(The following story by Jeff Murray appeared on the Star-Gazette website on April 10, 2010.)
ELMIRA, N.Y. — Some motorists in Horseheads had to do something April 3 that they haven’t had to do for a long time — wait for a train.
But village officials and others say that’s a good thing because it’s a sign of economic resurgence.
The 48-car Norfolk Southern train was loaded down, mostly with piping and sand, when it pulled into The Center at Horseheads Industrial Park.
The spectacle stirred quite a lot of interest, as people came out of their homes to watch the train chug down the little-used tracks.
It was especially a treat for Rob Piecuch, chairman and co-founder of the Chemung Valley Railway Historical Society, who said that rail line was once bustling, but in recent years has gotten very little activity.
“That was a through-route until the 1970s, before the Conrail era of 1976, and even later into the ’70s. Since then, I don’t recall them really running very much,” Piecuch said.
“It was demoted to an industrial track. Its heyday played out in the early ’70s. Really, nobody recalls there being that much activity other than local service of a half-dozen cars here or there.
“Even a year ago, you’d see two or three cars. Carloads have been dropping to minimal,” he said.
“Norfolk Southern had looked at abandoning the line. They had a big change of heart on that one. The railway society had looked at the idea of acquiring it. Then this came along. Norfolk Southern’s plans for that line really turned around.”
Among the curious onlookers who stood by to watch the long train rumble by was Horseheads Mayor Don Zeigler.
Zeigler could appreciate the historical significance of renewed rail activity in the village, but for him, the arrival of the train was important for another reason.
“That facility is coming back to life, and the tracks have always been there. The facility has always been there,” Zeigler said.
“I think it’s a change for people to see. Will there be growing pains — probably. If there are adjustments to be made, we’ll talk to the train people. The economic impact of that facility is very positive.”
Much of the new activity at The Center at Horseheads is due to companies such as Schlumberger Technology Corp. and other businesses involved in the natural gas exploration industry.
The pipes were for Gas Field Specialists Inc., and the sand is destined for natural gas drilling sites in Pennsylvania, according to Village Manager Walter Herbst.
Zeigler’s only concern with the return of large trains is that motorists may face more delays as they wait for the trains to pass, and he said the village will work with the railroad on scheduling issues.
It would create a much bigger disruption if all of those materials had to be trucked in, Piecuch said.
“Decades ago, there was a train like that going north, 100-car coal trains through here right into the ’60s,” he said. “It was a common sight then. People now are not accustomed to it.
“With increased train business, people will have to be stuck waiting for trains,” Piecuch said.
“You can haul that stuff on trucks and run it through the village. But the village will have to be renamed pothole city. The railroad may not be the nicest thing to all people, but it’s a lot better than having more truck traffic.”
Herbst wanted to experience the traffic delay firsthand when the train came through April 3.
He said the wait wasn’t unbearable, and given the benefits, certainly worth a little inconvenience.
“I was going down Broad Street at the time, and I said ‘Let’s see how much of a tie-up it is,'” Herbst said.
“I was in that line of cars. It wasn’t bad. It’s a very small price to pay for a lot of prosperity coming.”