The ‘Odessa Job’
By Paul J. Templeton
A lesser-known product of Conrail on April 1, 1976 was the Odessa Branch. This line consisted of that segment of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad main line from Sayre (MP 271.0) to the Odessa Station Switch (MP 302.2). At 10:01 A.M. on Tuesday, January 18, 1977 per Conrail Atlantic Region Lehigh Division Bulletin Order No. 1-12 paragraph (c) that portion of the Odessa Branch between Van Etten Jct. (MP 285.8) and the Odessa Station switch was redesignated as the Odessa Industrial Track. Paragraph (d) of this B.O. redesignated that part of the Odessa Branch between Sayre and Van Etten Jct. as part of the Ithaca Branch. The Odessa Industrial Track was operated under the Low Density Line (LDL) subsidy program.
There was but one customer on the line, this being Cotton-Hanlon in Odessa which took delivery of lumber. The Conrail job that delivered this product and picked up empty cars was SI-7/IS-8 which went on duty in Sayre at 16:00. This job operated to Odessa only on Thursdays.
SI-7 would depart Sayre with any cars for Odessa on the head end. Arriving at Van Etten Jct. the power and Odessa cars would be cut off, the remainder of the train being tied down. Upon arrival at Odessa the crew would arrange for the car or cars to be delivered to run around the power via a "flying switch" procedure. The car or cars were then shoved into the huge Cotton-Hanlon lumber storage shed after the removal of any empty cars. Work at Odessa completed, the job headed back to Van Etten Jct. then went on to Ithaca after picking up the portion of the train that had been tied down. Any empty cars out of Odessa were tied down on the Odessa Industrial Track to be picked up by IS-8 on its return to Sayre.
The Odessa Industrial Track was officially abandoned between Van Etten Jct. and the Odessa Station Switch on December 16, 1977 per Consolidated Rail Corporation Atlantic Region Lehigh Division Bulletin Order No. 1-71. The following summer the track was removed by A&K Track Materials crews.
Interestingly, on Conrail's Odessa run it appears they ran the power into the siding while making the flying switch. Usually wouldn’t they send the power up the main (which was usually in better shape than an industrial spur) and let the car(s) roll into the siding.The way they operated the Odessa branch probably wouldn’t go over very well today. Then the "regulations" were to get the job done and come home alive. If some things in the rule book had to be bent or overlooked, as long as it was not in front of the officials they didn't want tthem to know about. Today there is a 14-point sequence on how to blow your nose. “Old timers” wouldn’t last out the morning before getting fired.
(Photos)
1.) Conrail train SI-7 spotting a car of lumber to the Cotton-Hanlon storage shed in Odessa, NY about 11:00 P.M. March 31, 1977.
2.) Same location, October, 2010.
3.) Conrail train SI-7 passing through what was Hinman Int., late afternoon, May 26, 1977.
4.) SI-7 at Odessa having car of lumber for Cotton-Hanlon run around the power during what is termed a "flying switch" procedure on May 26, 1977.
5.) Van Etten Jct. during scrapping operations, June 25, 1978.
6.) Odessa Branch station page from Conrail ETT.
Odessa on April 21, 1974 of Lehigh Valley train BNW-3. Paul Templeton, who took the photo, said “Last activity I photographed at Odessa was of Conrail train SI-7 which was a short-lived job as the former LVRR Van Etten Jct.-Odessa station switch was abandoned effective December 16, 1977 per Conrail Atlantic Region Lehigh Division Bulletin Order No. 1-71. SI-7 was a tough job to catch as they served Odessa only on Thursdays. Job went on duty at Sayre at 16:00 so I caught it during daylight hours only once, this in May.”
