Fostoria: EB intermodal

CSX runs an intermodal eastbound through Fostoria, Ohio, on May 15. Fostoria reportedly sees more than 120 trains a day.  There is a CSX east-west set of mains, a Norfolk Southern east-west set of mains, and a north-south set of CSX mains.

CSX Fostoria local

Back to Ohio and the midwest

Fostoria local headed by 6089 used the south wye at Fostoria several times to come out of the yard, head west to perform some switching, then reverse its course to get back into the yard.  Part of the move involved backing using a special whistle operated by the conductor.  The whistle sounds like a cross between a steam and a playground whistle. Not extremely loud, but very distinctive.

Round the bend

Southbound Union Pacific train prepares to "knock down" signals at East Portland, then rounds the bend headed for Albany or Eugene on Sunday, June 24.

LMS, IC, CN

Beginning in 1994, Conrail purchased 60 C40-8W locomotives in cooperation with General Electric Locomotive Management Services.  The first 40 were painted Conrail blue with LMS markings.  The last 20 were painted for Conrail.  These LMS traveled extensively in the Pacific Northwest in the mid to late 1990s.  Last Sunday, June 24, an ex LMS, ex Illinois Central unit now lettered for Canadian National, came through Vancouver as the third unit on a Tacoma-Chicago intermodal train.

In the background is the crane putting down supports for the new Sixth Street overpass in Vancouver, Wa.

Contrast

Westbound Chicago-Portland intermodal, the ZCHCPTL, passes under dark clouds Sunday near what has been known as the FMC steps. FMC was a shipbuilder in Vancouver years ago.  The land has now been converted into condos.

BNSF on Amtrak

Pausing in Midwestern trip for some local photos for the next several days. . .

BNSF 5604 led the Amtrak 516 north Sunday afternoon heading to Vancouver, B.C.  It had been added in Olympia the day before on AMTK507 and traveled to Eugene. 

Fans a watching

Because of its heavy traffic levels, Fostoria, Ohio, Iron Triangle often has railfans present to watch.  Here, three fans (one local and two from West Virginia) lower their cameras as a Norfolk Southern intermodal heads east.

NS freight

One of the many Norfolk Southern eastbound freights to pass through Fostoria, Ohio, on May 16.  Fostoria features two main east-west lines for both NS and CSX as well as a north-south route for CSX.

Mixing Yard

Just outside Fostoria, Ohio, is a Norfolk Southern yard known as the Mixing Yard.  Apparently, when Ford Motor Co. puts vehicles on auto racks at the factory, it does not sort & segregtate according to model or destination.  NS brings the loaded auto racks to Fostoria, a company unloads all the vehicles and preps them for shipment, then loads cars for specific destinations.  On May 15, this GP38-2 was moving auto racks around the yard.

NS local

High-nose Norfolk Southern SD40-2 heads west through the Fostoria, Ohio, diamonds as a local proceeds to a switching assignment on May 15.



Slug in Grand Rapids

RCPHG4, seen here in the Grand Rapids, Mich., Wyoming Yard, was converted from a B36-7 and used as a slug for extra traction in yard switching.  I had seen this specific unit in Detroit's Rogue Yard in 2007.

Slugs, part 1

Converted from a B36-7, this RCPHG4 was used at Stanley Yard, a former Conrail facility near Walbridge on the south side of Toledo, Ohio.

WB intermodal at Willard

Westbound intermodal leaves Willard, Ohio, CSX yard on May 14.  Leading is one of CSX's rebuilt SD40-3s with an Admiral cab. Photography on this trip was extremely challenging as many of the rail lines are almost directly east-west routes so sun was great on the noses of units, but sides of locomotives were dark from shadows, such as in the above photo.

Signal Sunday

Many other Western railfans have been posting photos lately of disappearing older style signals on both the Union Pacific and the BNSF.  So during this trip I decided to capture a few unique signals from Indiana, Ohio and Michigan.  There was no attempt to get "everything," just signals that were different than what I normally see in Oregon and Washington.

A special "Thank you" to Toledopatch and Eric who responsed to my questions on Train Orders about these signals.

Signals from several different railroads include NKP (Nickle Plate) and a three-headed Erie Lackawana signal grace the museum yard at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson, Ind.

This New York Central small target searchlight and a searchlight dwarf are from the diamond in Kalamazoo, Mich..  Likely, the absence of a finial and a modern concrete base means the high mast signal was installed by Conrail.  This route has a history of NYC, Conrail, Norfolk Southern, and now Grand Elk Railroad.  Amtrak runs between Chicago and Detroit on the foreground track.

This is actually a supplemental grade-crossing warning light that has a single flashing light with "No Left Turn" or "No Right turn" light-up signs. This signal was in Fostoria, Ohio.

In Deshler, Ohio, I found this Baltimore & Ohio style color position light signal on the north-south route crossing the diamond at the depot, now used only by CSX MOW crews.

This US&S tri-head signal could have been installed by either New York Central or Conrail in Elkhart, Ind.  According to toledopatch, the shades look more like Conrail than NYC.

Toledo to Woodville

CSX GP15-1 #1553 pulls a cut of covered hoppers out of the Toledo Walbridge Yard on May 14 to Woodville, about 12 miles southeast, to drop at a local elevator.

Toledo docks

Crewman climbs onto CSX switcher in the Toledo, Ohio, dock area on May 14.  This dock area is used  for transloading coal and and iron ore to ships traveling on Lake Erie.  About the only area accessible to the public is an overpass on the south end where these units were photographed.

Toledo critter

Near the parked SD40-2 of Toledo Junction was this International Terminals Plymouth JDT-12, a smaller cousin of the Kraft switcher shown here two days ago.

Toledo Jct.

A "new" operation in the Toledo area is the Toledo Junction Railroad where on May 14 this SD40-2 was parked.  This is one of four units to be used on a new grain unloading area on the Maumee River near the CSX's Toledo Docks.

Kraft switcher

Dinkies, or small locomotives, have a special place in my railfanning activities.  They are the complete opposite of what is so often seen today, the huge 4,000 hp plus AC units run by all the major railroads.  This 40 ton MDT built by Plymouth was spotted at the former Nabisco plant now operated by Kraft on May 14 south of Toledo, Ohio.

Grand Elk

A fairly new shortline in Michigan is the Grand Elk, another Watco railroad.  It runs the former Norfolk Southern, former Penn Central, former New York Central route from Elkhart, Indiana to Grand Rapids, Michigan.  It is based in Kalamazoo, Mich.  On May 13, this northbound was resting south of the crossovers with the Canadian National in Schoolcraft, Mich.

Nickel Plate caboose

On display at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum is this former Nickel Plate Road caboose. While the Nickle Plate did not run directly through North Judson, it did travel througth nearby towns.  In the 1920s, more than 125 trains a day rolled through North Judson.  It was served by the New York Central, The Pennsylvania, the Chesapeake & Ohio and the Erie Lackawanna railroads.  Now, the town is the end of a shortline operated by the City of North Judson called the Cheaspeake & Indiana.  Indiana Boxcar Corp. operates the 33 miles of line that hauls mostly grain. The Hoosier Valley Museum is open Saturdays and offers train rides.

Mining loco

Traveling to new areas is both fun and challenging.  Roads have changed because of new construction.  Tracks have disappeared.  On the map I used to plan my recent trip, there seemed to be a major crossover near North Judson, Indiana.  When I got there, I found only the end of the tracks of a shortline now operated by Chesapeake & Indiana (Owned by the town of North Judson.).  The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum made the stop worthwhile, however, with displays such as this 1913 Porter mining locomotive and several cars.  While it's now obvious I need to get more current maps, this was a great find.

BNSF in Chicago

BNSF is well represented in Chicago with two major yards.  While not seen during my trip in as many places, BNSF showed up on foreign rail as well.  This photos shows four of five units in a power transfer leaving Indiana Harbor Belt's Blue Island Yard on May 10 headed back to home rails. 

UP everywhere

Nearly everywhere I traveled in my recent Midwest trip, Union Pacific units were there.  Top photo, UP4636 enters Indiana Harbor Belt's Blue Island Yard from the east on May 10.  Below, UP stack train travels north through Momence, Ind. on May 11.  Second below, UP auto rack train heads east through Schoolcraft, Mich. on May 18.  There also was a set of power at Willard Yard, a CSX sorting yard near Willard, Ohio, when I was there May 14,  And, bottom photo, a former UP now operating under the CREX banner (but with only its number, not any identifying marks) waiting for its next assigment at the CSX Yard in Walbridge, Ohio, on May 14.

IHB paint schemes

May 9 to 19 I traveled through the upper Midwest, touring railyards and hotspots.  A couple of pictures from that trip already have been published (May 26 & May 27) showed current views contrasted with photos taken in 1999 at the same location. 

I came away from the trip with several general convictions: 1) intermodal traffic is now the major component of eastern railroading, at least in the Midwest; 2) the two eastern railroads run many more trains than we ever see in the Pacific Northwest; 3) Norfolk Southern takes better care of its locomotives than any of the other railroads I've seen recently with many new paint jobs ; and 4) With very few grades or winding routes, trains run fast, very fast. 

So for the next months, I'll show some highlights from the trip, starting today with another picture from the Indiana Harbor Belt yard show new and old paint schemes.

A rosy visit

Union Pacific Heritage unit 1983, painted in a commerative Western Pacific scheme, waits in Vancouver next to the rose bushes as part of the WOVW ore train headed down the hill on June 3.

Canadian Pacific FP9s

Canadian Pacific FP9-A and FP9-B were stored in Calgary in 1999.  These units are used only for special officers or senic trains.

Rebuilt slug in Edmonton

In September 1999, Canadian National was using these rebuilt units, a slug and a GP9RM to switch its yard in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Soo slug

Soo B unit or slug, SD40B number 6450 in Calgary's Alyth Yard in 1999.

Calgary's Alyth Yard

Engine House at Canadian Pacific's Alyth Yard in Calgary in September 1999.  For years this was CP's main engine and car repair facility and still performs much of CP's maintenance work.