IIRC, the line to Pittsfield branches off before reaching ALB. Not sure of the track connection, but I was wondering if there would be enough business to justify just running the train from Hudson directly to Pittsfield, eliminating ALB? It might cut a lot of time off the trip, if so.....
There is no way to get to Pittsfield from Hudson while moving continuously in a single direction. You have to either back up at ALB or you have to backup from the CSX Hudson bridge/Selkirk.
Negative, you have to run all the way into the station to make reverse back towards PIttsfield.
No, actually there is a cutoff south of ALB to the line between Boston and Selkirk. The LSL used this backup move for years until the cutoff line was built right out of the ALB station.
The cutoff connects to the B&A facing only towards Selkirk. There is no way to get to Pittsfield without doing a backup move then from Selkirk or at least from the Hudson Bridge.
When the LSL Boston section used that routing, it pulled forward onto the bridge past the connection, then backed up down the cutoff to Schodack's landing and joined the Empire Route, and then pulled forward into Albany.
CSX will probably let you even run at 100mph west of Hoffman's before they will allow that move again on a regular basis.