I went to Berea Today from about 11:30AM till 12:00PM and saw 5 to 6 Trains. That's not bad traffic at all. The reason I left so early is because I noticed when I arrived at 11:30AM there was a Coal Train sitting on Track 2 of the CSX Main Eastbound. The end of the train was sitting right in front of Front Street Bridge and the Station Restaurant. Then about 10 Minutes later he started moving. Well 7 minutes later on Track 1 heading West were 2 CSX Hyrailers. After those went threw about 3 minutes later a CSX Intermodal Eastbound on Track 2 going only about 5 to 10 MPH. Extremely Slow. The slowest I have ever seen on the CSX Main and the first time seeing a train stopped here in Berea on the CSX Main. NS was pretty busy with regular traffic going. One of the NS Trains I saw had an NS SD70M-2 leading and UP AC4400CW #5788. He was hauling a solid train of these type of cars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahfr--vXLns. That is not my video and not my account. Now I have never seen these cars. I heard they haul Powdered Cement by Lafarge. This is also the first time of seeing these cars. What type of car are they? Also, why were CSX Trains stocked up on the CSX Main going Eastbound and Hyrailers going Westbound? Was anybody there today, that knows what I'm talking about, besides myself on this Forum? I will put all the trains I saw today from 11:30AM to 12PM and put it on this Forum tommorrow. See you tommorrow.
Of course I wasn't there, but by your description I would guess the westbound CSX main with the Hyrailers was closed for maintenance. That would confine all traffic to the remaining eastbound main. Traffic usually slows for work zones and the stopped coal train probably was waiting for clearance to proceed. Bottlenecks caused by maintenance often back up traffic and it is normal to see stopped trains in that circumstance. Even during normal operations I have seen stopped coal trains next to the Station Restaurant.
The video wasn't clear enough for me to say anything for certain, but those cars appeared to have shortened bodies on full length frames. That might indicate they are meant to carry something dense and heavy, for example iron ore. I can't see whether the hoppers are loaded or empty, which would provide a small clue.
I haven't been to Berea in quite a while. I'll have to put it on my calendar for the next weekend or so.
Two situations created the CSX traffic you talked about in Berea. There is extensive track work being done in the Grafton/Wellington area that may cause some of it. The single track tunnel east of Berea is the main cause for an EB to stop awaiting a higher priority train(s) moving WB to clear the tunnel.
Cody Zamostny (ConrailForever) was at Berea at the same time as you. MOW, and a series of westbounds on the single track through the tunnels caused all of the eastbounds to get stacked up.
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