeology is quite fun.
As your drone was approaching the warehouse and abandoned siding at the end of the video, I could see the "CLOSE CLEARANCE" sign was still on the corner of the building to warn switching crews.
The Plymouth subdivision of CSX from Detroit thru Livonia has a lot of abandoned siding tracks to former customers. Normally one consist at night per day from Lansing, MI
Dj THANKS Im also a RR archeologist between Conrail the LIRR and various industrial railroads in brooklyn there are tons of really cool spurs and some not abandoned lines right down the middle of cobblestone streets the NYNJ rail still uses the old NY cross harbor yard nee former Bush terminal RR used to be a steam engine in there Porter 060 (now in museum) and some Alco S1
Awesome video DJ, please continue to post this content, it's so important for modelers to see industries, track, scenery, colors, and textures from a bird's eye view!
Nice sky shots of the Wye...have you ever cought. hobos riding on your real trains..just wondering...its great how you get into talking and showing things train related. a lot of good idea for modeling👍😇
@@djstrains maybe " Jumping Off The Cliff" or "Dancer" will decide to tour your sub someday. You will see your train viewed from the deck of one of your grainers.
Thanks for the idea of adding industrial spur functions to a wye. I’ve seen several times where people advise against wye’s as much as turntables as being space hogs. But since I’m in a generation that still models steam, it’s a good idea to give functionality to a wye, other than just turning a loco.
In my hometown csx has a yard with a Wye and a shortline also is based out of that yard. The shortline is a 36 mile line with only sidings. I can’t remember the figure but remember there is an astronomical fee csx charges that shortline to use the wye to turn around engines or cars around.
Not only was the building with the abandoned siding formerly served by the railroad, but so was the next building with the curved wall...just look at the doors, they're spaced for boxcars. So there were probably at least 4 industries served by the wye, if not more(that ABB facility may have been rail served before flatbed trucks took away most of the flat car business from railroads).
Thanks for the post. My girlfriend's cousin and her family live in Greensburg. I have seen the track going northbound from the wye and always wondered where it went. It's a great modeling track plan.
thank you for sharing , love this, i have always wanted to have a spot for every type of freight car on the layout , not anymore, google maps is a blessing for prototype railroad modelers
Another GREAT video! I remember when I first understood what a wye was and how it worked - mind blown! Then I wired one on the old (largely unsceniced) layout I had in the 90s - I was so pleased when it worked! Trying to get a new layout going, hope to have a wye on it.
@5:56 the building just above the one you are parked at has a curved dock and also was served by rail at one time. Also seen at 0:20. Or was built right up to the track for the brick building, or both.
Appreciate you sharing this information & video. Amtrak uses a Wye in Carbondale to turnaround for returning to service to- from Chicago. We also have a Wye on Walking Horse IT junction in Wartrace Tennessee with CSX Mainline between Nashville & Atlanta
Dear DJ, very interesting footage. Love the different angles and zoom in close ups. Some great modeling opportunities you showed here. Looking forward to your next episodes. Cheerio
This is a great video. Don't always need the beauty of a unit, friendly crew, the horn and 200 hundred cars thundering by, ateast I think I don't. Anyway, it's great to investigate old railroad buildings, sidings, abandoned tracks buried in mosquito/black fly infested long grass and alders. Thank you for sharing the video.
I really got look into getting one of those drones. So, from what I can tell in your video DJ, if you're modeling an industrial area, you don't need roadbed i.e., cork roadbed just lay the track to the sub board. I was wondering from a modeling standpoint plus you would save some money and time by not having to deal with cork or any other type of roadbed.
hello again, DJ !!! i noted on your drone video of conway yard/hump fac/etc of 3 years back you wanted to be informed of any model rr hump yards we, as viewers, knew of. well, here in western ny state in medina, ny is the medina railroad museum and they have a nice, functioning hump fac in ho scale. the museum is roughly 25-30 minutes NE of buffalo,ny and is well kept. the layout is huge ( as is the actual hump !!!) and the facility also has an amazing collection of fire fighting gear/equipment/etc/etc honoring firefighters both historically and currently. i am sure you can google it and get some helpful info. question, DJ.... in that conway video we see many ns engines "in storage- ready to go" and all we hear up here ( i am 3 hours N of pittsburgh [and still a big coach tomlin fan!!!] from not only other model rr hobbyists but also from ns employees themselves is ns, along with some other prototypical railroads, currently have a power shortage !!whats going on ? ns here is the lake erie div and comes to bflo from the southern tier line, then to cleve & points west. thanks dj !!! denny armes
It never made sense to me what these class one railroads do. CSX had 600 engines in storage but still leased other rr power. They both cut their locomotive repair roster so bad during Covid. I dunno, maybe the bean counters know more than us with common sense
You know, there are areas that I believe was once double tracked, and it appears that the trail is on former mainline, but most is still a few feet away from the current track.
Hi DJ I had asked when you went to Bethlehem, did you visit the Lehigh and Keystone RR? That’s my next road trip. Also while in Denver , did you visit the UP North yard right off the interstate 25? I got some nice pics there. They were actually nice about it. When I first drove in I did ask someone who looked like crew and he was great an did advise I stay off tracks of course. The BNSF yard just south of there was a complete opposite, they were not so nice.
A bit confusing the way you were describing the orientation of the "Y" (wye). I would have assumed that the bottom of the "Y" was the stem, otherwise (as in your sketch) the "Y" would have been upside down. ?
I love abandoned sidings and tracks too, makes you think about how it was back then.
Awesome video!!! A lot of good ideas for sure!! Like that abandoned track at the end!! Stay Safe & God Bless!!
Yes, railroad archeology is fun. Please keep the industries coming.
What an interesting layout! Would be a very interesting concept for designing a model railroad, although you would really need quite a large space compared to the amount of industries. Could be fun for a walk around layout though. Make it so that you can't see what you're doing from every angle and have it so that you need to walk around the layout for switching each industry.
Clever
I saw another viewer commented on the curved building that no longer had track and the warehouse next door that clearly had spots for boxcars.
Railroad archeology is fun! I look for curved buildings on maps, one of the best ways to locate where an industrial track used to run. Sometimes we’re lucky and there’s one dedicated customer keeping the branch in service.
Nice find. Goes to show you a wye is not just a wye.
I just recently discovered a siding that I didn't know existed on the Arcade & Attica. The track is almost completely covered in dirt and pavement but while I was filming the soon to be pretty much replaced center cabs I noticed the rail just barely peaking through the dirt. The switches are long removed and the ROW doesn't even look like they existed but the rails are there.
That lumber company was called BENCO Building Products ,and the Logistic company was a Cardboard factory in the late 70s ,they would deliver big rolls of kraft paper to them . That dead end spur used to go to the NS mainline east of Greensburg station . I dont know if the bridge still crosses East Pittsburgh st in Greensburg or if they tore it down . Youngwood also had a wye when it was still a yard . My Dad had 42 years of service with PRR and Conrail ,mainly at Pitcairn but also at Shire Oaks ,Got my first locomotive ride at Shire Oaks when I went to work with him one day
We get this on the UK - abandoned tracks full of weeds that don't get used, but sometimes they get reinstated. There is now a push to get more road traffic onto the rails to reduce carbon emissions, so having a spur to send goods that way is a bonus.
Still have a operational wye track here at Balcony Falls, CSX uses to interchange with the NS at Glasgow. Though I don't believe much is interchanged anymore. Last time I remember using the wye track was to turn my engine to face eastbound after grabbing a cut of loaded ballast cars. Years back when they ran the Chessie Steam Special excursions, they would use this same wye to turn the steam engine.
Great video and tutorial of finding abandoned track from above! Pretty neat how a WYE is used by a railroad whether Class 1 or Local Short Line railroads. Having that drone really gives a great perspective view of what we don't get to see that often. Thanks again DJ for another great video along with your PRICELESS time and effort! Cheers from Laurel, Delaware USA.
At 0:09 you can see the building on the left has a curved rear wall. Almost certainly there was a siding running along there and they built the building after the fact and followed the tracks curvature to use all the footage. As that building ends you can see a raised platform. Checked google Earth and this spot in 2014 also had steel crane framing out over where a siding would have been. At 4:56 you can see the remnant of another track that has the switch stand removed. At 5:03 you can see end of track. However the steel lot past it clearly has overhead crane rails with stubs out over where track would have been so you could model spots for that as well. Not far south of this wye is a team track that looks to be offloading cement for an industry that is North of the wye but doesn't have an onsite track. Compress this as space allows for a nice layout.
I agree. Industrial Archeology is quite fun.
As your drone was approaching the warehouse and abandoned siding at the end of the video, I could see the "CLOSE CLEARANCE" sign was still on the corner of the building to warn switching crews.
Nice. CNW/UP wye Butler Jct WI also has 3 customers on backside of wye.
I really enjoy the drone footage and your videos in general!
I sincerely appreciate that
The Plymouth subdivision of CSX from Detroit thru Livonia has a lot of abandoned siding tracks to former customers. Normally one consist at night per day from Lansing, MI
Thanks for this one, DJ. I always enjoy seeing industrial sidings and the buildings they serve. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Dj THANKS Im also a RR archeologist between Conrail the LIRR and various industrial railroads in brooklyn there are tons of really cool spurs and some not abandoned lines right down the middle of cobblestone streets the NYNJ rail still uses the old NY cross harbor yard nee former Bush terminal RR used to be a steam engine in there Porter 060 (now in museum) and some Alco S1
i liked seeing the ABB place. those are all SF6 breakers, I install that kind of stuff at work
Great shots very interesting
Awesome video DJ, please continue to post this content, it's so important for modelers to see industries, track, scenery, colors, and textures from a bird's eye view!
Nice sky shots of the Wye...have you ever cought. hobos riding on your real trains..just wondering...its great how you get into talking and showing things train related. a lot of good idea for modeling👍😇
Never. Pittsburgh doesn't really have that problem.
@@djstrains maybe " Jumping Off The Cliff" or "Dancer" will decide to tour your sub someday. You will see your train viewed from the deck of one of your grainers.
So many great modeling ideas packed into this video!
Great video DJ thanks.
Been loving the drone footage! Thanks much.
I get excited when I watch footage back on a big screen. Such a cool perspective
Nice Video
Another great vid in the catalogue. Hardly anyone thinks of modeling abandoned track.
Thanks for the idea of adding industrial spur functions to a wye. I’ve seen several times where people advise against wye’s as much as turntables as being space hogs. But since I’m in a generation that still models steam, it’s a good idea to give functionality to a wye, other than just turning a loco.
Great video,might take up a little bit too much space but it's still cool!
I was trying to think of a practical model rr track plan, but maybe just as a peninsula?
@@djstrains yeah,that might work.
Neat video, I too geek out on abandoned track. Thanks for taking the time to make and share.
Just another DJ’s video-excellently done with lots of ideas. Thanks!
In my hometown csx has a yard with a Wye and a shortline also is based out of that yard. The shortline is a 36 mile line with only sidings. I can’t remember the figure but remember there is an astronomical fee csx charges that shortline to use the wye to turn around engines or cars around.
What I was looking for.
Not only was the building with the abandoned siding formerly served by the railroad, but so was the next building with the curved wall...just look at the doors, they're spaced for boxcars. So there were probably at least 4 industries served by the wye, if not more(that ABB facility may have been rail served before flatbed trucks took away most of the flat car business from railroads).
Thanks for the post. My girlfriend's cousin and her family live in Greensburg. I have seen the track going northbound from the wye and always wondered where it went. It's a great modeling track plan.
It’s rich in history too
thank you for sharing , love this, i have always wanted to have a spot for every type of freight car on the layout , not anymore, google maps is a blessing for prototype railroad modelers
Another GREAT video! I remember when I first understood what a wye was and how it worked - mind blown! Then I wired one on the old (largely unsceniced) layout I had in the 90s - I was so pleased when it worked!
Trying to get a new layout going, hope to have a wye on it.
@5:56 the building just above the one you are parked at has a curved dock and also was served by rail at one time. Also seen at 0:20. Or was built right up to the track for the brick building, or both.
Appreciate you sharing this information & video. Amtrak uses a Wye in Carbondale to turnaround for returning to service to- from Chicago. We also have a Wye on Walking Horse IT junction in Wartrace Tennessee with CSX Mainline between Nashville & Atlanta
Dear DJ, very interesting footage. Love the different angles and zoom in close ups. Some great modeling opportunities you showed here. Looking forward to your next episodes. Cheerio
Appreciated!!!
Good shots once again.
This was a good one.
hello dj its is randy and i like yours video is cool thanks friends randy
VERY COOL DJ.
Hi DJ! Great video! Wow that’s some great footage!
Nice. I used to work at that ABB plant.
Small world
This is a great video. Don't always need the beauty of a unit, friendly crew, the horn and 200 hundred cars thundering by, ateast I think I don't.
Anyway, it's great to investigate old railroad buildings, sidings, abandoned tracks buried in mosquito/black fly infested long grass and alders.
Thank you for sharing the video.
20,000 cars would suck. ;)
why don't you do a video shot of the new industrial park i believe the commons with new track for the swp
Help me out, is this in new Stanton?
@@djstrains yes right off i-70
@@djstrains it's called commerce crossing
@@djstrains The new industrial park off of I-70 at Waltz Mill north of Menasha up by Westinghouse
The struggle there is where to park inconspicuously. Lots of security. I'll check it out again tomorrow.
I think you better trademark that title, Railroad Archeologists.
I really got look into getting one of those drones. So, from what I can tell in your video DJ, if you're modeling an industrial area, you don't need roadbed i.e., cork roadbed just lay the track to the sub board. I was wondering from a modeling standpoint plus you would save some money and time by not having to deal with cork or any other type of roadbed.
Correct. So much yard and secondary track is just flat with poor drainage
Great video
hello again, DJ !!! i noted on your drone video of conway yard/hump fac/etc of 3 years back you wanted to be informed of any model rr hump yards we, as viewers, knew of. well, here in western ny state in medina, ny is the medina railroad museum and they have a nice, functioning hump fac in ho scale. the museum is roughly 25-30 minutes NE of buffalo,ny and is well kept. the layout is huge ( as is the actual hump !!!) and the facility also has an amazing collection of fire fighting gear/equipment/etc/etc honoring firefighters both historically and currently. i am sure you can google it and get some helpful info. question, DJ.... in that conway video we see many ns engines "in storage- ready to go" and all we hear up here ( i am 3 hours N of pittsburgh [and still a big coach tomlin fan!!!] from not only other model rr hobbyists but also from ns employees themselves is ns, along with some other prototypical railroads, currently have a power shortage !!whats going on ? ns here is the lake erie div and comes to bflo from the southern tier line, then to cleve & points west. thanks dj !!! denny armes
It never made sense to me what these class one railroads do. CSX had 600 engines in storage but still leased other rr power. They both cut their locomotive repair roster so bad during Covid. I dunno, maybe the bean counters know more than us with common sense
thanks for the reply dj !!! denny armes@@djstrains
Was the bike path orginally tracked?
You know, there are areas that I believe was once double tracked, and it appears that the trail is on former mainline, but most is still a few feet away from the current track.
Hi DJ I had asked when you went to Bethlehem, did you visit the Lehigh and Keystone RR? That’s my next road trip. Also while in Denver , did you visit the UP North yard right off the interstate 25? I got some nice pics there. They were actually nice about it. When I first drove in I did ask someone who looked like crew and he was great an did advise I stay off tracks of course. The BNSF yard just south of there was a complete opposite, they were not so nice.
Keystone video later in the year. Can’t promote them in off season.
Did not make it to UP yard
A bit confusing the way you were describing the orientation of the "Y" (wye). I would have assumed that the bottom of the "Y" was the stem, otherwise (as in your sketch) the "Y" would have been upside down. ?
Yeah, it’s actually a triangle if you think about it, lol
The straightest section of track is generally the bottom.
If you could indulge a slightly off-topic question here. Why are locomotive windows tinted so dark?
I can’t answer that. I never noticed
Just here to shot my quarterly shot? Are you single yet?
Been single since July. Lots of dates lately but few second dates. Djstrains@yahoo.com
the wye he is showing was called county juct under conrail days was told yrs ago there was also a block station at that location.