Eastern Railroad Discussion > Q about CSX freight with auto parts into Chicago

Today at 2pm I caught a CSX freight heading west towards BRC's Clearing Yard in Chicago, and was surprised to see a couple cuts of hi-cube auto part boxes. Posters on TO indicate that traffic is getting rarer, so I'm wondering if anyone knows what symbol this is, where to/from, and where the cars might be headed. If it helps, the hi-cubes were CSX/UP cars, including the huge, ancient SP red and gray scheme, which I imagined was no longer on the rails. I wish I had my camera handy when I saw it.

Along with that, I noted a 60' foot ex-Conrail box car that similar to HO models Walthers and others have offered, also used in auto parts service. I haven't seen one in years, although I know some were stored in CSX's Wilsmere Yard in Delaware. Are these rare, or just recently back in service?

Lastly, I just saw a CN freight going west, which is the first time I've seen a CN train using the BRC or NS at this location. I couldn't get a real photo, but the third engine is a BC Rail loco. Can anyone say where it is to from? Did it come off the ex-IC a few miles east here (75th st.)?

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Q200 usually has hi cubes in its consist. Q209 also will have hi cubes in consist.
Q200 Chicago to Walbridge via Fostoria
Q209 Somewhere north of Walbridge possibly the Ann Arbor railroad in Toledo to Chicago. Train operates via Perrysburg and turns west at Deshler.
I think the Chicago location is Blue Island on the IHB



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/13 15:18 by farmer.

farmer Wrote:
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> Q200 usually has hi cubes in its consist. Q209
> also will have hi cubes in consist.
> Q200 Chicago to Walbridge via Fostoria
> Q209 Somewhere north of Walbridge possibly the Ann
> Arbor railroad in Toledo to Chicago. Train
> operates via Perrysburg and turns west at
> Deshler.
> I think the Chicago location is Blue Island on the
> IHB

If the Ann Arbor, would those be parts delivered to the Jeep Plant?

inRVA Wrote:
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> farmer Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Q200 usually has hi cubes in its consist. Q209
> > also will have hi cubes in consist.
> > Q200 Chicago to Walbridge via Fostoria
> > Q209 Somewhere north of Walbridge possibly the
> Ann
> > Arbor railroad in Toledo to Chicago. Train
> > operates via Perrysburg and turns west at
> > Deshler.
> > I think the Chicago location is Blue Island on
> the
> > IHB
>
> If the Ann Arbor, would those be parts delivered
> to the Jeep Plant?

Yes. It could. I do know both of these trains haul primarily Chrysler Jeep vehicles.

Not saying that it never occurs, but I have not seen Q209 be anything other than solid auto racks in quite some time.

Posted from BlackBerry

For clarity, this was a solid manifest train, with quite a few bulkheads of steel, tank cars, and at least 10 86' high cubes.

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Q509 Toledo to Garrett will have hi cubes in a block also. Thinking Q500 takes what is is left of Q509 at Garrett to Chicago and this may be what you have a picture of.

If the Jeep plant in Toledo receives any parts from high-cubes, they're transferred to trucks somewhere else. In my nearly 20 years in Toledo I have never seen a high cube at either of the Jeep locations. There is an on-site autorack loading area for outbound vehicles, but that's it.

The auto parts boxes that Q-200 brings to Toledo are for the Ford plant in Obannon,KY.

tihess Wrote:
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> The auto parts boxes that Q-200 brings to Toledo
> are for the Ford plant in Obannon,KY.


That's kind of a roundabout way to get to Louisville, isn't it? Not questioning the fact, just wondering why they go that way.

At one time these hot cars were set off somewhere between Deshler and Lima by Q501 to be picked up by one of the Q2?? auto trains.

Q500, Q393 and Q389 all originate @ Garrett and go to BRC Clearing. The current usual route for these trains is over the NS @ Pine Jct/CP501 to Rock Island Jct/CP509 - OR over the BOCT to Dolton and north on the UP to 80th Street.

Q209 & Q246 go the the IHB @ Gibson for switching via Willow Creek and the Porter branch.

The only trains that originate in Garrett is Q508 and locals. Q393 comes from either Buffalo or Selkirk, NY. Q389 comes from either Cumberland, MD or east coast.

espeefan Wrote:
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> The only trains that originate in Garrett is Q508
> and locals. Q393 comes from either Buffalo or
> Selkirk, NY. Q389 comes from either Cumberland,
> MD or east coast.

Pretty sure Q500 still comes up from Cincinnati, and Q393 originates at Selkirk.