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.