There's plenty of places to watch Conrail. Expect 40-50 trains
every day, except Sundays. In addition to the usual freights and trail vans, there is also
Amtrak and a bunch of local trains. During the day, activity is lowest because of the
Maintenance of Way window - but trains do come by. Things pick up after 2 or 3 in the
afternoon. I haven't listed any places to watch the West Shore Branch (there really isn't
anyplace decent to begin with) because it can be hours before the dispatcher decides to
send a train down there. Listen in on 160.800 (road), 161.070 (road), 160.860 (local
switching), 160.980 (yard), and 457.9375 (end of train telemetry devices - you know
something is near when you hear it).
Fairport - Lyndon Road - can be viewed from the
park at Lyndon Road, or on the old Lyndon Road bridge. Lyndon Road is off of Route 31F
(Macedon Center Road) east of the village. Great views from the bridge (closed to
vehicular traffic - open to pedestrians). CP-359 is about a 1/4 mile to the west. Nice,
quiet location.
Fairport - Main St. Crossing - there are several
places to park and watch the trains go by. This location is right in the village. Plenty
of nice places to eat nearby, as well as a few bars. There is also Vix drugstore in the
village shopping center for film and batteries. Both the Mainline and the West Shore
Branch goes by this location. Good views in either direction. I prefer parking down
Railroad St. near the self-storage. Nice and quiet. You can get to Rt. 250 via Rt. 104,
Rt. 31 or Rt. 31F.
Rochester - Univeristy and Blossom - this
parking lot is private property, but the owners allow railfans to park here and watch the
action (they consider it free security). Recently, people have been asked by the company's
management not to drive behind the building or park on the west end of the property - stay
in the east side of the main parking lot. This is one of the few good places to watch
trains - so don't ruin it for the rest of us! Popular train watching spot. The Mainline
and the #3 track (controlled siding) and #4 track (yard lead) goes by here. To the west is
the Goodman St. Yard. Good views in either direction. Just to the east is CP367. From east
of the city, take 490 west, get off at University. Blossom is on the right, make a sharp
right onto Blossom and it's right there as you turn onto Blossom. Usually a bunch of
railfans there at any given time. Neighborhood is OK - mostly business and industrial
property in the immediate vicinity. Plenty of stores and places to eat in the area.
Rochester - Goodman St. Yard - there is a small
parking lot for employees near the yard tower. Railfans are tolerated as long as they
don't wander into the yard. View of the mainline is limited, but you can see the yard
operations during the day. Neighborhood isn't that great - so keep your eyes open. Goodman
St. is accessible from I-490. Go north, over the RR bridge, make a right onto East Main
Street, and the very first right on East Main will be the driveway to the yard. DO NOT go
into the yard entrance off Atlantic Avenue (it's strictly off-limits).
Rochester - Amtrak Station - the station is
located on Central Ave, the sight of the original NYC station. The station sits right on
the Mainline. This location is ideal for bad weather railfanning as there is a canopy over
the boarding area. The surrounding area is so-so, but with the amount of people at the
station, problems are few. There are bathrooms and vending machines inside the waiting
area with a view of the tracks (for ticketed passengers). Take 490 to Rochester, get off
on the Inner Loop and follow the green railroad station signs.
Rochester - West Avenue - plenty of places to
park along the street. This is where CP-373 and the interchange for the R&S is
located. The R&S bridge is off to the west. This isn't a
great neighborhood, but I haven't had any problems but keep your eyes open and don't throw
caution to the wind. While most of this area is industrial,
just be aware that the 'hood is right around the corner. In the summertime, the local kids
enjoy throwing things at the trains, putting large items across the tracks, etc. (some
reports of shots fired at the trains at this location have been heard). Things are quieter
in the winter. To get here, take I-390 to exit 19 (Chili Avenue), go west, make your first
left onto Cairn St., take this to the end and you're on West Ave.
Gates - Coldwater Road - there is a parking lot
for the Coldwater Grill - a bar/restaurant inside an original NYC station along the
mainline. The parking lot is for customers of the restaurant, but railfans are tolerated.
Nice quiet area. My suggestion is to go inside, get a tall cold one, and sit out on the
deck that's next to the tracks. On the other side of the tracks is the new Coldwater
detector. Take 490 to exit 5 (Rt. 386), go north, make a right at the intersection, and
make your first left (Coldwater Road), and it's right at the tracks. Alternately, you can
take Rt. 531 to Elmgrove Road - go south to the end past Kodak, make a righ at the light,
and make your next left onto Coldwater Road.
Chili - Attridge Road - located at CP 382 on the
Mainline. To the east is where the West Shore comes into the Mainline and a controlled
siding. Bring your scanner - as this location is between the Churchville detector and the
Coldwater detector - so you'll always know if a train is coming (I don't think you can
pick up the Pittsford detector on the West Shore from this location). There is a gravel
"parking" area on the south side of the tracks. Technically this is railroad
property, but there hasn't been any problems as long as you stay away from the tracks.
Take 490 to exit 4 (Union Street - Rt 259), go north and make a left onto Buffalo Road
(Rt. 33). Attridge Road is the first left. Take that down about a mile to the crossing.
There is a shopping center and some stores at the Rt. 33/Rt. 259 intersection. Nice quiet
area.
Churchville - Main Street - good area, good
views of the Mainline. Nice and quiet. Finding a good place to park is tricky as most of
it is private property, but railfans seem to be tolerated. Take 490 to exit 3, go north
until you get to the tracks.
The R&S has very few places to watch. Usually only one train
makes a run to Silver Springs and back - and usually at night. The Brooks Avenue yard is
where most of the action is. You can watch the R&S interchange at Silver Springs with
Conrail, CP and soon - NS. What time they come down there can vary. The R&S is not a
railfan friendly operation. The yard is off limits. You can try talking to the yardmaster
for permission to enter and watch, but I haven't heard many success stories of people
being able to do so. The two grade crossings on either end of the yard don't have anywhere
to park and since they're at the far ends of a long and narrow yard, the view is
disappointing. To the north, is Kodak Park - but much of it is set back from the road and
behind barbed wire fencing. When and how often they go to Kodak is not steady. If you
catch them at the right time, you can see an engine (usually the G&W MP-15DC) crossing
Ridge Road while switching cars. North of that is Matthews and Fields Lumber, but traffic
up there is once in a blue moon. Anyhow... the Brooks Ave yard can be reached by taking
I-390 to exit 18 (Brooks Avenue - Airport), take that west, go under the RR bridge, and
their driveway is on the right. Listen in on 161.100 (yard) and 160.770 (road).
