Overview

The New York, Susquehanna, and Western's Utica Branch piqued my interest when I came across Railroading Rambler's Youtube channel. With some street running, a nearby industrial track with small industries, it immediately seemed like something worth looking into from the model railroading point of view.

The Utica branch runs from Utica, NY to Binghamton, NY. Due to washouts and downed trees from a storm in 2006. The Utica area industries and a few more customers as far south as Sangerfield were still served out of Utica. The line through to Binghampton was finally reopened in 2017.

The portion I've been focusing on is just the immediate area around Utica.

The NYS&W has an interchange with CSX in the NYS&W yard in Utica. Heading south out of the yard, the line goes down the middle of Schuyler St, passing a unique crossing gate control tower ("The Old Guard" Schuyler St Tower, Utica NY from Railroading Rambler). Also on Schuyler St is the Matt Brewery's siding ("The Brewery Switch" NYS&W Utica NY from Railroading Rambler). Past the end of Schuyler St where the railroad parallels route 12 there is a long siding which I believe is no longer used since a car that was left on that siding started rolling and crashed into a steam engine displayed next to the Utica Union Station in 2015. Just south of the where the Utica branch goes under route 12 is the switch for the New Hartford industrial track. Past the switch the line continues south to Sangerfield.

Of particular interest to me are the New Hartford and New York Mills industrial tracks. There are five industries total, all small (by prototype standards), some to the point of needing little if any compression to fit on a reasonable sized layout. There are two runarounds. The currently in use is near French Rd in Utica and the switch off the Utica branch that was added in 2016 (?). The older one which I believe is no longer in use is next to Clinton St in New York Mills.

According to a 2006 NYS&W timetable the switch off the Utica Branch is called the "New Hartford Industrial Switch". The track off that switch and on into New Hartford is called the "New Hartford Industrial". The "New York Mills Industrial" branches off the "New Hartford Industrial" at the "New York Mills Industrial Switch". The old runaround next to Clinton St is called the "Clinton Street" runaround. The same timetable also contains a special instruction prohibiting 6 axle locomotives from both industrial tracks.

A more detailed map tracing of the industrial tracks. Between the New Hartford and New York Mills industrial tracks there is about 6 miles of track. The New Hartford track is shown in red, the New York Mills, blue, and the NYS&W Utica branch mainline in black.

Industries

Matt Brewing

Matt Brewing Company is on Schuyler St in Utica, and the switch for it's siding is right in the middle of the street. The siding curves sharply, goes through a portion of the building, back out again, and curves a little further around the building. Cars are spotted outside near the end of the spur, so spotting involves going through a section of the building. They receive barley and possibly other grains in covered hoppers.

A screen capture from google maps:

Oneida Warehouse

Oneida Warehouse is on Campion Rd in New Hartford, at the very end of the New Hartford Industrial track. Oneida receives paper product bales in boxcars. The warehouse is a little over 200 feet long and seems to have space for 3 boxcars inside. The industrial track parallel to Campion Rd ends at the far end of the blue building on the opposite side of the parking lot from the warehouse. I believe cars are sometimes stored on it between the two driveways into that parking lot.

Estimated traffic: 5-10 cars per week.

A screen capture from google maps:

McCraith Beverages

McCraith Beverages receives boxcars and the occasional reefer of beer.

A screenshot from google maps:

Note that McCraith has two tracks. The first appears to have once been the main industrial track, since the main industrial track now takes the diverging route through the turnout near the smaller building, and edges back into line with the original track as it approaches Clinton St.

The old Clinton St runaround is just past the Clinton St grade crossing.