Somerset Railroad (New York): Difference between revisions

Somerset Railroad
Overview
Reporting mark	SOM
Locale	New York
Dates of operation	1983–2021
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	NY 18
	Lake Road
	NY 78
	Lockport–Olcott Road
	NY 104
	Ridge Road
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Latest revision as of 01:49, 4 July 2024

The Somerset Railroad (reporting mark SOM) was a railroad that operated in Niagara County, New York. It was operated by CSX Transportation. The railroad was built with the primary objective of providing coal to the Kintigh Generating Station, also known as the Somerset Power Plant, a 675 megawatt coal-fired power plant located in Somerset, New York. The railroad was built in 1983 by the New York State Electric and Gas Co. using new and old rights of way. From Lockport, New York, it runs on the defunct International Railway Co. (IRC) interurban line opened in 1900 under the name Buffalo, Lockport & Olcott Beach (BL&OB) which became part of the IRC in 1902. From Newfane, New York, the SOM sweeps off the IRC (abandoned in 1937) to the Hojack Line in Appleton, New York (Township of Newfane, Niagara County, NY), to West Somerset in the Town of Somerset. It then swings off on new trackage to a series of spurs and a loop at the Kintigh Generating Station.

Although the Somerset Railroad owned 428 rotary-dump gondola cars, CSX provided their motive power and operated the railroad. Prior to the acquisition of Conrail by Norfolk Southern and CSX in 1998, Conrail provided motive power. The Somerset Railroad right of way includes 15.59 miles (25 km) of trackage, known as the Somerset Secondary. Unit coal trains leaving from Youngstown, Ohio, run to Erie, Pennsylvania, followed by Buffalo, then north to the Niagara Branch, where they swing off onto the Lockport Subdivision, and finally in Lockport onto the Somerset Secondary. Even though the Somerset Power Plant owned its own gondolas, CSXT Hoppers were a regular sight at the plant.

The coal cars were unloaded using a rotary car dumper at the power plant. Also on the line in Lockport is a chemical plant, Vanchlor, which receives Chlorine via the railroad. The first train on the line ran in November 1983. Power was provided by four Conrail GE B23-7s, with 1926 as the lead unit.

In March 2020, The New York Times reported that the Kintigh Generating Station would shut down.^[1] The Somerset plant closure was a direct result of Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to reduce carbon emissions in New York state. Electricity for the area is now purchased and delivered from power plants in Pennsylvania. Shortly after the plant closure, that October CSX filed for abandonment of the line as the plant was the only customer. In late spring 2022, the line was torn up by CSX from just past the chemical plant spur all the way to the power plant. This was the second time the Hojack right of way was abandoned. Prior to line abandonment, all Somerset rail cars were collected by CSX and sent to scrap, with a few remaining in other mixed services.

References

^ Barnard, Anne; March, Libby (March 20, 2020). "New York's Last Coal-Fired Power Plant Is Closing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 12, 2022.

The Greater Rochester Railfan Page, Somerset Railroad. Retrieved August 7, 2004.
CSX Transportation Timetables – Somerset Railroad Subdivision
CSX Somerset Railroad Sub
CSX Albany Division Timetable

[1] Barnard, Anne; March, Libby (March 20, 2020). "New York's Last Coal-Fired Power Plant Is Closing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 12, 2022.

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Railroad in Niagara County, New York}}
-{{Infobox SG rail|
+{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2011}}
-railroad_name=Somerset Railroad|
+{{Infobox rail
-logo_filename=Somerset.png|
+| railroad_name=Somerset Railroad
-logo_size=90|
+| logo_filename=Somerset.png
-marks=SOM|
+| logo_size=90
-locale=[[New York]]|
+| marks=SOM
-start_year=1983|
+| locale=New York
-hq_city=
+| start_year = 1983
+| end_year=2021
+| gauge = {{track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
+| hq_city=
+| map = {{Somerset Railroad (NY)|inline=1}}
 }}
-{| {{Railway line header}}
-{{BS-header|Somerset Railroad}}
-{{BS-table}}
-{{BS4||ENDEa|||0.0|[[Kintigh Generating Station]]}}
-{{BS4||AKRZo||||[[New York State Route 18]]}}
-{{BS4||WBRÜCKE||||Fish Creek}}
-{{BS4||WBRÜCKE||||Fish Creek}}
-{{BS4||STR||||[[Appleton, New York|Appleton]]}}
-{{BS4||vSTRa|||7.3|[[Corwin, New York|Corwin]]}}
-{{BS4||vSTRe|||||}}
-{{BS4||STR|ENDEa|}}
-{{BS4||STR|ABZlf|STRlg}}
-{{BS4||ABZrg|STRrf|vSTRa|13.4|Mill Street Junction}}
-{{BS4||STR||vENDEel}}
-{{BS4||STR||ENDEe||Mill Street Industrial Track}}
-{{BS4||WBRÜCKE||||[[Eighteen Mile Creek (Niagara County)|Eighteen Mile Creek]]}}
-{{BS4||ABZlf|STRlg||15.3|Gulf Line Junction}}
-{{BS4||STR|xENDEe|||Gulf Line Industrial Track}}
-{{BS4|STRq|ABZ3rf|xKRZh|STRq|0.0|[[Lockport Subdivision]]}}
-|}
-|}
-The '''Somerset Railroad''' {{reporting mark|SOM}} is a shortline railroad that operates in [[Niagara County, New York]]. The railroad was built with the primary objective of providing [[coal]] to the [[Kintigh Generating Station]], a 675 megawatt coal-fired [[power plant]] located in [[Somerset, New York]]. The Railroad in reality was built in 1983. From [[Lockport (city), New York|Lockport, New York]] it runs on the defunct [[International Railway Co.]] (IRC) [[interurban]] (intercity trolley) line opened in 1900 under the name [[Buffalo, Lockport & Olcott Beach]] (BL&OB) which became part of the IRC in 1902. From [[Newfane, New York]] the SOM sweeps of the IRC (abandoned in 1937) to the [[Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad|Hojack Line]] in [[Appleton, New York]] (Township of Newfane, Niagara County, NY) to West Somerset in the Town of Somerset. It then swings off to a series of spurs and a loop at the Kintigh Generating Station.
+The '''Somerset Railroad''' {{reporting mark|SOM}} was a railroad that operated in [[Niagara County, New York]]. It was operated by [[CSX Transportation]]. The railroad was built with the primary objective of providing coal to the [[Kintigh Generating Station]], also known as the Somerset Power Plant, a 675 megawatt coal-fired [[power plant]] located in [[Somerset, New York]]. The railroad was built in 1983 by the [[Iberdrola USA|New York State Electric and Gas Co.]] using new and old [[Right-of-way (transportation)|rights of way]]. From [[Lockport (city), New York|Lockport, New York]], it runs on the defunct [[International Railway (New York–Ontario)|International Railway Co.]] (IRC) [[interurban]] line opened in 1900 under the name [[Buffalo, Lockport & Olcott Beach]] (BL&OB) which became part of the IRC in 1902. From [[Newfane, New York]], the SOM sweeps off the IRC (abandoned in 1937) to the [[Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad|Hojack Line]] in [[Appleton, New York]] (Township of Newfane, Niagara County, NY), to West Somerset in the Town of Somerset. It then swings off on new trackage to a series of spurs and a loop at the Kintigh Generating Station.
-Although the Somerset Railroad owns 428 rotary-dump [[gondola (rail)|gondola]] cars, [[CSX Transportation|CSX]] provides their motive power and operates the railroad. Prior to the acquisition of [[Conrail]] by [[Norfolk Southern]] and CSX in [[1998]], Conrail provided motive power. The Somerset Railroad right of way includes 15.59 [[mile]]s (25 [[kilometre|km]]) of trackage, known as the [[Somerset Secondary]]. [[unit train|Unit]] [[coal]] trains leaving from [[Youngstown, Ohio]], run to [[Erie, Pennsylvania]], followed by [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], then north to the Niagara Branch, where they swing off onto the Lockport Branch, and finally in Lockport onto the Somerset Secondary.
+Although the Somerset Railroad owned 428 rotary-dump [[gondola (rail)|gondola]] cars, [[CSX Transportation|CSX]] provided their motive power and operated the railroad. Prior to the acquisition of [[Conrail]] by [[Norfolk Southern]] and CSX in 1998, Conrail provided motive power. The Somerset Railroad right of way includes 15.59&nbsp;miles (25&nbsp;km) of trackage, known as the [[Somerset Secondary]]. [[unit train|Unit]] coal trains leaving from [[Youngstown, Ohio]], run to [[Erie, Pennsylvania]], followed by [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], then north to the Niagara Branch, where they swing off onto the [[Lockport Subdivision]], and finally in Lockport onto the Somerset Secondary. Even though the Somerset Power Plant owned its own gondolas, CSXT Hoppers were a regular sight at the plant.
-The coal cars are unloaded using a rotary dumper at the power plant. Also on the line in Lockport is a chemical plant which receives anhydrous [[ammonia]] via the railroad. The first train on the line ran in November 1983, power was provided by four Conrail GE [[B23-7]]'s. The lead unit's number was #1926.
+The coal cars were unloaded using a [[rotary car dumper]] at the power plant. Also on the line in Lockport is a chemical plant, [[Vanchlor]], which receives Chlorine via the railroad. The first train on the line ran in November 1983. Power was provided by four Conrail [[GE B23-7]]s, with 1926 as the lead unit.
-The Somerset Railroad Subdivision (called the ''Somerset Secondary'' under [[Conrail]]) is a 15.59 mile section of [[railroad]] between [[Lockport (city), New York|Lockport, New York]] and [[Somerset, New York]] built by the Somerset Railroad Corporation. The line was constructed to allow [[coal]] [[train]]s to service the [[Kintigh Generating Station]] in Somerset. East of [[Newfane (town), Niagara County, New York|Newfane, NY]], the Somerset Secondary utilizes the abandoned [[Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad]] right of way. The railroad track includes a large loop at the power plant where the coal cars are unloaded by a rotary dumper. A chemical plant in Lockport is also serviced from the line.
+In March 2020, ''The New York Times'' reported that the Kintigh Generating Station would shut down.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Barnard|first=Anne|last2=March|first2=Libby|date=2020-03-20|title=New York's Last Coal-Fired Power Plant Is Closing|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/nyregion/coal-energy-ny.html|access-date=2022-06-12|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The Somerset plant closure was a direct result of Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to reduce carbon emissions in New York state. Electricity for the area is now purchased and delivered from power plants in Pennsylvania. Shortly after the plant closure, that October CSX filed for abandonment of the line as the plant was the only customer. In late spring 2022, the line was torn up by CSX from just past the chemical plant spur all the way to the power plant. This was the second time the Hojack right of way was abandoned. Prior to line abandonment, all Somerset rail cars were collected by CSX and sent to scrap, with a few remaining in other mixed services.
+==See also==
+* [[List of CSX Transportation lines]]
 ==References==
+{{reflist}}
-* The Greater Rochester Railfan Page, [http://24.169.115.143/rochesterrailf/som.htm Somerset Railroad]. Retrieved [[August 7]] [[2004]].
-*[http://web.archive.org/web/20030129002437/www.trainweb.org/csxtimetables/Albany/SomersetRR.html CSX Transportation Timetables - Somerset Railroad Subdivision]
+* The Greater Rochester Railfan Page, [http://www.rochester-railfan.net/som.htm Somerset Railroad]. Retrieved August 7, 2004.
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030129002437/http://www.trainweb.org/csxtimetables/Albany/SomersetRR.html CSX Transportation Timetables – Somerset Railroad Subdivision]
+* [http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/SM-Somerset_Railroad_Sub CSX Somerset Railroad Sub]
+* [http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/CSX/CSX%20ETTs/CSX%20Albany%20Div%20ETT%20%234%2011-1-2004.pdf CSX Albany Division Timetable]
+{{Authority control}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Somerset  Railroad}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Somerset Railroad New York}}
-[[Category:New York railroads]]
+[[Category:New York (state) railroads]]
 [[Category:Transportation in Buffalo, New York]]
 [[Category:Non-operating common carrier freight railroads in the United States]]
+[[Category:Railway companies established in 1983]]
+[[Category:American companies established in 1983]]

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States