Railfan trip to PA, OH, IN and MI, 8-9 to 8-20-2021 - 12

Hi, Bill Kalkman and I spent the final day of our trip taking a second crack at the Allegheny Valley Island Avenue Transfer (train AV-6) to NS. We got to the Allegheny Valley yard about 9:00 AM but could not find anyone to talk to nor any way to explore the yard. 

So we found a spot along Blair St. at the west end of Glennwood Yard and waited. Finally, about 10:35 AM the crew began to double its train (above and below),

After the crew pushed back into the yard we went west a few blocks and set up where the train would cross Blair St. (above and below).

While the train made its way to the connection to NS we relocated to a spot behind a Porsche dealer along Liberty Avenue (above and below).

 So ended a really great trip. I hope you enjoyed the posts.

Railfan trip to PA, OH, IN and MI, 8-9 to 8-20-2021 - 11B

Hi, This, the second post covering the day Bill Kalkman and I spent on the Youngstown & Southeastern, contains images from our chase. The train went nonstop from Struthers, OH to Signal, OH; the location of a construction debris transfer station. The train moved slowly, probably 10 to 15 MPH so the chase was easy even with traffic.

Our first location was in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood of Youngstown, OH (above and three below).

Next we found three locations in Boardman, OH (above and two below).

We caught the train three more times; passing the railroad HQ in North Lima, OH (no where near Lima),

off County Road 20 in Beaver Township, OH and

Columbiana, OH. At this point we lost access to the railroad.

We explored further looking for the railroad's shops hoping to find the unit pictured above. The shops are located in Negley, OH and the red and black unit is in the paint scheme of the New Castle Industrial Railroad.

 

We then doubled back to signal to see if we could access the transfer station. While it was doable, the road train was buried in the small yard there and this geep was the only thing photographable. At this point we headed to Pittsburgh for our final night's lodging.

Thanks for looking.

Railfan trip to PA, OH, IN and MI, 8-9 to 8-20-2021 - 11A

Hi, Our final day was dedicated to the Youngstown & Southern Railroad. Because I wanted to share 23 images I felt it would be best to split the images into two posts. The first post will include only images made at CP Graham on NS.

The Y & S came in from the left looking west toward the NS yard and entered NS trackage,

travelled a few feet and then took the switch to the right to head for the CSX interchange in Lowellville, OH. We tried to find a way into the into the interchange but were not successful.

On our return to CP Graham we found an NS local waiting to enter the NS yard (above and two below).

Shortly after the NS local cleared the Y & S came out of the woods on the line from Lowellville and pulled into the NS yard for interchange.

A few minutes later a Youngstown Belt (Genesee & Wyoming operation) train came east and pushed into the NS yard (above and three below).

Finally, the Y&S train pushed out of the yard and headed out of town.

I'll cover our chase of the Y&S train in the next post. Thanks for looking.

Railfan trip to PA, OH, IN and MI, 8-9 to 8-20-2021 - 10

Hi, Continuing east, we began Wednesday, August 18 with a stop at the Wheeling & Lake Erie's small yard in Hartland Township, Ohio. There we learned that a train would soon head east to the Sunrise Cooperative Elevator in Clarksfield, OH. 

   

We beat the train to Clarksfield by a good bit allowing us time to walk around and pick our locations. In the photo above a pair SD40s pull a train of empty covered hoppers into the elevator area.

After the Wheeling crew spotted the empties in the small yard just to the west of the elevator and departed back to their yard, the elevator's GE 44 tonner coupled on to a cut of  hoppers and proceeded to spot them, one at a time, for loading.

After we got our fill of shots of the loading process we decided to check out Spencer, OH as two Wheeling routes cross here and there frequently is a train here. Regrettably the grade crossings were being rebuilt so access was extremely limited. On the plus side, there was a train switching. When we were sure the train had departed we took a chance and went looking for it, and found it at River Corners.

 

We caught the train again at County Road 39 in Wellington, OH and

Smith Road in Chatham Township, OH.

Eventually we reached Medina, OH which provided a number of opportunities (above and four below).

In this view the locomotives are parked so we left.

On our way to our lodgings we stopped at North Lima, OH (nowhere near Lima), the home base (although not the shops) of the Youngstown and Southeastern. One unit was parked here.

Just west of the NS yard in Youngstown we found three more Youngstown and Southeastern units. This would be the power for the August 19 train to Signal, OH.

Thanks for looking.
 

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

Hi, When we arrived at the Adrian & Blissfield engine facility in Blissfield, MI on Tuesday, August 17 we learned that a broken rail needed to be repaired so they would not be running that day.

After some thought we headed for Defiance, OH to check out the Napolean Defiance & Western. There was a job working in the yard and we caught it heading down to the CSX interchange a few blocks away

 

where, after dropping their set off, the crew waited for CSX to deliver their interchange. we decided to leave.

Having learned from a local railfan that Indiana & Ohio turn from Lima, OH was in Leipsic, OH we drove their and found it sitting on the south side of town. Th I&O uses trackage rights on CSX from Leipsic to Lima with the possible exception of Ottawa, OH where they have their own track around the east side of town.

Since the I&O sat for awhile we surmised it was waiting for a train on CSX and eventually a northbound appeared (above and below).

Then it was off to the races. We skipped Ottawa as we did not know which track to set up on and I omitted the shot at Cairo, OH.

We moved on to Columbus Grove, OH where Q561 was the next train to arrive (above and below). The I&O must have been run around; possibly in Ottawa. 

There had been a grade crossing accident here a few days earlier and wreckage was still scattered around (above and second I&O photo below). A semi truck attempted to turn off the crossing and was unable to do so when a train came along and demolished the trailer; also taking out some of the crossing gates and lights. Thus, the crossing had to be flagged allowing for a number of photos.

Following soon behind Q561 was the I&O train (above and below).

Above and four of the photos below are some of the ones I took in Lima, OH. The photos above and below were made at the north end of their yard where a second I&O train of the day was dropping its cars.

At the south end of the yard the power for the train we followed from Leipsic (on the left) is next to the power we photographed at the north end of the yard.

Q561 was first out of town shown here crossing the Chicago Fort Wayne & Eastern (former PRR New York to Chicago main line) in Lima.

Finally, the I&O, now on its own track crossed the CF&E.

The last series of images of the day were of this GE 25 ton switcher at the Heritage Cooperative Elevator in Ada, OH; and yes it is still used.

I hope you enjoyed the photos.