Eastern Railroad Discussion > Tow Boat Sunday - Lake Erie Land

Sunday June 12, 2022

Warm and nice here in Vermilion OH.

A few pictures of the passing parade of trains. Hung around most of the day at the Vermilion Docks.

1. A Heron flies by as we arrive.

2. The high June sun makes lighting difficult for photography. Here is Train 309, the East Binghamton to Elkhart, IN freight with NS 9848, 9486 and 9477.

3. As the 309 goes over, a tow boat is performing a rescue of a disabled boat out of Lake Erie.

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4. TILX 220209 is one of the cars in Train 309. Anyone know what kind of commodity it might carry ? Interesting top arrangement and heater ??

5. It seems this time of year the light is never right for whatever comes on the NKP. Here is a rare 23K going west on the NKP, or at least I have not seen many 23K's on this side for a while. Power is UP 7320 and 7606. Lots of kayakers today.

6. Now we catch 26E with NS 4311, 4232 and 1102.

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7. Another tow boat rescue while the 26E goes past. Hard luck day for boaters.

8. Train 206 is on the Chicago Line instead of the NKP today and flies overhead with BNSF 4022 and 5407.

9. It is an eastbound parade with 24M coming by now with NS 9717 and 9773.

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10. More kayakers are out as 20R follows the 24M.

11. Finally westbounds get released from CP 219 and 11N comes out on the main. There was a bollox up as earlier the 16G, not recorded on film, went into emergency out by MP 223. That caused some restrictive speed situations and delays until they got that straightened out which held the westbounds. 11N has the typical single unit, today it is NS 4487.

12. I like to get these old classic era railroad cars and here is an SP auto rack on TTGX 255996 on the 11N.

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13. WHAM !  The 21Z rock and rolls by with NS 9886 and 9710 on Track 2.

14. Finally the 13Q is released to go west on Track 2 for the connector and eventually Bellevue. He will get stopped at Shinrock for the 316 coming east and have to wait out for a Bellevue cluster jam ... going nowhere slow. Power is NS 4530 and a bright KCS 4786.

15. A closer look at KCS 4786 on the 13Q.

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16. As I mentioned, it is tough getting a train with good light on the NKP. Here we see the 316 after meeting the 13Q at Shinrock. He is approaching Barnes Road west of "GC" and Vermilion. Power is NS 1093 and 1059.

17. And for the 2nd time today a Southern Pacific auto rack, this one is SP 516136 embedded in Train 316 as it makes its eastward journey.

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Is 23K the morning Buffalo-Chicago intermodal? 
—Mac

23K seems to generally be a later morning train here, but I've seen it late in the evening too.
halfmoonharold or notch76 might have better stats on it. He actually comes out of Ayer, MA.

I used to catch him frequently on the D&H in Upstate New York and when I managed the NYS&W mechanical department he was a stinker that many times came and blocked me off from some of my stores as the D&H Buffalo main came right through the middle of the yard. Always see him and 22K just when you didn't want to.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/22 17:07 by train1275.

23K depending on time could be early or way, way late as I've seen before, however its usually by me late morning maybe early afternoon if not held up.

I'm also about 35 miles west of train1275 In Port Clinton, Ohio.

Michael Fair
Royal Oak, MI

Great catches

train1275 Wrote:
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> 7. Another tow boat rescue while the 26E goes
> past. Hard luck day for boaters.

Must be those electric boats!  I sight that will soon be all too common on the Nation's highways, but with tow trucks.  AAA can't bring a gallon of electriclty to get to the next charging sattion.

train1275 Wrote:
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> 4. TILX 220209 is one of the cars in Train 309.
> Anyone know what kind of commodity it might carry
> ? Interesting top arrangement and heater ??

Benzo(a)apyrene - when placarded its a Elevated Temperature Liquid, N.O.S.  UN3257.  its a type of Coal Tar or Pitch, used in wood preservatives.  We stored this series of TILX and similar UTLX cars for a large wood preserving company. 
 

Thanks for the response on the TILX tank car.

Nice pics!!  Nice work with Pic 1....

Topfuel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> train1275 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 7. Another tow boat rescue while the 26E goes
> > past. Hard luck day for boaters.
>
> Must be those electric boats!  I sight that will
> soon be all too common on the Nation's highways,
> but with tow trucks.  AAA can't bring a gallon of
> electriclty to get to the next charging sattion.

More likely Joe Boater loaded plenty of beer, but forgot to gas up.