by David Baer/photos as noted
Norfolk Southern’s Conway Yard located along the Ohio River in western Pennsylvania, is the main NS freight classification yard in the Keystone State, one of six hump yards remaining on NS. While access to the yard is strictly off limits to visitors, two overpasses are available to observe the action, one at each end of the yard. These overpasses have become “favorite spots” for railfans to gather and watch the action. This article will cover the basic operation of Conway Yard, to provide an understanding of NS operations at Conway, then provide information on photographing from the two overpasses.
Norfolk Southern’s Conway Yard
NS’s Conway Yard is situated on the Fort Wayne Line, 20 miles west of Pittsburgh. The yard extends over four miles from East Conway interlocking at MP 20.8 to West Conway interlocking at MP 24.5. CP Rochester interlocking is located at MP 25.9. Between East Conway and West Conway interlockings, Fort Wayne Line No. 1 parallels the Ohio River, passing through CP Baden interlocking at MP 21.7. Fort Wayne Line No. 2 stays on the north side of Conway Yard, paralleling PA Route 65, passing through CP Freedom interlocking at MP 23.9.
ABOVE: During the longest days of the year, the evening sun swings far enough to the north to provide great lighting for photography from the Pinney Street overpass of westbound trains heading into Conway Yard. At 6:04 p.m. on August 1, 2024, westbound 39G approaches the Pinney Street overpass with the second cut of its train with NS’s Virginian heritage unit 1069 leading AC44C6Ms 4387 and 4183. That afternoon, 39G cut its train ahead the DPU in the middle of the train, east of the westbound home signal, before taking its first cut into Conway with the three units. After the power returned to the remainer of its train, all three units pulled the second cut into the yard. Several years ago, NS trimmed the trees along the Ohio River, just east of the Pinney Street overpass, opening a view that had been lost to due to tree growth. The trees are slowly returning, and in the coming years, the opening will disappear. —David Baer photo
Track 10 parallels Fort Wayne Line No. 1 from East Conway to West Conway, providing access for trains arriving or departing from Conway. Track 908 parallels #2 from East Conway to West Conway, providing access to trains arriving or departing from Conway.
The NS Conway Terminal dispatcher controls the Fort Wayne Line through the Conway area utilizing road channel 161.445 MHz. Two yardmasters control Conway Yard, these are the Five Hump yardmaster and the Five Yard yardmaster, both talking on road channel 160.980. Five Hump controls the east end of Conway Yard, while Five Yard controls the west end of the yard.
When Conway Yard was rebuilt by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1950s, it featured two humps, an eastbound and westbound hump. Conrail removed the eastbound hump from service during the 1990s, leaving just the westbound hump in service. The bowl of the westbound hump yard is easily seen from PA Route 65 between Freedom and Conway.
ABOVE: NS Wabash heritage unit 1070 leads 64V east out of Conway Yard onto the main line at 2:36 p.m. on November 16, 2015. Former East Conway Tower is visible just above the foreground signal. —Larry Draghi photo
To give fans a better understanding of how things work at Conway, let’s focus on four yards at Conway. The 100 Yard, located just west of East Conway interlocking, is used for arriving trains. 900 Yard is located between Conway and Freedom and is used for trains departing from Conway. The 600 Yard is located near the Ohio River along No. 1, used mostly for trains relaying through Conway. The 200 Yard is the old eastbound receiving yard and is used today primarily for trains departing westbound from Conway.” Closely monitoring the scanner will provide an understanding as to what is happening at Conway, as trains communicate with either Five Hump or Five Yard. Once the trains are given clearance to depart Conway from the yardmasters, the crews will contact the Conway Terminal dispatcher for permission to leave the yard.
All NS through trains change crews at Conway. The only trains that do not change crews at Conway is the Amtrak Floridian, which is scheduled to pass through Conway during the night. Depending on traffic, most eastbound trains will change crews at old Four Yard on No. 1, just east of CP Baden. If things are busy, NS will use No. 2 Main for eastbound trains, which will change crews at either “The Ramp.” the road into Conway Yard, or at East Conway interlocking.
ABOVE: Meets between moving trains do occur at the New York Avenue overpass in Rochester, Pa., but not as frequently as they do at the Pinney Street overpass in Baden. At 1:37 p.m. on October 18, 2024, east-bound oil train 66X heads toward Conway Yard behind an NS-CP-KCS power set, as westbound coal train 572 approaches the New York Avenue overpass with Lackawanna heritage unit 1072 on the point. On this sunny fall afternoon, 572 has a pair of units on the point with a manned helper on the rear of the train, a single SD70ACU. Heavy westbound coal trains frequently use manned helpers westward out of Conway on the Fort Wayne Line, due to the steep climb out of the Beaver River Valley west of Rochester. —David Baer photo
Westbound trains are normally recrewed at East Conway interlocking, stopping at the westbound home signal. Westbound trains can also be recrewed on No. 2 Main at “The Ramp” along Highway 65. Closely monitoring the scanner is critical to under-standing where trains will recrew.
There are two defect detectors on the Fort Wayne Line near Conway; at MP 12.5 in Sewickley and at MP 30.5 in Beaver Falls. Due to the nature of the Ohio River Valley east of Conway, the detector at MP 12.5 in Sewickley is often hard to hear, unlike the detector at 30.5 in Beaver Falls…