Eastern Railroad Discussion > How many trains on the NS New Castle District?

We discussed this a few years ago but what does it look like now? Are they still running a variety of trains like Road Railers and sulphur trains and how many trains in a 24 hour period?

I understand following the Conrail split-up some trains were moved over to the Marion District. And a while after that they built a hilly connecting track btw the Marion District and the Huntington, District at Wabash,Indiana. What how many trains use this connection? And, of course, they subsequently put some money in new alignments in the Fort Wayne area to provide flexibility btw the old PRR, NKP, Wabash and to avoid one busy road crossing (Jefferson Blvd).

Anyone know the total dollars spent on purchase of PRR trackage from PC and the rehab of the whole line?
With the amount of money put in this railroad even after the Conrail split-up I would assume it had been a good return on investment?

Wow, a lot of questions hah?


Thanks in advance.

The NS merger wouldn't have happened without it.

Actually I believe the connection at Wabash is not as hilly as the Marion branch itself is. I have not saw this first hand, but looking at that grade as the Marion Branch ducks under the Huntington district, I would imagine the connector is close to level, maybe someone whos been over it can confirm that?
And the rerouting at Ft Wayne was a double win, not only did it free that grade crossing, but they claim it trains save a little time also.
I miss that old grade crossing they closed just west of the Marion Branch on the Huntington District, used to scare friends just by driving over it!(I was young when it was there :))

I produced a DVD that shows all of the trains on the New Castle District north of Muncie in May of 2006. The title of the DVD is Norfolk Southern's New Castle District. At that time NS was running around eight each way north of Muncie including one long RoadRailer each way. The DVD showing these trains is still available.

Our programs always show the whole train. Detailed narration gives the train symbols, origin and destination of trains, history of the railroads in the program, and recent changes in operations.
Dick Eisfeller
Big “E” Productions
P. O. Box 75
Greenland, NH 03840
800-832-1228
web page: www.trainvideos.com
email: bigeee@trainvideos.com

Times sure have changed, from the 4 daily triple crown trains, the nightly spritz of intermodal across the district, the mixed trains, solid unit trains.
I believe I counted 20 trains north of Muncie on a lineup one evening before the conrail split.
South of Muncie traffic is heavier, with the Frankfort and Elkhart trains.

I didn't manage to go through the connection at Wabash, but the Marion branch is a hilly railroad to say the least.

You can pencil in two more trains beginning next month on the southern section of the NCD...the 17M/18M (Elkhart-Linwood NC and return) are changing their routing and using the Marion Branch/Frankfort District/NCD versus going east to Bellevue and down through Columbus. All this according to our trainmaster there ML.

The last two days there have been extras like the M74, I35 and I30 to accomodate extra traffic. Couple this in with all the grain that moves each week and the big Poet Ethanol plant in Portland, Indiana which is shipping out loaded tanks now and we've gots us a busy little piece of RR!

When the new connection was built in Fort Wayne, it benefitted the city but it didn't benefit the railroad. Trains lost a place to meet (Chicago District double track) so trains the used to be advanced into Fort Wayne now set at Kingsland, Dunfee, and Peabody by the hour.

Where would the train go once it reached Cincy? One could assume that it would go down to Chattanooga, then across to Linwood via the Asheville-Salisbury line, but that line is already at capacity, if not pretty dang close!

I could also see going back north via the Dayton District to Columbus, but why swing back north? A better routing would be the Peavine, but that's now just a faded memory.

-Eric Shock

Indy38 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You can pencil in two more trains beginning next
> month on the southern section of the NCD...the
> 17M/18M (Elkhart-Linwood NC and return) are
> changing their routing and using the Marion
> Branch/Frankfort District/NCD versus going east to
> Bellevue and down through Columbus. All this
> according to our trainmaster there ML.
>
> The last two days there have been extras like the
> M74, I35 and I30 to accomodate extra traffic.
> Couple this in with all the grain that moves each
> week and the big Poet Ethanol plant in Portland,
> Indiana which is shipping out loaded tanks now and
> we've gots us a busy little piece of RR!

eashock Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Where would the train go once it reached Cincy?
> One could assume that it would go down to
> Chattanooga, then across to Linwood via the
> Asheville-Salisbury line, but that line is already
> at capacity, if not pretty dang close!

NS has a line that branches off to Knoxville before you get to Chattanooga.

> I could also see going back north via the Dayton
> District to Columbus, but why swing back north? A
> better routing would be the Peavine, but that's
> now just a faded memory.
>
> -Eric Shock

I would guess the point of the reroute is to avoid West Virginia during the tunnel work for the Heartland Corridor project.

Yep, Heartland Corridor reroutes.

Indy38 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You can pencil in two more trains beginning next
> month on the southern section of the NCD...the
> 17M/18M (Elkhart-Linwood NC and return) are
> changing their routing and using the Marion
> Branch/Frankfort District/NCD versus going east to
> Bellevue and down through Columbus. All this
> according to our trainmaster there ML.
>
These two trains ran this way for several weeks a couple of months back before going back to either their original routing or another routing off the Marion branch. Marion branch fans will be glad to see these trains returning.

I had em both a few times Kim and they were monsters. Lots of crew mismanagement was going on when they started their new routing, not to mention the lack of conductors which is why I believe they were temporarily removed. Several trains stayed parked in September/October timeframe including the 17M/18M, but now we have the people to handle them.