CSX Along New York's Route 5

February 2026 Trains 

The February 2026 issue of Trains has a nice article about railfanning the former NYC Water Level Route. One can follow the tracks on route 5 from Hoffman's near Rotterdam Jct. to Utica. Many photo locations are mentioned. Don Janes and I have followed a portion of the route from Amsterdam to Hoffman's many times catching a couple of trains. We decided on one occasion to head west from Amsterdam Amtrak station which was a pleasant surprise. We stopped at Fonda and caught a couple of trains. There is a subway at one crossing so we decided to have a sub trackside for dinner. To our surprise we had a hard time eating our sub. It seemed every time we got into the car and took another bit the crossing gates started to come down. It was a Sunday and it seemed that this was a busy time along the line. Luck for us...George Dutka

By the time we got to the Amtrak station in Amsterdam during the early evening it has began to rain but we still took our shots on June 2, 2019.

June 2, 2019 a WB passes through Fonda, NY. It had stopped raining by then but was heavy overcast.

One of the trains that passed us while we ate our Subway subs at the crossing beside the sub shop. We were parked in their parking lot which looks right towards the track. We did not have to move away from the car to get this photo.

An EB on June 2, 2028 passes behind the sub shop. I could shoot while sitting in the car from the window.

January 23, 2025 I stopped by Amsterdam, NY once again to take this view of an EB Amtrak train behind the reproposed freight house. I was on my way to the Springfield train show. There are many places to get a nice photo along this part of the line.