The summer sky is filled with a thick black exhaust and the deep valleys echo the sound of ALCO 251 prime movers as WNYP's southbound OL-1 "Driftwood Turn" whips around a curve near Port Allegany with 20 empty stone cars for the Norfolk Southern interchange at Driftwood. The hoppers were picked up at Glenn O Hawbaker Inc at Turtlepoint after running light power out of their yard in Olean, NY. The train is operating on a section of the former NS Buffalo Line between Machias, NY and Driftwood, PA, handed over in 2007. This is the last week of full operation for the railroad's six axle M636 and C630M ALCO fleet as two ex-CSXT GE AC6000CWs are to be delivered to the property in early July with a handful more to follow in August, replacing these 45+ year old beasts. Like the Western New York & Pennsylvania, the number of railroads in the present United States operating six axle ALCOs can be counted on a single hand and come July, that number will get one smaller.
