NYS&W SU-99: Hurricane Sandy Clean-Out Train - October 28, 2012

This has certainly been one of the most interesting weekends on the NYS&W I have been around for in the history of my railfanning career. Around 6:00 on Saturday I received a text message about the SU-100 running down Saturday night with an SU-99 expected to go West on Sunday to clear out the freight yard in New Jersey before Hurricane Sandy hit. The SU-100 made phenomenal time getting to Jersey pulling into Park around 2:00 on Sunday morning. The crew would then be ready to bring an 80+ car train West with 3014 and three SD60's trailing at 2:00 Sunday afternoon.
In our chase we'll see the four engines battling with all their might the steep grades on the Southern Division mainline from Midland Park, NJ all the way to Stockholm, NJ where the grade reaches its highest point. Needless to say I am really happy that I was able to chase two NYS&W trains this past weekend with fall foliage, and some good friends as these will likely be the last NYS&W trains we'll go out to film until spring time when they start running in daylight again.

[@WATWAREHD]

Fantastic video Steve! This went through Ridgefield Park around 12:30ish. I got it just in time. After this came by WS-2 came by with 5288 and 90 more cars. They left them in the Ridgefield park yard along with 5288. 5288 is still there now. All those cars probably came from North Bergen.

[@CSXACe]

Thanks Kevin! It was a real treat to see them crawling up the grade like that.

[@CSXACe]

Thanks dude, and of all the tunnel motors to be leading the SU-99 3014, my favorite!

[@Seansportsguy]

Great catches man. It's great to see a tunnel motor leading the SD60s. This was also a good example of the calm before the storm

[@CSXACe]

Thanks bro, I was stoked when I found out that 3014 was going up as the leader, certainly a rarity now to see something other than an SD60 leading SU-99. Hopefully damage won't be too severe from the storm.

[@CSXACe]

Thanks a lot, the NYS&W has one of the best looking paint schemes in my opinion. What I found ironic about the power was how the 3014 looked to be the cleanest out of all the engines when it has been on property since 2002, and the SD60's have only been on property since June of this year.

[@CSXACe]

I believe operations on the NYS&W resumed on Saturday, when speaking of the road freights. The most recent one just passed Rich's Deli in Stockholm about 40 minutes ago, they are heading West towards Binghamton.

[@CSXACe]

Thanks John! I'm sure there were more interesting weekends than that too, especially back in 2005 when CSX ran regular detours over the NYS&W for a few weeks. However for the end of October, seeing two daylight trains on the NYS&W on Saturday and Sunday is awesome, considering one was a ballast train, and the other train had 3014 leading three SD60's.

[@CSXACe]

Thanks man, glad I can keep them consistent.

[@csu1226]

Great catches! Good to see a tunnel motor leading the SU99

[@CSXACe]

Thanks dude!

[@CSXACe]

Thanks Russel! That must've been something else to see 5288 pulling 90+ cars haha. I guess the NYS&W took all the cars that were in Ridgefield Park up on the SU-99 to make room for the cars in Little Ferry to be stored in the yard at Ridgefield Park in case Little Ferry gets flooded. I'm actually surprised they aren't moving the power up to higher grounds like Sparta Junction or something.

[@WATWAREHD]

Yeah, it was. The 99 only left like 5 cars behind. 5288 was crawling in the yard. I am suprised they didn't bring all the power up on the 99 or had a big lite power move.

[@CSXACe]

Sounds awesome John!

[@21stCenturyLtd]

Nice video Steve, those things are WORKIN

[@MassenaLineRailfan]

Nice work.

[@Construction_King]

Great video as always.

[@CSXACe]

Thanks man!

[@ELSD45801]

Great video!

[@MarkRambo]

Awesome Video!!

[@branchlinebuff]

I saw the 5288 leading 90-100 cars from Little Ferry to Ridgefield Park/Bogota. In notch 8 going 5mph, it was awesome.

[@monica012077]

Great shot!

[@TheTrainManiac]

Awsome video,

[@CSX453]

Good vid!

[@CSXACe]

I believe that was a mix of sand being dropped and the engines ripping themselves apart to pull the train up the grade.

[@williamyoung6715]

Nice!

[@2005GLI]

looks like 3800 had a stuck brake shoe at 5:44, smoking like crazy.

[@CSXACe]

D'oh! So that's why they were struggling up the grade haha.

[@DAL3294]

One of the engines was smoking heavily at 3:30?

[@papalazyru]

what was being moved from the freight yard in New Jersey?

[@LS6Z28]

When do the road trains resume?

[@williamyoung6715]

ur welcome

[@johnmaloney4838]

why arent those garbage units covered

[@monica012077]

I know I'm a buffer but also a ma'am

[@CSXACe]

Thanks man!

[@CSXACe]

Thanks dude!

[@CSXACe]

Thanks man!

[@CSXACe]

Thanks dude!

[@CSXACe]

Thanks dude!