This past Memorial Day weekend, I spent the Saturday heading up to Deshler and Fostoria here in Ohio. As many times as I'd been to Fostoria, I'd never made it a little further west to Deshler.
After a stopping for lunch at the rest area south of Carey on US 23, I headed on to Deshler, passing through what was thankfully a brief rain shower on the way. At Hoytville, just west of CSX's intermodal terminal west of North Baltimore, I got to wait on an eastbound stack train easing into the terminal.
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Shortly after arriving in Deshler and finding the park, a westbound mixed freight came around the southeast wye and turned south. As it eased around the curve, a westbound tanker train rolled past on track 1. Shortly before the rear of the mixed freight, an eastbound tanker train turned south to follow the mixed freight.
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A westbound intermodal came through...
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And then an eastbound mixed freight.
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Soon after the mixed freight cleared, a northbound stack train eased around the wye, turning east. As it rolled around the curve, a hi-rail truck eased past on track 2 to follow the stack train east.
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A westbound mixed freight then went through Deshler.
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Right after the freight passed, the skies, which had been darkening, opened up. Everybody at the park started taking off. Looking at the radar on my phone, I could see the rain moving north and thinning out towards the east. I headed east to Fostoria and got into town just as the rain was letting up and the sun came out again.
As I pulled into the park, there was a southbound train of covered hoppers going past on CSX. Shortly afterwards, an eastbound CSX tanker train came through with BNSF power.
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A southbound CSX stack train then approached, taking the northwest transfer track and turning west. Two cars went across in front of the train after the signals had activated. The woman in the first car went under the gate as it was coming down. The man in the second car went around the gate without even slowing down. You can't see it in the video, but he looked over and was a bit shocked to see that his actions had been caught on camera.
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There was a lull in trains, so I called ahead, ran over to Tiffin, and got a pizza from AJ's Heavenly Pizza, just down the street from where I went to college at Heidelberg. I took the pizza back to the park at Fostoria and had a delicious tailgate dinner. Shortly after finishing off the pizza (it didn't last long), this westbound CSX intermodal came past the park.
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An eastbound intermodal on CSX then came into town and turned south, getting met by another westbound intermodal.
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A southbound CSX train of autoracks (all loaded) then came past the park and turned east at F Tower on the northeast transfer track. This was the track where a freight had stringlined back in April.
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Once the train of autoracks had cleared, a westbound CSX mixed freight and then an eastbound CSX tanker train accelerated through town.
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A train hauling only coils of sheet steel then rushed through town.
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I then set up for an eastbound CSX train when a southbound mixed freight on CSX came into view and turned east. The eastbound CSX mixed freight that I'd set up for then appeared and turned north.
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Norfolk Southern then came to life, sending a fast westbound coal train through town...
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And then an eastbound train of autoracks.
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Shortly afterwards, it started to rain again. Since it was 10PM, and I had a 2-hour drive home, I called it a day. Needless to say, it was a great trip!
Kevin
http://chatanuga.org/RailPage.html
http://chatanuga.org/WLMR.html
WOW. Like you hit the jackpot. Does this suggest that rail traffic might be picking up? Though only one NS.
I've been to Deshler several times now and have never been disappointed. Kept awake (I usually camp a night or two there), yes, but never disappointed.
Fostoria is just as entertaining, and even better now with the park.
If you have the ATCS for Deshler on your laptop, there is (usually) a wifi connection there and you can see the lineups...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Still have the B&O cpl's in Deshler for now.The ATCS program won't help because it's satillite.There is a scanner at the park that will give you a heards up.With the longer trains some trains are held for quite awhile so they can all get through.
stay safe
Joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
Fostoria will be getting better, a caboose, trees and wi-fi are part of a park improvement project.
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K4sPRRFostoria will be getting better, a caboose, trees and wi-fi are part of a park improvement project.
Not sure I like all of that. Wifi is good, but the caboose and trees sound like impediments to watching trains. Right now, aside from the pavilion itself, there is an unobstructed view of almost the entire triangle.
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