Oneonta, NY.  Conductor Gallagher’s work week began here Monday on SU-3 and ended when he arrived on SU-4 on Saturday.
John W. Barriger III Library photo

DH SU3 SU4 Consists 4-11 to 7-4-1956

J.F. Gallagher Conductor Book

Conductor Gallagher worked the local between Oneonta and Kenwood Yard in Albany.  He week began on Monday at Oneonta working east on SU-3, returning west on SU-4 the following day.  According to the published freight schedule, SU-3 worked the Cooperstown branch on Conductor Gallagher’s SU-3 days, but he handled very few cars for the Cooperstown branch.  Most of the work for both locals was centered around North American Cement at Howes Cave.  In addition, typical traffic of feed, merchandise, coal, and lumber were handled to the other small towns.

 

SU-3 and SU-4 schedule from April 1, 1956 schedule.

North American Cement, Howes Cave

Howes Cave, John W. Barriger III photo

By far the largest source of traffic was the North American Cement Company plant at Howes Cave.  Most of the outbound cement traffic was bound for the B&M at Mechanicville or the NYC at Schenectady and was picked up by SU-3 and set out at Delanson for connecting trains.  Most of the returning empties were also picked up at Delanson by SU-4.

 

The Twilight of the Cherry Valley Branch

The end of operations was imminent for the Cherry Valley Branch and would occur August 17, 1956 according to Abandoned Rails, just a little over a month beyond the period covered in the book.  In these final months, traffic was sparse with just a few carloads of merchandise, feed, and cement to Cherry Valley and Sharon Springs.  However, according to the published freight schedule, Cherry Valley cars should’ve been handled by SU-3 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.  On those days, Conductor Gallagher worked SU-4 going west.  So these cars might be a small portion of the total traffic.

April 26: LN 5798 feed to Cherry Valley
April 28: IGN 17008 cement from Howes Cave to Sharon Springs
April 28: D&H 17706 merchandise to Sharon Springs
May 3: D&H 23058 merchandise to Cherry Valley
May 15: PRR 78834 cement from Howes Cave to Sharon Springs
May 17: ACL 23213 merchandise to Cherry Valley
May 24: CEI 65542 merchandise to Cherry Valley
May 28: GMO 5536 cement from Howes Cave to Cherry Valley (pulled and set out at Delanson)
May 31: D&H 22517 merchandise to Cherry Valley
June 7: GBW 8038 animal feed to Sharon Springs (reporting marks listed as “GB”)
June 14: D&H 22982 merchandise to Cherry Valley
June 16: NH 32409 feed to Cherry Valley
June 26: D&H 2987 cement from Howes Cave to Cherry Valley