Eastern Railroad Discussion > Thanksgiving Appetizers (Signals and Trains in NW Ohio)

We spent the day yesterday taking advantage of the unseasonable November weather here in NW Ohio to visit some old haunts and mark off a few "must haves" on the old signal photography list. Knowing that our day today (Thanksgiving) will be filled with travel and family, these are appetizers as such for a day full of blessings. And indeed, we are blessed...

Photo 1: In the golden light of a fall sun, Q041 rolls south down the Toledo Subvision, not long out of North Baltimore (Ohio) yard, the train splits the signals at MP 153.5.

A heads up from another rail fan tells of a G840 leaving Walbridge Yard (south of Toledo) to head down the C&O. We make haste to Pemberville, Ohio.

Photo 2: G840, with an eclectic mix of power, rolls east (compass south) past the C&O signals at the east end of the Pemberville center siding.

Yet another heads up lets us know of a train leaving Toledo to head south down the Toledo Subdivision. We criss cross back to the B&O and land in the tiny town of Tontogany, Ohio. We've been wanting a train in good light at Tontogany as one of the four remaining color position light cantilever signals stands guard at the north end of the siding.

Photo 3: The cantilever and dwarf CPL signal at Tontogany.


 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/15 03:19 by CGTower.

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Photo 4: X507 rolls south with a pair of EMD's and past the signals at Tontogany toward Lima.

Photo 5: Following X507 a bit later, X511 follows suit.

Photo 6: The contrast of sizes of the signals at Tontogany.

 

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It's funny how going "home" seems like a natural progression in time. And indeed, as we head off to visit family on Thanksgiving, we find ourselves drifting "home" as it be to Deshler, Ohio. The first place I really railfanned when I made my way to NW Ohio back in college.

We arrive at "The Crossroads of the B&O" to find a traffic jam of sorts. Including the G840 we saw earlier on the C&O.

At the south end of the siding at Deshler. G840 sits in the east siding and a K427 sits in the west siding as the dispatcher has a northbound lined up the main.

Photo 7: The crew man on K427 walks up to the track crew there working on the switch. Each knowing their work is vital, they exchange greetings and wish the other a good Thanksgiving.

The signal blinks to "Approach Slow" and soon the reason for the wait arrives, a very long northbound.

Photo 8: Threading the needle. The northbound takes the signal and slides north between the two southbound.

With the northbound out of the way, G840 the dispatchers "bends the iron" and lights up the signal for the train to proceed.

Photo 9: G840 roars south past the iconic CPL signals at South Deshler.


 

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G840 rolls on southward and soon its K427's turn.

Photo 10: Its pair of EMD's making a sweet tune, K427 and its 5000+' of ethanol heads south toward Lima.

Fortunately for us, some confusion on the dispatching side caused a long enough delay that we were able to get ahead of K427. We set up at Leipsic Jct, the diamonds with NS's Fostoria District and wait. Signal work is on going at Leipsic Jct, but, for now the cantilever there remains tall and true.

Photo 11: K427 clunks across the NS and under the dual headed cantilever, the only of its type north of Dayton, and continues its southbound journey.

Thanks for riding along and enjoying our Thanksgiving appetizers. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

CG Tower and Family

 

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Awesome series with the CPL's.....!!!

GREAT stuff....!!  Thanks.....

Great series. Thank you for sharing.

GREAT WORK,,, excellent... Dale will be jealous
dave j
 

Nice!  Thanks for posting.  Hit a Silverado pick up truck in Tontogany years back at an out of service crossing.  Occupants were trying to push it off the tracks after it hung up straddling both rails.  Occupants had been drinking, they ran, then shortly later called in to report the vehicle stolen.  Never did learn how that story ended up.  Fortunately there was a 25 mph restriction over the crossing instead of the normal 50 mph through town.  Pushed the truck up the main and deposited it right by the firehouse I believe, attached to the nose of the locomotive.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Great stuff CG! Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you.  I was in Deshler for the first time at the end of September. Really enjoyed the railfanning there.  I'll be back in the spring.  In the meantime, thanks for the great pictures of the CPL signals.  I'm from B&O area in western PA and never tired of seeing CPL signals in action.

The triple-train signal photograph is exceptional. What a really neat scene.

Nice shots! Get those old signals while they are still standing. My next time there now I have to try to find Tontogany... === === = === JLH



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/15 07:33 by highgreengraphics.

Great shots.  B&O  CPL's have always been my favorite type of signal.  The more lights, the better they look!

~DWF