Eastern Railroad Discussion > The train that messed up the 11J

As was well documented earlier today on this site, NS #11J had the PRR heritage unit 8102 on the point as far as Cleveland, where the powers that be ordered the lead unit set out to become a cab-signal leader for an #M4N (extra #14N) that was supposedly on its way from Toledo. NS 7239, a patched-out ex-UP SD9043MAC, was to become #11J's sole locomotive for the rest of its trip to Detroit from New Jersey, and I presume that happened as planned.

I have observed over the past few weeks a new-to-me symbol on the Chicago Line through Toledo, #32D, which apparently is a Bensenville, IL-Bellevue train and has run with CP and/or DM&E power every time I've seen it. So today, with prospects for sunshine at lunchtime, I asked some of the Grapes what today's #32D had for power, and word came back that it was CP8502/6231 and, as of 0930, the train was by Bryan already.

But as often happens with boxcar trains hitting Ohio at about that time, #32D got held at Archbold so UPS shooter #24M could run around it, and later it also got sidetracked at Swanton -- perhaps for a recrew, probably so other intermodals including #20E could get around it. It wasn't clear when it might leave there.

I finally headed out for lunch at about 2 p.m., and by then #32D's location was a mystery. But first thing on the radio was #M4N getting told to head east from Toledo, and based on its reported need for a cab-signal leader, it figured to have interesting power. So I headed directly for the Wales Road embankment in Northwood, which has become a location-of-record for unusual trains through Toledo because of its skyline backdrop, along with being a place to get nose light on eastbounds that late in the afternoon. And here comes #M4N.... with #32D's engines!

Mystery solved -- #32D was obviously resymbolled to #M4N en-route, almost certainly because the recently expanded Bellevue Yard couldn't take the train, so it was redirected to Conway and for that, it would need a cab-signal leader east of Cleveland. A fair consolation prize for the day, I suppose, although the greedy me would have preferred that #32D just go to Bellevue as originally scheduled and #11J had shown up sometime in the afternoon with the Pennsy loco.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/15 19:09 by toledopatch.

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Nice shot, but wrong leader. :)

FL9 Wrote:
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> Nice shot, but wrong leader. :)


Yeah, I know. But at least the door was closed.

Well now I know how 15K ended up with a DM&E leader the other day.

NIIICE..!!