"The Perils of Street Running" NYS&W Utica NY

Railroaders are ever-watchful of what lies ahead. This is especially true when trains share roadways with motor vehicles, bicycles & pedestrians. Sometimes things get a bit chaotic!
This video features a New York, Susquehanna & Western freight operating on Utica NY's Schuyler Street on May 31st. A tractor trailer, unloading its cargo at a business at the southerly end of the street, presents a potential obstacle to the slow-moving oncoming freight. After a few blasts from the locomotive's horn, however, the truck moves out of the way with plenty of time to spare.
Following scenes include views of the train along New York State Routes 5, 8 & 12 and then off the Utica Main crossing French Road, Utica, en route to switching local industries.
The video concludes at sunrise the next morning with views of the old Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Utica freighthouse on Water Street and the Susquehanna's Utica yard.

[@Paul_Wetor]

Semi: "I'm the biggest badass on the road." Train: "Hold my beer."

[@mow4ncry]

😂😅

[@coondogtheman]

Seeing a train on a residential road like that especially in a neighborhood is some inception stuff.

[@zchris87v80]

I'm already weary enough of crossing the ones with no lights or barricades, but this is some stuff out of The Fugitive

[@coondogtheman]

@@zchris87v80 I was thinking of the movie inception.

[@adamgh0]

It's so surreal seeing a freight train coming down the middle of a neighborhood street.

[@wadysawmatraszak6112]

To a European like myself, the view of a train running down a residential area road is both astounding and startling. Pure excellence, Sir! BTW - has any train driver ever blown their horn full-on while passing by right next to you? Keep up the good work - salute from Poland.

[@ronylouis0]

you should look at the town of wisla, the railway runs right next to the city square and along the main road

[@terrybangley5416]

It’s astonishing to me too, but it is New York

[@vanessaflores2669]

😊

[@CraigGrant-sh3in]

@@terrybangley5416 , Ya,because no other states have trains that were in existence for over 150 years before automobiles running through town. Funny, people like you love to take a dig at NY and it's taxes yet, never thank us for the $26 billion dollars in welfare we give to red states

[@heinzer69]

Trains street running does happen in Switzerland in a few places.

[@piergrace0127]

I've never seen a freight train coming down a residential street and I am from the states. Fascinating.

[@surferdude642]

The Jawtooth railfan channel has videos of freight trains going through downtown La Grange, Kentucky for a few blocks.

[@johnvogel7313]

There's another like that in Illinois, with more lanes and traffic.

[@bedbugs52]

Greetings from the UK. I find trains running along residential streets fascinating. The last we had was the Weymouth Harbour Tramway, however, trains stopped running in 1999 and sadly the tracks were lifted in 2021

[@miaohmya92]

Yes if you ever wondered what coolness a train on a residential street would look like just turn to America.

[@TheMowsefan]

Many of the tracks existed before the streets. Once I needed to get a permit from a city to close a street crossing to make signal improvements. The city was not cooperating with me. Knowing that the street was on an easement from the railroad I made the clerk aware of the fact and the railroad could cancel the easement and he could take his road somewhere else. He issued the permit. 😁

[@kmfsinny8436]

Love that Utica Roasting put gargoyles on their building! Thanks for the walking history lesson.

[@miaohmya92]

I love it too! If you think of it gargoyles are so weird. In a good way!

[@spencerbergquist781]

What an interesting place to live. It's like a step back in time

[@PasleyAviationPhotography]

That's tough, obviously the loading dock for the truck forces it to stick out like that. Two guys in two different vehicles trying to do their job.

[@robertschaefer3223]

Bigger vehicle wins! LOL

[@tomfields3682]

Guessing that the loading dock was built for straight trucks back in the day.

[@markcornish6393]

The warehouse workers probably should have told him to drop his trailer, it would have been fine if he did that.

[@RoadLord-hu9oc]

Or that he needed to jackknife the tractor hard when hitting the dock, but that's in the advanced class for many of the guys out there today.

[@NutmegThumper]

That track looked so wavy! Surprised they haven’t fixed it beyond adding new gravel.

[@enricoknaak9683]

This track needs to be fixed immediately.

[@garykuipers2696]

It's great that you include the history of the former rail lines in your narration.

[@stretch6231]

At 5:46- Stoplight for the train ? Don't believe I've seen that for trains before. Interesting channel. Thanks.

[@TailgunnerATC]

There is a stop light for a local shoreline where I live in NY as well

[@HANKTHEDANKEST]

These little old lines always blow me away. If you focus your eyes away from the track, it really does just look like some madman is driving his train down the main street and *nobody* is about to stop him. Thanks for the nice footage!

[@TexasCat99]

2m08s - that train didn't stop at the STOP sign... :P

[@EntertainmentWorldz]

great train video bro

[@williamjones4483]

No problem with the truck blocking the tracks. Driver unhooks from his trailer and pulls forward until the train clears.

[@spinynorman887]

Provided that there's enough time to unhook.

[@miaohmya92]

Imo he was fixin to pull away, just the honks expedited things.😊

[@markcornish6393]

@@spinynorman887 Truck driver here, I can unhook within 30 seconds on average. It isn't that hard.

[@zz449944]

It was neat to see the old Bossert Metals building put to use by NYSW. I had an uncle who, after WWII worked for Bossert's the rest of his life. He owned a house on Schuyler Street so that he could walk to work.

[@railroadingrambler218]

That's cool!

[@robertgardner8680]

Sure he did.

[@kcirrednosrednad3596]

​@@robertgardner8680 Yeah, because you know

[@bigdee8189]

@@robertgardner8680 - actually, He did!!! He was a great friend of mine! People loved him at Bossert's!

[@BobSTK]

@@bigdee8189 I don't understand why robertgardner8680 might have doubted you. Would he doubt that "Harold" worked at Bossert Metals while owning / operating Dick Smiths with his wife Jane?

[@75blackviking]

Imagine telling your boss that you were late for work because a freight train was blocking your driveway. Or in front of you at Starbucks in the drive-thru...

[@jeffmurphree2937]

As a city planner and rr buff, I am happy to see they kept and repurposed the freight house building. Thanks for the interesting video!

[@nomadMik]

It seriously did my head in, the first time I saw a heavy rail train in a street like that, especially in downtown Oakland. I've only ever seen that in the US, even though I travel around the world all the time.

[@vicnis625]

I wish I was there to see this man

[@meanderingbird286]

Fascinating and informative, thanks for sharing.

[@trenamerritt5344]

Thank you for the video. You catch some neat happenings! I love that you explain things as well. Watching from Rome NY. Hugs to Witold, and good health to both of you!

[@truckspotting7473]

Good old GM & GP locamotive!

[@tomm4423]

Witold is tugging on you, and says, "Come on Pops, you can talk while we're walkin'." Buen Camino~

[@Francescathecat]

Greetings from Waterford, NY! LOVE the street running track section - next time I'm in Utica I'm definitely going to stop by! What a unique street to live on!! Thanks for all the local history and the beautiful sunrise😊.

[@valeriebassett3107]

Boy it really changed there. From Ohio, we thank you and Witold for the great videos and the very interesting history and information that you give. I always feel like I'm on a vacation when you have videos like this. Great job! Stay safe!

[@carolosten995]

Train drivers are just so chill, i got 2 or 3 to honk at me when i did the arm pump thing, i love cn

[@MichaelMiller-od6pu]

Very nice and have a good weekend you two guys!

[@browsman2328]

When I grew up in Sherrill NY the railroad was called the New York Central and the line ran along Route 5 near the silversmith factory. If memory serves me correctly.

[@davidhill7914]

Looking in from North Yorkshire, England. Love all your videos.

[@cmdrflake]

Greetings from Tonawanda, NY!

[@jaygatz4335]

That track sure looks wavy. The crew are going to get sea-sick!

[@Barb5001]

Fact is, the RRs were always there first and the cities grew up around them.

[@snigwithasword1284]

Cities grew up *because* of railroads.

[@deew_knird_reeb_ekomS]

@@snigwithasword1284 That's literally what Barb was saying.

[@FaustoTheBoozehound]

Rivers first. Then canals. Then railroads.

[@Sarge084]

City didn't need to grow up *on* the railway though. It was still possible to separate the railway with roads alongside.

[@ashleyhoward8926]

@@snigwithasword1284 Only in new countries. USA was more easily expanded as you rightly say, due to buying locomotives from Scotland. It was the UK that invented them in the first place & exported them around the world for that very reason.

[@RandomRailfan828]

Great video man, nice chase! Got to love street running!

[@williammiller2750]

Outstanding video from Peterboro NY!!

[@gotmilk91]

I remember Utica moments in childhood at the Greyhound bus station/old train station; I remember an old steam locomotive parked outside there like a museum piece... Utica isn't always stopped in my travels btwn NYC-Syracuse... never did train riding in the USA as a kid... but often cut class and sneaked into the Subways for joy rides around NYC ❤

[@ludovictandi1981]

Thanks for bringing the doggy along with you ,impressive. Cheers.

[@robandrews4815]

Real badass artwork!

[@nmarks]

There are only a few very rare instances of street running trains in the UK. In 1829, in the very early days of the railways, a competiton was held at Rainhill in Liverpool between various different designs of steam engine, to see which type of engine would be the best for the then nearly-completed Liverpool and Manchester Railway. George Stephenson's engine Rocket was declared the winner, but his victory was tempered when financier William Huskisson who was attending the trials was runover by Rocket, thus becoming the world's first ever railway passenger casualty. It was decided that Britain's railways must be fenced off to keep members of the public out. Trespassing on railway tracks or embankments was made illegal under the Railway Regulation Act 1840 and still today is punishable by a fine (£1,000). That's why you generally don't see street running trains in the UK. Trams however are a different matter. (A sad story, but Huskisson's death probably saved countless lives later)

[@railroadingrambler218]

Very interesting!

[@ccffire6666]

great awesome video John

[@SteveH-TN]

Thanks for sharing this video and information. Appreciate your efforts!

[@user-kj2rh5cz6d]

What a nice collection of railway films

[@kckgirl78]

Never in my life have a seen a TRAIN operating down the middle of ANY street, residential or commercial! What in the world?!? 😮😮🤷🏽‍♀️

[@Steve-xf4uv]

Thanks for the tour; never really visited Utica but guess I should. Be nice to see 3040 starting it's day. You were up real early for this one, your dog seems to enjoy it.

[@adamsanchez9627]

Went to College in Utica from 1987 -89 before SUNY had dorms. Been in that street a few times when the train came through. It's especially fun in the snow

[@wrrn411]

Love this video. Thank you for sharing.😊

[@QuantumMechanic_88]

Cool video and hope the dog is doing great. THX

[@VlakynaSlovensku]

Great train footage!!

[@waldemarogandotrens.8063]

Vídeo super espetacular amigo parabéns pela linda abordagem e imagens muito bacanas, like garantido 👏

[@chuxproductions1090]

Nice job with video and History of this Utica area!!!

[@paulbergen9114]

Im glad Witold was able to make the a.m. walk even though he didn't appear to be in prime form at an early hour. Thanks for including those older photos of the Freight House and vintage operations to put it in perspective. Got a kick out of the Gargoyles as we have two older buildings in Milwaukee that are covered with them and a few are actually creepy but there's even a couple that laugh. While it wasn't the truest of Street running the Milwaukee Road tracking by our now gone Stockyards there often were delays as the trailers making deliveries got longer forcing the tractors the overhang onto their track which ran in the center in a small trough. Today's this has all been removed and you would not know tracks ever went there. As always a fun tour as it is a nice 83 degree day back in Milwaukee

[@Patric5590]

Awesome video 👍😎🇺🇸🚂

[@sess122]

Love seeing the tracks and train running down the middle of the street...quite unique. But I couldn't help but notice the horrible condition of those tracks at 08:46! Are they waiting for a derailment before they replace them or what?

[@ryantaylor1820]

Might not have proper funds to replace them if it’s owned by that small railroad

[@EnjoyFirefighting]

As impressive as it looks when a train drives down a road, personally I think in the year of 2023 this just shouldn't be necessary any more. We have some of these tracks over here in Europe as well ... but those aren't primary rail lines. They are like tourist routes for e.g. narrow gauge steam railways, or connecting tracks leading e.g. to maintenance facilities, an industrial track etc Your video is just awesome, keep on going the great content. As we don't have sth like that here I'm happy to watch videos of such street running trains

[@cmeador2371]

Great video

[@shawnhayden6674]

These little towns that have freight rail drive through them is very interesting. I would have loved that when I was a kid growing up. We did have rail through our town but it was on trestles and raised corridors. This shit on the street is the bomb.

[@andrewpalm2103]

Thanks for another pleasant video out of Utica. It was good to see Witold actually moving and sniffing. 🙂 I was starting to wonder about his mobility based on his usual prone position in the videos. Nice shots of the old re-purposed classic freight house, too. Cheers from Wisconsin from me and Peanut the Chihuahua.

[@dsmith9626]

I can't imagine living on that street. I bet they can't give away those houses. What a nightmare. I live 3 miles from one of the largest Air Force bases in the US. Thankfully I don't hear the air traffic but many folks that I've talked to say they "don't even hear them" after they get used to them... Yeah. Right. More power to them.

[@Thesupermachine2000]

Well, i assume a train wont pass by every 5 minutes. And even if it did, its not nearly as bad as living next to a busy road. I lived closer than that this to a railway line with trains bassing at 120kph about every 2 minutes. You barely hear them.

[@MOSLIMAlhussaini-ge7wi]

Good job my friend really cool love it

[@jeremypreece870]

So surreal! The sight of a train running through a street, past shops and houses. We don't have anything of street running left in the UK, so interesting to see your street running in the US.

[@bradfordthompson8326]

Exciting videos 😅😅😅.......(Your Washington subscribers thought so ).....It's neat you showcased this line ....."IT be exciting if a new Customer relocation on this line .....Congratulations ❤❤❤I am

[@rick21090]

Nice story. Thank you.

[@wolfgangpfeilergartenbahnd6530]

Fantastic video, Filmed great. greetings from Germany

[@gregcameron9953]

Great video, they sure were drunk when they layed down that one section of track 😂😂 I never seen any trains run on public roads here in Ontario Canada. Street cars yes in bigger cities. It was pretty cool to see and funny having a stop light for the train lol. Keep up the good work 👏 👏

[@denisberger9657]

That section of track that you said the rail company put down stone (ballast) and new ties needs new sections of rail. That cost quite a bit of money so that rail will have to suffice.

[@railfangunturapindia4681]

❤thank U. U enlightened me a railfan living far far away

[@railroadingrambler218]

Glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for commenting!

[@johnwoodall3791]

Great Video and Narative Input. Rail along Roads in America is far more Expansive than that here in Australia and I can only say I admire the Locomotive Crews who have to put up with these operational conditions and do it so calmly. I just would like to say something I have said before and that is to all Driver's of Trucks and Cars, When on a roadway we're a railway line exists and you know it's an active railway and even part of that of Main Line Operations for Pete's Sake use your Common Sense, Train Crews have enough to do without worrying about hitting a Vehicle or Person, This is a Train Driver's Nightmare. Out in the open countryside area's also be aware at Crossings that are guarded by both Lights and Boom Gates and other's where a Stop Sign is placed or even a Rail Line Crossing that maybe not be that marked accordingly then use Common Sense, Always remember the fact it could be Multiple Lines your crossing and also remember that a Train that seems far off in the Distance may be on top of you Faster than you Think, Common Sense are Two Words that go hand in hand when near a railway line but sadly we see far to often the results of total misconceptions by people when it comes to Railway activity and the results can be Tragic not only for anyone in a Vehicle but also the Crews of Train's and in relation to Passenger Trains the lives of those people when it comes to a high speed impact on a railway line. " Please People These Two Words, Common Sense " make all the difference in the every day Dealings we have with train's be it wherever, Your putting your Lives at Risk and those of the Train Crew, Accept Responsibility and be just that Responsible because believe me you don't want to take on a Train at anywhere anytime, It's not worth it. Congratulations again on the Video, Nicely Compiled and as mentioned with Really Good Narative. Regards John

[@trainutjob]

Nice video!! I have street running right by my house, but it doesn’t get quite this chaotic lol.

[@dsmith9964]

There is excellent streetrunning in LaGrange,Ky and New Albany, In. I'm a short distance from both.

[@Edge21190]

The graffiti art (2:35) of the Tasmanian Devil chugging down a (supposedly energy) drink is probably the best train graffiti I've ever seen.

[@user-gy2wf7pk4m]

Nice video bro !!

[@baileylynn6481]

My dream front porch view would DEFINITELY be this!

[@johnvogel7313]

On the Amtrak route from St. Louis to Chicago in the 80's there was a point where the train seemed to run down the middle of a two- or four- lane street. I saw it from the perspective of a train passenger. It was bizarre to see that. Cars driving rigjt alongside the train. Maybe it was in Champaign?

[@joemoore9730]

Excellent video the narration was also good to tell you about the business and the other things along the way, Keep the camera and camcorder rolling, Keep the railroads safe as people do the dumbest stuff, Always be safe,

[@miroslavzima8856]

I am nervous around trams in town. Trains would be my nightmare 😄 But damn, what an impressive sight!

[@TowMater603]

Utica , how i do NOT miss you ! I do miss Oriskany though. i miss my home town.

[@Hawqis1]

Oriskany is my home town as well.

[@TowMater603]

@@Hawqis1 Nice. I miss that town. The fighter jet and Anchor is something i miss. It's been about 20 years since is was there. I hope it's still there.

[@barryansell5981]

oh boy those railway lines/tracks are in one helluva condition they have more waves in them than the Atlantic and Pacific oceans combined.

[@seanman1231]

Me: Boss, I’m going to be late for work today Boss: Why? Me: I have a train going down the middle of my street.

[@crumb_of_nopeamine_plz]

Great video btw!!

[@tremnostrilhos1327]

Awesome my friend I'm from Rio de Janeiro Brazil

[@ElectronicsTech09]

The truck can move, the train can't.

[@technologic21]

It's so cool having that rail line in the middle of the street. Part of it goes right thru the brewery. When was that line laid down? 100+ years ago?

[@railroadingrambler218]

The track was put in Schuyler Street in the late 1860's

[@OmahaTom]

I decided to look up these tracks on Google earth after seeing this video. Followed them all the way to a town called chanunga falls... neat line!👍

[@RailsOfTheMidwest]

That bell sounds like it needs major work.

[@darreng745]

I was lucky rnough to travel on the Northern Indiana Commuter district service from Chicago to South Bend through Michigan City and it was a thrill as a European to actually take the train down main street but I can understand why the train crew must think it is an utter chore having to balance their job around drivers who seem to forget that the train has priority over their sometimes selfish actions

[@miaohmya92]

This one for sure wins the biggest truck in town competition.

[@jamesmurray8558]

That's wild going down that street.

[@todd3285]

I remember the old round house where Rt.12 crosses over Oriskany Blvd. and the Mohawk River .

[@jimdep6542]

The last DL&W roundhouse. The foundation can still be seen with drones or a good satellite view.

[@callsignscrottymcboogerballs88]

Man that stretch of track was so wavy crazy that they don't derail

[@astroguster5522]

Daaaamn, I had no idea we had tracks like this. This is so unsafe hahah

[@CaliforniaRailWatchers]

Real Nice !

[@bennetts-revenge_2]

Thank you for the great walking tour and all the information about the area. It's always great to see Witold. How old is he? He sure is handsome. Beautiful sunrise too

[@railroadingrambler218]

He's 9 and still in pretty good shape.

[@bennetts-revenge_2]

@@railroadingrambler218 Thank you!

[@JPL04MEDAN]

Amazing videos friend 👍 Greetings from Indonesian railfans 🙏

[@zAlaska]

I'm picturing India where the train flies by and there's barely any room to stand. As quick as the merchants picked up their tables, after the train passes, their tables go back up over the tracks continuing business as usual.

[@jasonyoung5923]

The best thing about trains is the smell and the sounds

[@natehill8069]

Thats a lot of power for that consist.

[@184186]

Hi Railroading Rambler... how frequently does this run occur? Is it a regular route or is it intermittent service for industrial clients on this sub?

[@anthony851]

Interesting to hear you use kilometres in the USA. Here in NZ we have been metric since some time in 1972. How often does the train run trough Schuyler St? Only one place in NZ where the road and rails share the corridor, Kawakawa where a heritage railway operates. Kawakawa videos on my channel for those who are interested. Just short of 10 years ago we went to Ontario and met up with a railfan in Brantford to view street running. Not strictly street running as the rails share the corridor with the footpath. In 2013 it was 1 train in and out on a Wednesday, sadly it no longer exists. Hi from NZ, Anthony

[@railroadingrambler218]

Train traffic on Schuyler Street is usually two times per day M-F. I'll use metric sometimes as a courtesy to viewers in other countries although I did get flamed a bit for doing so this time, lol

[@ernestestrada2461]

I can see why that stretch of track was only 10 mph. The tracks were undulating. That is the say warped up and down inside to side. I'm surprised when they were changing the rocks they didn't change out the rails. Where I live every 5 to 7 years. They change out the worn out sections of track and add some more rocks.

[@bennoakes2477]

perfectly fine for the restricted speed used in this environment, otherwise just spending money and likely has limited future anyway.

[@briansomers4753]

nice vid