Railfan trip to PA, OH, IN and MI, 8-9 to 8-20-2021 - 4

Hi, Thursday, August 12 was to be, finally, Indiana Eastern day for Bill Kalkman and me. The crew began switching in Cottage Grove, IN around 10:30 AM. 

This involved moving from their track to the CSX line through here to deliver and pick up interchange (above and three below).

 

The east end of the small CSX yard here provided an open area with many angles (above and three below).

After finishing switching at the interchange yard the crew backed the cars they picked up onto their own track and

headed south for Fernald, OH.

On the way they passed through Brookville, IN.

In Fernald, OH the crew spent a good bit of time switching the Nease Performance Chemicals Plant (above and two below).

Our final photo was of the return trip at Okeana, OH.

Thanks for looking.

 

Railfan trip to PA, OH, IN and MI, 8-9 to 8-20-2021 - 3

Hi, Bill Kalkman and I began Wednesday, August 11 by checking on the Indiana Eastern at Cottage Grove, IN in the hopes that they would do some local switching. However, as they were expecting an FRA inspection shortly all of the employees would be performing maintenance tasks. 

The only railroad movement in Cottage Grove that morning was this CSX work equipment. 

We moved on to Connersville, IN to see if the Connersville & Newcastle was operating. We were told the only movement that day was the interchange of a GATX SD40, sister to the 3307, to CSX as it was being returned to the lessor.

There was a lot of power sitting in the yard.

Also, we checked out the Whitewater valley (above and three below) but again all was quiet. The unit above is a Lima product built for the Cincinnati Union Terminal.

Number 9339 is an Alco S-1.

At the far end of the Museums yard trackage Muncie & Western GE 70 tonner was displayed.

We followed the Connersville & Newcastle to Newcastle out of Curiosity. When we got to Newcastle we heard switching on the radio and were able to locate this rebuilt geep of sister railroad Wabash Central switching.

Our day ended in Rushville, IN with the passage of CSX Q361.

Thanks for looking.

 

Railfan trip to PA, OH, IN and MI, 8-9 to 8-20-2021 - 2

Hi, On August 10 Bill Kalkman and I spent most of the day photographing the Ashland Railway. 

Our first location was at the Ohio Route 545 grade crossing in Mansfield, OH. 

This was followed by photos at crossings for County Route 265 in Weller Township,

Ohio Route 603,

County Route 1475 in Milton Township and

County Route 1153 in Ashland, OH.

We found only one point of access as the crew switched in Ashland; the PCA warehouse.

Two of the locations we photographed on the return trip were the County Route 1153 crossing in Ashland (above and below) and 

the Ohio Route 603 crossing in Milton Township.

Note, the person we talked to in the yard seeking information was unfriendly, however, the conductor was forthcoming.

On our way to our overnight in Richmond, IN we stopped by the Camp Chase RR but their motive power was inaccessible.

Thanks for looking.
 

Railfan trip to PA, OH, IN and MI, 8-9 to 8-20-2021

Hi, On August 9, friend Bill Kalkman and I began a 12 day photo safari with the objective shooting a variety of shortlines. Our first stop was the Allegheny Commons Park West in Pittsburgh, PA. A westbound NS train was first up followed by the Allegheny Valley transfer from their Glenwood Yard in Hazelton, PA to the NS Island Avenue Yard. 

We waited for the Allegheny Valley train to return but eventually had to head west. After a stop in Columbus to check out the Camp Chase Railroad we continued on to Richmond, IN, where we would spend the next two nights. The Camp Chase locomotives were being fueled within a fenced enclosure so no photos.

    

Thanks for looking.

 

CSX's Metropolitan Sub - 8/3/2021

Hi, Last Tuesday friend Dale Diacont and I met up at the Washington Grove, MD MARC stop for an afternoon of railfanning and visiting. It had been 1 1/2 years since we were able to get together.

First up Was W751, the "Rock Runner." This train hauls aggregate from a quarry in Millville, WV to a plant in Bladensburg, MD. It operates as a turn returning the empties to the quarry. In the past the crew went on duty in Brunswick, MD, took the empties from the previous day to Millville, exchanged the empties for loads and took them to Bladensburg where they dropped the loads and picked up empties to bring back to Brunswick.

Amtrak #30, the eastbound Capital Limited, followed the "Rock Runner" about a 1/2 hour later running left handed.

 

After lunch we relocated to Point of Rocks, MD where we just missed westbound coal empties. However, after awhile the "Rock Runner" with empties showed up 

followed awhile later by the westbound Capital Limited, Amtrak #29.

Thanks for looking.

 

Northeast Corridor - July 27, 2021

Hi, I spent the afternoon of July 27 with friends Jim Kleeman and Bill Kalkman photographing trains along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. We saw the usual mix of Acelas, Amtrak regional trains and MARC commuter trains. Although there were a couple of the new Siemens Charger diesel locomotives running I was never in position to photograph any. The first three photos were taken at Harmans, MD.

These two trains (above and below) are headed to Washington, DC.

This regional train is headed toward Baltimore.

After a while at Harmans we moved to the commuter station at Halethorpe, MD where the final four photos were taken.

A regional train bound for Washington, DC rushes past the platform.

Two MARC trains outbound from Washington, DC prepare to make their station stop in Halethorpe (above and two below).

 Thanks for looking.