In my earlier posts I listed trains that run on the NS Chicago - Ft. Wayne line. This information is primiarily based on listening to my scanner. There are other sources of information on the line including Scott Lindsey's excellent Norfolk Southern 1995 Review and the October, 1997 issue of Trains. As you can see, there is nothing published that updates information that is 10 years old.
There are a few trains which I am unsure of. Since I tend to sleep from 10pm til 530am, there is a significant block of time that I dont listen in on. These trains either do run during that time at one time were scheduled and have been annulled. Any info will be appreciated.
216 - at one time was a scheduled Jacksonville - Chicago intermodal.
175 - I have heard it occasionally. It would be a manifest from Chicago. Lindsey's book shows it as a Knoxville train.
231 - at one time it was scheduled as a Chicago - Jacksonville intermodal.
25A - I do not know where that train is destined for. It is an intermodal.
There seems to be a pretty good routine to the NS's operations. You cannot set your clock on their trains, but for the most part they seem to be fairly timely.
I will attempt to review their morning operations, as I know it.
Morning rushhour.
There seems to be quite a bit of activity as several inbound intermodals to Chicago are due to arrive in the early morning. Plus there are several eastbounds, which result in meets.
Eastbound moves seem to include my favorite 177. This train is perhaps the most unreliable scheduled train. I have caught it anytime from 530am to 530pm. It is usually a monster of a train with 100+cars, often heavy with gons of scrap metal and covered hoppers.
Other eastbounds are the much more punctual 25A (usually around 6 to 730am) and the 218 for Greensboro, which normally runs ahead of the 25A.
These eastbounds are met by several westbounds including the Triple Crown 261 and 264. Usually one of the trains (261 often) is thru between 6 - 7am. Chicago bound 217 from Greensboro is another westtbound, often carrying US Express, UPS, Schneider, and JB Hunt equipment. It too is in the 6-7am slot. Auto rack train 13N can show up anytime from 6am til noon. It consists of loaded racks that goes to Gibson Yard in Hammond on the IHB. Often it sits, sometimes for hours, awaiting IHB's acceptance. Depending on the size of the 13N, it may sit at Wanatah (10,000 ft siding) or on the CFE line at Wheeler.
Intermodal 233 from Norfolk is also an early train, followed later in the morning (usually 10am - noon) by 235, also from Norfolk. Train 235 carries double stacks and is routed via Cincinnati, while 233 is restricted by clearance and does not carry stacks. Train 233 proceeds thru Columbus, Ohio.
NS's intermodal schedules shows Chicago to Norfolk intermodals 234 and 236. I seldom hear 234, it must whistle thru town during those magic hours of sleep.
So, between 5am and 7:30 it is often busy. In review, 177 slugs across the state, with 25A and 218, all going east. Westbounds include 261, 264,217, and 233.
Midmorning finds a lull with only the 13N and 235 regular contributors. Often a coal train or hopper train will rumble thru town.
By noon, things begin to pickup again. Several of the most regular trains pass thru town. Often, the first train is the 323 which runs daily from Ft. Wayne to Van Loon and return. The dispatcher communicates to 323 the pickup infomation in form of loads, empties, tons, and feet and which track the train will be located on and the estimated time of arrival from the J. The inbound 323 will have any cars to be interchanged with the J, normally coil cars, gons, and occasional covered hoppers. The inbound 323 will always have 2 locomotives, since the engine has to run around the train to return and usually has 20 - 50 cars.
Local L41 seems to work about every other day. It too arrives around noon and switches the industrial park east of Valparaiso. The industrial park is on the north side of the tracks and L41 must hold the main. Fortunately it is at the site of Nickel siding. Trains passing thru, such as 323 or 230 will take the siding around L41. When it's work is completed, usually in about 60-90 minutes, it will head back to Ft. Wayne, often working at Brems.
The Jacksonville to Chicago intermodal 230 is usually a 1pm - 4pm player. It is an obvious train as there will be a block of auto racks (usually 5 to 15 cars) on the front. If I am driving and without my scanner, I often think it is a tardy 13N until the intermodal cars show up. This is a healthy train with the racks, stacks, and misc trailers.
Between 3 and 4pm, our friend 323 returns with coil cars of steel. The return trip can vary between 1 car (yes once it had 1 load) and 60. The dispatcher often gives instructions for making a pickup at Argos Yard. Usually the PU is 1 to 5 cars.
Following 323 is another reliable eastbound, train 280 and autorack train. Word is the 280 is an empty rack train that was scheduled to return racks to Cincinnati. It was implemented due to the irregular nature of 177. In defense of 177, adding 50 autoracks to a 100+ manifest train, often in excess of 12,000 tons would not seems like something the NS would do. CN, however would have no problem with running a 10,000 foot monster.
Often a westbound coal train, 852, 882, or 884 will make an late afternoon appearance, but usually after 280 clears there is the second lull of the day. That gives me time to either fire up the grill or otherwise prepare dinner.
The evening parade will soon begin and the spirit of the Nickel Plate is displayed as five eastbounds exit Chicago and make time across Northern Indiana meeting a couple of westbounds of significance. It usually makes for a great night. Often I will bury myself in a book and listen in as NS operates in clockwork precision.
I will conclude with the evening parade in the next installment.
ed