Eastern Railroad Discussion > Sunday in Conneaut, Ohio

On the last day of April I spent a Sunday in Conneaut, Ohio, which is located in the far northeast corner of the state near the Pennsylvania border. The CSX Erie West and Norfolk Southern Lake Erie District pass through town (Cleveland-Buffalo) and Canadian National (former Bessemer & Lake Erie) has a line that ends here.

The day started waiting on an eastbound CSX ballast train that I did not photograph. I parked north of the CSX tracks at the Conneaut Historical Society, set up my scanner and began waiting. A few minutes later I heard radio chatter on the CN channel so it was off to the Main Street crossing to catch a train of hopper cars coming out of the yard.

Photo 1: That's the NS tracks on that trestle that spans the valley of Conneaut Creek.

Photo 2: A trio of Illinois Central SD70s is the motive power for today's train along Conneaut Creek.

Photo 3: Finishing putting the train together.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/26/17 02:49 by SDP40F600.

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Photo 4: The train is stopped waiting for the conductor to get a ride from the yard to the head end before leaving town.

Photo 5: With the conductor on board, the train slowly makes it way out of town. The view is looking west down Main Street into town.

Photo 6: I had hoped that NS Train 316 would be leaving town in time to catch it passing over the train on the ex-B&LE. But I had no such luck. The 316, with a Canadian Pacific unit on the point, left some time after the CN train departed. An interesting footnote to the 316 story is that the crew discovered it had a loaded car bound for Bellevue, Ohio. They asked the dispatcher whether to leave it in Conneaut or take it to Buffalo. "Take it with you," was the reply.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/26/17 02:51 by SDP40F600.

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Photo 7: After catching the CN train, I spent some time next to the CSX tracks. Shown is an eastbound rail train.

Photo 8: Not too far behind the rail train was an eastbound stack train. It was "accompanied" by some ATVs. I've seen ATVs before alongside the tracks, but less often alongside a train.

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Photos 9 and 10: I spent some time along NS because I had a report that the 14M had a heritage unit on the lead. Most of the NS traffic was going eastbound and train 287 shown here was in and out of various sidings on its trip from Buffalo. I would hear the dispatcher tell the 287 crew there was yet another meet to make. The original plan was for the 287 to wait at PA for the 14M and the 310. The crew protested, saying it had been on duty since 5 a.m. It was now about 3 p.m. Shortly thereafter, someone changed their mind and the 287 was let out of the siding and into Conneaut for a recrew. It is shown here approaching the yard.

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Photos 11-13: I had heard the dispatcher at various times during the day talking on the radio with the 14M. It took several hours before it finally reached Conneaut. It is shown here with NS 1074, the Lackawanna heritage locomotive, at the west end of the yard. All three views were taken from the Parish Road bridge over the tracks.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/26/17 02:53 by SDP40F600.

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Photos 14 and 15: The NS 14M had orders to drop off a locomotive at Conneaut yard. A local told me that this train is often used to ferry motive power from Conway Yard near Pittsburgh. While the 14M crew was doing its yard work, I went back to the CSX tracks to try to get some images that suggested that it was spring. While I was there, a brief but heavy storm passed through that dropped small hail pellets.

Photo 16: In many ways I had spent all day waiting to get this image of NS 1074 leading the 14M over Conneaut Creek. With that mission having been accomplished it was getting to getting to be early evening and it was time to head home. This was my last image of the day.

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Nice selection of photos.

KG

SDP40F600 Wrote, in part:
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>
> Photo 8: Not too far behind the rail train was an
> eastbound stack train. It was "accompanied" by
> some ATVs. I've seen ATVs before alongside the
> tracks, but less often alongside a train.

Hmmm. An ATV looks like it would make a pretty good track inspection vehicle -- in good weather!

Well done with your last being my favorite.
Bob

Nice pics!!

Craig, what a great series of photos and narrative to go along with it. Great way to wrap up a day track side with an NS Heritage unit. Nice, really nice post!!!

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA

Great shots and catches!

Where does the CN line end from when leaving Conneaut Ohio Thanks good pictures.

The first five are my favorites. They are outstanding!
ALLEN

Nice batch of shots.

Bob Wilcox
Charlottesville, VA
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