Yes, they used 856.3125 & 856.3875 conventional (repeater) channels. I can recall some (not a lot) of transmissions on there. Those channels were discontinued about 5+ years ago.
This is what I can confirm for National Grid in the CNY region:
153.2000 Cortland County
153.5750 Cortland County 162.2 PL
159.3750 Hamilton County
159.5100 Hamilton County
153.5750 Herkimer County 162.2 PL Old Forge Line
153.5150 Jefferson County 162.2 PL Clayton
153.5450 Jefferson County 151.4 PL Watertown
153.5750 Jefferson County 162.2 PL Watertown
153.7250 Jefferson County 162.2 PL West Carthage
451.1000 Jefferson County 151.4 PL "Eastern Ops"
153.7250 Lewis County 162.2 Croghan Line
153.2000 Oneida County
153.3800 Oneida County 151.4 PL Utica Line
153.4550 Oneida County 162.2 PL
153.5150 Oneida County 151.4 PL
153.6050 Oneida County 162.2 PL
153.6800 Oneida County 162.2 PL "Oneida County Storm"
153.6650 Onondaga County 151.4 PL Syracuse Service
153.4550 Onondaga County 162.2 PL Syracuse Dispatch
153.4700 Onondaga County 162.2 PL Meters
153.4250 Onondaga County 162.2 PL Syracuse Line
153.6050 Oswego County 162.2 PL Volney Line
153.6950 Oswego County 162.2 PL Pulaski Line
153.3500 Oswego County
451.0625 162.2 PL crossband w/ 153.4250
451.0875 CSQ crossband w/ 153.6650
451.1500 151.4
451.1250 151.4
451.2000 151.4
451.3750 123.0
451.5750 151.4
854.8375 noted as Herkimer County, but I am not close enough to hear anything on this.