Trains in Your Home Town

[Railroader_Sailor_SSN-760]

I plan on being there.

As long as the Navy approves my leave chit to ensure I have that weekend off, I will be set to go. (I am not sure if they will, as I have been repeatedly punished for trying to seek outside help for my present medical condition. The CO of the base clinic has already said that she thinks that I am faking being injured, and she has said that the damage shown on ultrasound does not mean anything.)

I just hope that the hernia cooperates and does not cause the pain to flare up more than it is now.

At least there is ample seating if the damaged area flares up and causes more pain.

That and having Nicholle with to carry stuff helps. (Right now lifting 15-20 lbs. is asking for trouble.)

I was actually thinking of getting a table and just simply setting up a simple Marx layout, but then comes the issue of who is going to do all of the work to set it up, as I am not able to do that.

If I was able to, I would bring #42, my large scale "tinplate" steam loco. (Rides on 8 3/4" gauge track and is about 8' long, loco and tender.)

I will be there, it provides an excuse to escape from CT, at least for a while.

[DMUinCT]

Hi SSN-760,

I have a table at the New England TCA meet, Sept.21 at Marlboro.

Hope to see you there.

Don U.  TCA 73-5735

[Bob-Fryml]

Hey, Bob,

Elmhurst is already like a second home to me--I prefer watching our trains there, because they're moving more slowly and because there are signals there to interpret.

As for the chop house, we haven't been there yet--Pat and I like Two Brothers from Italy, which also has outdoor tables and a similar view of the action; it's about a block and a half west from where you were.  We used to like your spot when it was the Paradise--you could get fantastic window seats then; that's the back of the bar now.

More my speed:  I was in Elmhurst for several hours on Tuesday--bought a double-decker from Hamburger Heaven and ate trackside, doing some editing work while a steady stream of trains went through.  Saw a bit of everything, including the two Olympic units.

Omaha, Nebr. - Friday, 12 Sept. 

Carl,

"Two Brothers from Italy" ... I know about it but haven't tried it yet.

Inside the 100 South Chop House at the west end of the bar, one evening I found an empty chair and cracked open a narrow set of blinds - ostensibly to get a wee bit more light in order to enjoy my newspaper.  But everytime I heard that synthetic crossing gate bell activate, my attention was diverted to outside the window.  It was a quiet weekday evening, so the lady bartender didn't seem to mind.  When it was time to get dinner, I paid-up first, politely returned the blind to its original position,  and then my entourage (Charlie Tanqueray, his friends Martini & Rossi, and their girlfriend Olive), joined me outside the restaurant for a memorable dinner.

/s/ Bob

[CSXDixieLine]

My original hometown Hanahan, SC has the CSX Charleston Sub (formerly the old ACL A-line).

My current "hometown" Lilburn, GA has the CSX Abbeville Sub (formerly the old SAL G-line) between Atlanta, GA and Greenwood, SC. No shortage of trains, about 25-40 a day, mostly mixed freight but one daily autorack and one daily intermodal plus occasional unit grain & coal. We are about 2 miles from the tracks in the current house; today we looked at a house in a neighborhood that actually backs up to the tracks (oh please, oh please, oh please!)

Jamie

[CShaveRR]

Hey, Bob,

Elmhurst is already like a second home to me--I prefer watching our trains there, because they're moving more slowly and because there are signals there to interpret.

As for the chop house, we haven't been there yet--Pat and I like Two Brothers from Italy, which also has outdoor tables and a similar view of the action; it's about a block and a half west from where you were.  We used to like your spot when it was the Paradise--you could get fantastic window seats then; that's the back of the bar now.

More my speed:  I was in Elmhurst for several hours on Tuesday--bought a double-decker from Hamburger Heaven and ate trackside, doing some editing work while a steady stream of trains went through.  Saw a bit of everything, including the two Olympic units.

[Bob-Fryml]

The UP runs three or four trains through here...per hour!  Metra adds a couple.

Rumor has it that CN runs along the northern edge of town.

There are also a couple of former rights-of-way that make good bike paths.

Similar to Carl, we have very many BNSF, Metra and Amtrak (with occasional EJ&E and an appearance each day by RailNet) trains here PER HOUR so you are almost always in for some sort of action when going trackside at just about any hour...day or night. I have not ever counted the train traffic in 24 hours but my guess would be that we have about 100 plus train movements a day.

Omaha, Nebr. - Thursday, 11 Sept. 2008 

Hey Carl and Eolafan!

Last month I had the good fortune to have dinner at the 100 South Chop House located in downtown Elmhurst, Ill.  My table was outdoors and no more than 75-ft. south of The Overland Route mainline.  The amount of train traffic I saw  early that weekday evening was an incredible mix of rush hour commuter "scoots," double stacks, mixed merchandise manifests, some maintenance of way business, and a few sets of coal buckets running in both directions.  The food was terrific and the wide variety of entertainment was first rate.  It sure brought back some pleasant memories of my youth spent along the C.& N.W.'s Harvard Subdivision commuter zone. 

You guys might want to check out that place and have a meal outdoors there before the weather turns cold.

Cheers!  /s/ Bob  

[choochoobuff]

I am in Springfield, sorry for the delay in answering.

[trainfan1221]

I see lots and lots and lots of NJTransit passenger (Ahem, commuter) trains.  They can be interesting in their own right and NJT has some interesting power, including older GP40ph units, though nothing will ever beat the U34CHs.  As for freight it is almost a thing of the past, have to go to the CSX main a few towns over for that.  And from what I have seen on my last several visits its almost like a thing of the past there too.

[Railroader_Sailor_SSN-760]

About the only thing that does not suck about being stationed in CT is the proximity to different railroads.

The Providence and Worcester runs right through town, although I do not have any really good photographs of it.

The New England Central runs right across the river.

Amtrak's NEC also runs through town:

And, not too far away is the Essex Steam Train.

 

 

[Doc Murdock]

I live in Nelson B.C. We get one frieght, Canadian Pacific, a day from Cranbrook, B.C. It serves Columbia Brewery in Creston, a  couple of mills in Castlegar when they are open and the Cominco Smelter in Trail.

[locomutt]

Well, here in Louisville, Ky, we still have a bunch of trains running everyday; may not

be quite what it was from earlier days; but we still have the CSX, NS, P & L, L & I,

INRD and CP come in here.

[tree68]

I cross CSX every day on the way to work and home, and even when I head out to work on the railroad.  With just two through trains and a couple of locals, though, actually seeing one is a treat.

An hour south puts me on the CSX Chicago line - plenty of traffic there (including some that Joe sees, too).  There's Susquehanna action there on occasion as well.

MA&N runs sporadically nearby, as well as in Utica (2 hours away), so I often see them when I'm running on our Utica trains.

A short jaunt into Canada will net me CN and CP, although I didn't see anything last time I was up there.  Of course, I can see CN power on the CSX line here, too.

Three hours south gets me CP, SuzyQ, and possibly some NS.

[mattthefireman]

 there is not much down her but as far as i know there is the Ex-IC to new orlens wich can be busy.

[TimChgo9]

Right across the street is the BNSF.  About a mile to the east is the Indiana Harbor Belt. and then about 3 miles farther south is the BNSF ex-Santa Fe, Chilicothe Subdivision, I believe. 

Trains through here as near as I can tell: Any given weekday, METRA trains. about 96 (48 each direction) total. 6 Amtraks, and probably 30-50 freight trains, depending on the day,I guess.  It has been a bit quiet freight-traffic-wise around here... doesn't seem to be as many as there used to be..... On the IHB we get CSX, CP, CN, and UP action, as well as IHB stuff.  

Plenty to see...

[joemcspadden]

Wabash, IN

NS ex-Wabash, 25-30 trains per day

NS Marion Branch 8-10 trains per day

There is a connecting track between the two lines used for Elkhart, IN to
Decatur, IL traffic.

[SW 1200]

At the railyard in Calumet City, IL, we see:

Indiana Harbor Belt

Norfolk Southern

BNSF

CSX

And Union Pacific

TonyM.

[chad thomas]

These days Ely, Nv. is my home town and the Nevada Northern runs a full schedual of tourist trains with one of the steamers (40 or 93) or one of the diesels (Alcos and EMDs) between the shop/museum and the wye at Ruth. other then that it's a long way to a mainline. it's a good thing I travel out of town every week .

[BNSF_GP60M]

Here in Hanford, Ca we got BNSF's north/ south Bakersfield Sub with 45 trains a day and 12 Amtrak San Joaquins. In the south end of town, we have a long switching district that uses 2 Geeps to switch it. Also many industries use their own engines to switch themselves. Running east and west we have RailAmerica's San Joaquin Valley Railroad that runs daily except Sunday. They produce 2 trains a day. Usually with a BL20-2 or a GP28.

[tatans]

Trains? what trains? They left many years ago and took their tracks with them, remember, most towns, cities and villages do not have train service and never did, for every town with service there is probably 50-100 other places without train service. so consider yourself lucky if you have tracks in your town, I have to travel 50 kilometres to even hear a train horn.

[caldreamer]

CSX runs east/west and the Gettysburg Railroad runs north to Mt Holly Srpings about 2/3 the way to Harrisburg.  They interchange in a small yard 1 block eest of downtown on the north side of US 30.

[alcodave]

NS over ex-NYC trackage, also Indiana and Ohio (RailAmerica) over ex-DTI and Erie trackage. The ex-PRR is now pretty much a bike path.

 

It sounds like you live near me. Im in Marion. 

 

[choochoobuff]

NS over ex-NYC trackage, also Indiana and Ohio (RailAmerica) over ex-DTI and Erie trackage. The ex-PRR is now pretty much a bike path.

[DMUinCT]

  Southington CT, trains, trains everywhere, but not here anymore.    Well, almost, they took up the tracks on the only rail line in town and made it a "Rails to Trails" paved bike path.

  Don't feel sorry for me, 6 miles to the north is Bristol with the Guilford line to Waterbury CT (former New Haven, former New York & New England)  --- 12 miles to the west in Waterbury is the Naugatuck (tourist) Railroad ---  20 miles east is the Providence & Worcester Middletown branch line  --- 30 miles south east is the Essex (Connecticut Valley Railroad - tourist) Steam Train & River Boat  ----  26 miles to the south is the Northeast Corridor at New Haven with hourly Acela Bullet Trains and Metro North Commuter Rail to New York City  ---  40 miles to the north, at Springfield, is the CSX main line to Boston.

  Love those Trains. 

[coborn35]

Largest inland port in the US. BNSF,CP,CN,UP,NSSR, LS&M, many grain elevator switchers, and breathtaking scenes.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm 3 miles east of the BNSF's Hinckley Sub (former GN) between Minneapolis & Superior.   UP and CP operate on trackage rights as well.  There used to be Amtrak service on the line until the late 80s but there's continued talk of renewed passenger service someday. 

I just got back from breakfast up in Cambridge, MN, and I saw three BNSF unit trains on Labor Day: 1 northbound empty ore train, 1 southbound loaded ore train DPUed (long one too - 3 units - 2 up front and 1 one pusher), and 1 southbound empty coal train.

[Modelcar]

.....That certainly is beautiful stone work on that ex RR tunnel.  Probably has not had much maintenance in recent years either....Beautiful work.

[ButchKnouse]

I live on the DM&E in Cavour, South Dakota. Mostly grain hoppers, some boxcars filled with woodchips from the sawmill in Belle Fourche, bentonite clay from the end of the line in Wyoming, once in a while 2 flatcars of crushed cars (always 2, never more or less).

Then there's what I call the BCS trains. Brookings County Specials. They leave Huron with empty hoppers and tankers for the soybean plant in Volga and empty tankers for the ethanol plant in Aurora. Full cargo going that way is center beam flatcars with California redwood for the playground equipement factory in Brookings and cement for the distribution facilty north of Sioux Valley Junction, which has 2 1-mile long sidings on the south side of the main line.

The trains are left at the junction and distributed by the locomotives kept in Brookings. These trains move in both directions, with full tankers and beaners, and the empty flats and cement cars coming back to Huron for redistribution west.

Hopefully the CP coal trains will be coming through, but it will be 2012 at the earliest.

[eolafan]

The UP runs three or four trains through here...per hour!  Metra adds a couple.

Rumor has it that CN runs along the northern edge of town.

There are also a couple of former rights-of-way that make good bike paths.

Similar to Carl, we have very many BNSF, Metra and Amtrak (with occasional EJ&E and an appearance each day by RailNet) trains here PER HOUR so you are almost always in for some sort of action when going trackside at just about any hour...day or night. I have not ever counted the train traffic in 24 hours but my guess would be that we have about 100 plus train movements a day.

[Scum Mudd]

Marion, NC has old Clinchfield CSX running north/south on the west side of town.  The NS-S line runs east west through town.  Both routes lead to engineering marvels:  the Clinchfield loops through the northern McDowell County mountains and the Old Fort loops heading toward Asheville.  The abandoned "peavine" line parallels much of CSX south of Marion.  I remember slow moving Southern freights on thatline as a kid.  It was part of the original "3C's."

CSX runs about 30 trains a day and NS is very busy as well.  The S-line is on the list to get Amtrak service if our "good" govenor ever decides to do something good for Western North Carolina.  The depots are ready, the interest is high, just waiting for the go from Raleigh.

Good train watching around here.