Walking the Abandoned Rail in Binghamton, NY

[@timtraver7152]

The line the trains are running on is the original Erie Railroad track, it was built in the 1830's. The other abandoned line going over to Vestal is the original Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, those track were built in the 1880's. Both line parallel each other starting by Upper Court Street in Binghamton and continue to a spot in Johnson City just over from the Binghamton were they split, the Erie going on towards Owego and the Lackawanna going thru JC to the river bridge and then into Vestal. The Vestal spur over the river is no longer used as there are no coal trains to Goudy Station power plant any more. They have removed the 2nd track along most of the current Norfolk Southern (ex-Erie) line to save costs, they run trains both way on the same track on tight schedules.

[@mikemancini313]

I currently work in the old Norfolk Southern (ex-Erie) railroad passenger and cargo stop in Endicott, NY. There used to be a passenger station as well as a cargo and freight station further down seen in this picture - www.google.com/search?q=endicott+ny+train+station&client=ms-android-verizon&prmd=minv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ8-6QxI7yAhX7FVkFHUfGAD4Q_AUoAnoECAIQAg&biw=360&bih=592&dpr=3#imgrc=A7Zn1QicVaE4XM&imgdii=l9O6DRUaR8F-BM That picture was taken November 28, 1966 and it shows the last Lackawanna Phoebe Snow train pulling into Endicott station. They've since removed the railroad station spur and the spur on the right and only 1 track remains (like you said).

[@1940limited]

Thanks for that information. I thought some of this was former DL&W and you confirmed it.

[@mikemancini313]

@@1940limited Yeah. Hence the merger with both Erie Railroad and the Lackawanna Railroad which later became Erie-Lackawanna. Erie had a railroad yard with a turntable in Endicott near the IBM Headquarters which was less than a mile away from where that picture was taken. It's all gone now but you can just about see it in the background of these pictures - www.google.com/search?q=endicott+johnson+railroad&client=ms-android-verizon&prmd=mnsiv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiKjf3C3bbyAhXSmOAKHSYPB4sQ_AUoA3oECAIQAw&biw=360&bih=592&dpr=3#imgrc=N7OwrziWyL52NM www.google.com/search?q=ibm+endicott&client=ms-android-verizon&prmd=nmiv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjVqu2B3rbyAhXomOAKHVYYC7AQ_AUoA3oECAIQAw&biw=360&bih=592#imgrc=RxoNukqcljqXBM

[@Robitny]

Thank you for this video. I live in Johnson City, NY and my dad worked for the railroad for 35 years in Binghamton. This brought back a lot of memories since I used to get a train ride every Saturday when I was a kid

[@IgnacioPérez-z4b]

Very interesting pictures of ancient places in Bighamton. I'm mexican and stayed in that City in 1967and 1974. I enjoyed this video. Thank youvery much.

[@nbush9169]

What a wonderful video! I grew up in the Binghamton area, you did an awesome job narrating . If you continued West you would have run into another train station they turned into a museum in Vestal. Then in Apalachin( my hometown)another train station turned commercial. I now live in Palm Springs,California. Thank you for giving an old guy memories. One more thing I can still hear the trains at night going down those long gone tracks!

[@marian1576]

Gorgeous blue sky with puffy white clouds and you say Binghamton is always "cloudy and rainy!!"

[@carmenfoote7999]

Born in Binghamton. I remember riding the "Phoebe Snow" over the old DL&W tracks to Elmira. Worked for Conrail and serviced the Goudy station in Johnson City before it closed. Remember the line very well. Thanks for the memories. Joe S

[@christopherpuylara6355]

This popped in my feed.....grew up on the Southside of Johnson City, EJ buildings, and the RR tracks. Used to hang out on the tracks during school at the old C.Fred Johnson school. Summertime we'd walk the tracks with our fishing poles and bait and walk down to the Goudy Station, walk across the trestle and go fishing on the Dam. Or we'd fish where the warm water used to come out of the Goudy. One day, the Erie Lackawanna was changing cars at the lumber yard on Grand Ave (I remember the night (Saturday) it burnt down), the guys let me ride in the Engine while they swapped cars around. It was so cool. Another tidbit, I worked at the old Philadelphia Sales store on Grand Ave. Thanks for the video. I get home a couple 3 times a year now.

[@medaanhil4133]

This video was a pleasant surprise. I love the train tracks in Bing. They're very peaceful. Thank you for this

[@BobbyFocus2008]

Awesome video, I remember seeing ConRail trains rolling down that spur in the video, kinda sad to see it’s all pulled up now and taken off line , My grandfather used to work for Chessie systems railroad until they sold to Csx, he moved my grandmother and mom here to Binghamton and was a Engineer for ConRail up until 95” then he retired, as a Railfan myself I enjoy watching fellow Railfans videos on here . Thanks for making and sharing this video.

[@nickfortunato2938]

I love old train tracks, I also like it when train's run on old tracks for the first time in years, thanks for sharing 👍

[@rvnmedic1968]

Those funny looking things at 2:07 are rail anchors. They get hammered onto the rails just on either side of the ties. Their shape makes them spring-loaded, and you hit them with a sledgehammer or rail spiker hammer and that fixes them onto the rails. They keep the ties in place and prevent horizontal movement. I've hammered hundreds of them on a short line track in upstate NY. Cheers, Bob

[@TheKEDW]

Fantastic video! I really enjoyed it and the elderly parents watched it several times in a row 👍🏻

[@davebudrus46]

Thanks for taking us out on that pier very cool 😎

[@christopherstyle878]

I just found this video and watched the whole thing. Thanks for the tour! I went to college in Binghamton in the 1980's, but I wasn't an explorer back then, so I didn't see much of the local area. I would definitely explore the area more now.

[@moontw_encrypted9825]

Lived in JC all my life since 06 I’ve always wanted to explore those tracks with friends I love adventure and I love my home town ♥️

[@bruceroberts8640]

Totally amazing video, The City Yonder! And you sure show some agility - and bravery - leaving the bridge and clambering around the bridge supports. Great job, bro!

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

You walked right by where I work. I always wanted to get photos of that railroad bridge. Didn't think it was easy to get that close too. Thanks for share

[@jdhinckley1954]

Terrific video! I liked your statement about seeing, or witnessing, where the "made made meets nature". The clamp on the rail by the switch is a derailer, to force a car off the rails (as that is a better alternative to a run away car either getting onto the main line, or to run out of rail, or in this case, reach the gap where the bridge was removed. Thanks so much for sharing thsi with us!

[@scottbrewer2903]

Born in Binghamton. Parents moved the family to Florida when I was 4. Father was born, raised in Ithaca. Mother from Cortland. His favorite was the Black Diamond, hers, Phoebe Snow. Upstate railroad heritage is in my blood, though I'm so long removed.

[@LackawannaCutOff]

Fascinating to see this part of the Lackawanna Railroad, the last of the contiguous right-of-way from Hoboken, NJ. It's been 30+ years since I scouted out the trackage in Vestal, but if memory serves the tracks ended just before literally going into the highway fill, within sight of the old station building, which had been moved a block or two to the south of Route 17. I've heard that the station has since moved again.

[@gardeningwithlucas5114]

If I had a rail speeder I would be on those tracks tracks all day!

[@KingofGamingAndTrains456]

Nice, if I had one of those rail bikes, I’d probably be riding up and down these tracks all day!

[@jocelynbey5944]

Thank you so much for the video ... I hope I'll be blessed enough some day to get to the area .. I'm a B&S (Buffalo & Susquehanna RR) fan, but I live near the SW end of the line, Sagamore, Punsxytawney, Dubois, Benezette, which is as far as I've made it, although NYC also has the rail to trail from Jersey Shore (Williamsport) north. I think these 2 lines merged near Hornell and then went to Binghamton. Thank you again. Glad to see the Erir line still in use.

[@thomasklugh4345]

The overpass you were at, where you described it as separating, looked like the overpass going across Emma St, very near to where we lived in the 1960s. (If only you could go back in time and get some video of us in the day). The green entrance way was, at one time, the entrance to Levene's junkyard, where we played often.

[@thecityyonder6814]

Yeah, it's the overpass over Emma St. Doesn't look like it's a junkyard any longer.

[@daviddauphin8839]

Good video. really loved the inclusion of the maps.

[@gnrrailroad1531]

This is my kind of video. Great work! Really kept my interest.

[@1940limited]

Me too!

[@quinnschmidt1771]

Very cool video ! Like the old railroad bridge ! Very beautiful architecture ! 👍🏻

[@albertringshauser7267]

Thanks for the video. I like seeing old rail lines. Peace

[@1940limited]

The part of the tracks that split in two right before the bridge was former 2-track main with one saved for a run-around track. As long as the tracks are in place they could be put back into service. Its interesting such a nice catwalk was installed on the old bridge. The paved bike trail is especially nice.

[@Rocksaplenty]

Aye good job capturing one of my favorite places, pretty cool to see.

[@tigercat53]

Excellent video. Thanks for posting.

[@dallasrockwell]

This was cool! I live just a few minutes from this railroad and I never knew about it. I knew about the Vestal rail trail though, great spot to walk! I didn’t know it kept going or that there was a levee there.

[@colbyhillis447]

So the last section that you walked in Vestal. The section from where the bridge was removed, up to the paved portion of the rail trail has now been purchased and is slated to extend the rail trail in 2024.

[@Rubicon7657]

Walking along abandoned train tracks is an apocalyptic dream.

[@Northern.Town.]

I walked those tracks back in the 90's before they had a pathway across the train bridge. It's how we'd get from JC to Vestal. It's a lot safer these days!!!

[@bog_tv]

it would be cool to build a rail cart and ride down them tracks haha awesome video man!

[@peternicholls214]

Thank you, that was great.

[@CerveloR5]

Definitely got to make a trek on that bridge. Great video !!

[@SU_fan_44]

I drive by that bridge every day. I've often thought about taking a hike through there. Interesting.

[@MilePost106]

Great video!!! Love this stuff

[@nbsjay43_]

It's crazy I walk dese tracks everyday when I'm tryna get from jc to bingh quickly or vice versa

[@michaelhorton1410]

That’s the old Delaware Lackawanna and Western main you’re on. When the DL &W merged with the Erie, they used the Erie main, at one time both were double tracked. When it shut down , tracks still ran to Four Corners in Vestal, serving several customers there. That was abandoned in the seventies.

[@1940limited]

Judging by he vegetation it appears to have been abandoned a long time,but the tracks wee not removed making it possible to reactivate them same time.

[@mikemancini313]

Half of the DL & W railroad was removed and converted into a Highway. It's what is now the Southern Tier Expressway I believe. If I'm not mistaken, this abandoned railroad line went as far as Buffalo, NY.

[@proudmother268]

thank you for the tour stay safe

[@steelearmstrong9616]

Loved this. Thanks mate

[@heartland96a]

Hope you continue with your Binghamton videos

[@mmeter3]

i lived there 60 years ago when the factories were up and running and there were non stop trains........too young to walk around by myself by i remember

[@HalfAssHomestead]

Something you should keep in mind. Even though that set of tracks is no longer in use, you are still trespassing on Railroad Property. Once a track is out of service for so many years, they may remove the rails and ties, allowing it to become a regulated nature path like they did here in Cortland for the Lime Hollow Nature Preserve and Trails. Otherwise, it is still their property. They defend this land because of the value of the steel that still resides there. Many people have tried to scrap the plates and spikes only to find they get arrested at the scrap yard.

[@boddah92108]

That was cool. Thank you!

[@wes5150.]

At 18:48 you are looking at what is called a 'Manual Derail'. It's purpose is to intentionally derail any rolling rail stock that 'Got Away' and thus bring it to a stop instead of allowing it to get up to some high rate of speed and cause a lot of damage elsewhere down the line. It's locked because it is necessary to protect everything else beyond it, in the direction towards the switch that was unlocked. Retired freight conductor in So Cal 37 years. But, out of high school I hitched hiked from LA to Toledo and by chance found myself working as a 'Trackman' for the 'Penn Central Railroad' in 1972. You'll have to Google 'Penn Central Railroad'. I didn't last but one winter and then took Amtrak back home in LA. Fond 'Childhood' memories. 'Young and Foolish'(lol) A time when I didn't have any responsibilities and could get away doing crazy stuff ! That's the time in life to do adventurous stuff and hopefully not get killed. On that topic, I strongly discourage anyone with 'Train Hoping' ideas. 15 other guys in my terminal were killed. Many members of the public including suicides. One slip and you or your friend will be ground hamburger, and you'll never get that image out of the head of the kid that survived ! You'll just have to settle on watching 'YARD BOYS' Freight Train Hopping America(Full Documentary 2018) kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnjaXqZvgcR7f5o Hope this helps. And any time you are around ANY railroad tracks keep in mind "At Any Time, on Any Track, In Either Direction" !

[@thecityyonder6814]

Thank you!

[@aliensojourner]

Interesting video; thank you for sharing.

[@stevenherrold5955]

i agree with you about people dumping their trash on the tracks we have that problem to

[@A4est]

my friend in Vestal shared this with me

[@thomasklugh4345]

I lived in Binghamton from 1962 to 1980. The RR tracks that run north of and parallel to Main St were our playground many-a-weekend. We would walk along the tracks (and hop many trains) from mid Binghamton west through J.C. (Johnson City to those who don't know) and into Endwell, and then back again. Such memories.

[@buixrule]

Looks like a paradise under that bridge at 4:50.

[@thecityyonder6814]

Lol, depends for what you have in mind

[@joshperu2473]

Yeah for crackheads

[@jail350]

Even though I’m 32 I’m remember as a kid riding a passenger train on that track you are walking on

[@thecityyonder6814]

Wow! I didn't realize it was that recent.

[@CSXrailfan814]

Thers an abandoned NYC/Penney line in my town in upstate NY my parents saw trains run, then saw them stop, then the rails removed but i never will. This all hapened before i was born.

[@jeffheyman8537]

I'm 35 and distinctly remember seeing the susquehanna trains still using that up until they put in the townsquare mall. I now work right along that stretch on commerce rd. And always wondered where the rails went to after the river crossing.

[@awizardalso]

That would be a good track to run Rail Speeder Carts on.

[@Charles-q4t8y]

They built those ancient bridges 😮😂used to have a couple around where I stay 😂❤used to love climbing on them😂

[@brett76544]

you are not far from the ANSCO building at the start, recognized the water tower on top. Also notice the sand in the tracks there, they were used to hold Frack sand within the last 10 years. Also, the tracks follow know contamination sites

[@davemorford5662]

It's not abandoned in the first section. There was a train parked on it yesterday. The out of service section begins near the Johnson City line and continues to the abandoned right of way at gravel plant in Vestal. The last customer on the line, National Pipe and Plastics moved to Endicott on the current main line.

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

I have some photos of the rail explosion and wreck that happened on that trail in the early 1900s. I think they are different than the ones posted there. New plan is moving the vestal museum to the trail. It uses to be near the end of the trail. Across from the old mill or glf cranes Agway that used to be where home central is.

[@thecityyonder6814]

Is that why there's construction going on around the Vestal Museum?

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

@@thecityyonder6814 I'm not sure. I knew what that was about but forgot. I'll see of I can find some info. What I remember sounded like no but might be one of those unrelated well we need to do this to do that or it needs done anyways.

[@Alco16-251F]

5:26 I have 131 RE tie plates from 1937, 1936, and 1939. Same as these ones here, different location in PA

[@thomasklugh4345]

And for the RR tressle, we walked across that, too, only that nice walking path you walked on wasn't there back in the mid '60s. We climbed down to the river bank and played there for a while. That's as far as we got that day, so long ago... Thanks, man.

[@mikemancini313]

Actually, on the second half of the rail trail (going westward) was not where the rails were located. The railway was located where the Southern Tier Expressway currently is. That railroad line eventually branches off at Owego and goes in two directions.

[@thecityyonder6814]

Interesting. I was looking at old images trying to find where exactly the tracks went but it was difficult to keep track of exactly where it went in relation to what's there today

[@taniyahricks501]

I live in Binghamton ❤❤ beautiful

[@Xbrandon916x]

I went to the bridge today and it was awesome but there was no book so kinda disappointed there haha

[@uacan51]

I love Binghamton

[@step2191]

once the power plant on the river was abandoned/ coal was no longer delivered the spur was abandoned.

[@davemorford5662]

Actually service continued for some time after that to the pipe company in Vestal.

[@danielunger9340]

It's sad how some rails are being abandoned when they can be used as excursion n or scenic train rides n them pile of hooks are plate ankers they keep the rail plates in place n keep them from moving

[@truckyouable]

At 20:30 is unloading facility for plastic pellets for pipe factory

[@henryostman5740]

I believe this is the old Leigh Valley RR line connecting Binghamton to Waverly NY were the north south line operated.

[@brianburns7211]

It’s the former Lackawanna main. Prior to the Erie Lackawanna merger the two companies combined their parallel lines across the Southern Tier. Lackawanna trains started using the Erie line instead. Part of the Lackawanna route was left to serve local customers.

[@shrek6919]

I grew up in Endicott, my grandfather worked for ej shoes.

[@richardaylesworth1460]

I was born at Ideal Hospital in '67. My mom and grandma both worked there. If you lived there in the 80's you probably know my brother Rodney.

[@shrek6919]

@@richardaylesworth1460 yes. We went to awana together at union center church. I remember you and Rodney. Greg shima. Wow.

[@richardaylesworth1460]

@@shrek6919 How are you? I kinda had a tear in my eye when I read comment. I don't have much contact with people from there. Good hearing from you. I don't have muc we

[@shrek6919]

@@richardaylesworth1460 doing well. We moved to Tennessee in early 80's. Still here. I own a garage and towing company. Weve got 3 boys and 5 grands. I haven't been to Endicott since 2005 when my grandmother passed away. Where did you settle down?

[@richardaylesworth1460]

@@shrek6919 I'm in West Elmira. Been here for a little over twenty years. I go see Rodney every now and then. He can be a hard head sometimes. However, I still love him. I have a daughter. She's a school teacher. Not a grandparent yet. I don't think she's interested having kids because she works with kids. Lol.

[@kellingc]

Really nice. A good presentation. Do you know when that was abadoned?

[@robertpsarudakis3474]

This is really cool, I don't live in Bing, but, I've been traveling up there all my life and would have never knew the significance of these tracks. While driving and sitting in the passenger seat I would look and "wonder" where those tracks go. When were they used last? Are they abandoned? Thank you!

[@steelcityrailfan4808]

Great video. Anyone know what that railroad was?

[@inexplicable01]

Do you guys think Upstate NY will come back?

[@cats0182]

Is the abandoned track the old DL&W right of way?

[@thavvolf9157]

I wonder if your old booth is actually an old icing station

[@jackk8422]

@1:25 that's the old landers building!

[@austinmiller3497]

That is very sad that this one train track is abandoned I'm hoping that it is reactivated for train service again if not I wonder if they're going to turn it into a bike trail

[@thecityyonder6814]

There's a parallel track (the one you can see splitting at the beginning of the video) and that's the one trains are using. Idk about plans for turning it into a rail trail

[@Lafly84]

The church at 01:35 is St. Michaels Russian Orthodox on Clinton Street in Bingo, the warehouse to the right is Rogers Service Group.

[@bradpayne3244]

I live in Binghamton I'd love to tag along some time

[@rickpinelli1586]

The Orange Clamp on the track is a "De-Railer".

[@jackk8422]

You ever been out to see the Belden tunnel?

[@thecityyonder6814]

I have not. I'll have to go check it out now!

[@ocsrc]

Was this the former D&H line ? Or the NYS&W ?

[@itsnotaboutyouitsaboutme]

The shoe factory is now apartments mad expensive and across from there is the pharmacy school glad the tracks are off cause kids play there

[@difencrosby]

Come to Cortland and talk about our tracks

[@walterlangston4253]

been to new york city and to Binghamton new York and to deposit upstate new York has a lot of farm land

[@olentangyriver1191]

Love that bridge. What river is that?

[@kaylastott2508]

Susquehanna

[@danielunger9340]

That orange clamp is a derailer if a train comes down that track that derailer will derail the train n keep it from going any further

[@XDORE]

everytime i walk on those kind of railroad bridge i got a felling i will fall in the water lol

[@Nashvillesteam42]

I have 1950s NEW YORK CENTRAL RAILROAD spikes they were made in NY

[@medaanhil4133]

You're not from here if you've never walked the tracks, the bridges, explored the abandoned buildings before they burned down

[@erie910]

Many states tax railroad property on the basis of feet of track in service. Removing one track of a multi-track line or abandoning unneeded branches saves on property taxes.

[@scottpool4777]

How things change I’m telling you 50 years ago that was a bridge a railroad but now it’sA rail trail

[@johnsoncitynyrailfannprodu635]

I want to walk the vestal spur I'm just concerned that I might get spotted by the police

[@tiju9009]

How is the university of Binghamton,presently,could you suggest it

[@joebliss3609]

The item that was locked before the switch, is called a derail.

[@zayah0815]

I've always felt like Binghamton itself was very dated. I travel there every now and then to visit family and the place just looks like it receives no love. Binghamton, Johnson City, Vestal, and Endicott just looks like they receive no funding to fix their streets, and update their traffic lights and stuff. So many empty storefronts as well. If the storefronts aren't empty they generally look to be in bad condition; almost like the buildings and storefronts are ready to collapse. I've seen some nice areas but most of the areas I've seen are in terrible shape.

[@nbush9169]

In its days it was an awesome area. It’s in the rest belt of the USA. Though I live in Palm Springs now , it was a great place to live and grow up. Great memories, never forgotten!

[@thecityyonder6814]

Having spoken to some people in the planning department, it looks like they're trying but there's not really much they can do

[@ryansansom6901]

Most of these old towns were built around the steel and manufacturing businesses. During the seventies and eighties foreign competition,the collapse of the steel industry, and the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs killed alot of these great old cities and towns. I am from Cleveland OHIO born and raised. I still live in Cleveland, and it and many other towns in Ohio and Pennsylvania suffered the same fate as many in New York. When the people started leaving for the suburbs and all the good jobs dried up this was the end result. Sad Sad Sad. One does not need to search very hard to find a abandoned railroad to explore in any of these places.

[@wst8340]

At least the other track is active.

[@robertforster8984]

Binghamton is a beautiful city, but it has been on the decline for over 50 years. It is such a shame.

[@marian1576]

Actually Binghamton is coming back.