Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS #271 from Detroit to Norfolk

What's the basic routine with Norfolk Southern #271? 

I am thinking that the roughly 60-mile distance from Detroit to Toledo is not a standard crew-swap....i.e., perhaps the inbound #271 crew simply returns with another train to Detroit, yes? Or perhaps the originating 271 crew is also assembling the train in Detroit before then departing with it, thus working through a more standard time for a crew ?

After Toledo and/or Sandusky (pickup at Sandusky? I think so), does #271 then head south through Bellevue and Columbus to Portsmouth, OH? Or is it headed toward Pittsburgh -- Harrisburg? I'm figuring it's the former, but ? 

What time can #271 typically be seen there in Toledo? I guess it is just Mon- Fri. 

Can someone please fill this in a bit?

---Gerrypaul



 

Unless something changed recently, it works Toledo and Sandusky. I don't know if there is now a Detroit-Sandusky crew pool but in the past there was not. It operates via the N&W.
 

Okay, so 271 heads south through Columbus to Portsmouth, then on east through Williamson and through Roanoke. That makes sense. 

If someone's trying to watch it in Toledo, you're saying it works there in Toledo. I am guessing "works" means picking up containers. Whatever it's doing, is this close to the AmTrak station there in Toledo? And roughly what time can I expect to see it there? I thiunk this is Mon --- Fri, right?

Thank you for your help! 

--Gerrypaul

The Toledo Intermodal Terminal (colloquially known as "the Mega") is a couple miles west of the Amtrak station, nestled inside the split between the Chicago Line main and the Detroit Line. There is a public street (Airline Avenue) along the Chicago Line main south of the yard, but it's in a dodgy neighborhood. I'm pretty sure 271 sets off Detroit-Chicago traffic there as well as making a pickup for points east. I would expect it runs at least six days per week, but I haven't heard this train while railfanning often enough to be positive.

271 is a daily run out of Livernois Yard.  There is no profiled work for 271 in Toledo, only a crew change.  At Sandusky, it sets out a GCT Baynonne and Elizabeth Marine block (for 268) and a Colehour block (for 267).  It also picks up Portsmouth APMT, Columbus Rickenbacker, and Norfolk blocks from Maple Heights (L15) and Chicago Ashland (266).  Sandusky is also another crew swap.

Andrew

florida581 Wrote:
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> 271 is a daily run out of Livernois Yard.  There
> is no profiled work for 271 in Toledo, only a crew
> change.  At Sandusky, it sets out a GCT Baynonne
> and Elizabeth Marine block (for 268) and a
> Colehour block (for 267).  It also picks up
> Portsmouth APMT, Columbus Rickenbacker, and
> Norfolk blocks from Maple Heights (L15) and
> Chicago Ashland (266).  Sandusky is also another
> crew swap.

Thanks for the info. That is a change from how 21N handled Toledo. What train handles the Detroit-Chicago intermodal or any Toledo-Virginia traffic?

Sandusky seems to be increasing in importance for intermodals. I was trying to figure out what westbounds now serve Maple Heights Intermodal Terminal in the Cleveland area...and it seems like it's a turn out of Sandusky?

toledopatch Wrote:
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> Thanks for the info. That is a change from how 21N
> handled Toledo. What train handles the
> Detroit-Chicago intermodal or any Toledo-Virginia
> traffic?

Detroit - Chicago traffic runs on 271 to Sandusky where it gets put on 267.  Chicago - Detroit traffic runs on 268 to Sandusky where it gets put on 236.  There is no Virginia-bound traffic ramped in Toledo.  Outbound Toledo blocks goes to Buffalo (on 28B), Chicago 63rd St (on 29P), and Croxton (on 20X).

Andrew

Soo715 Wrote:
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> Sandusky seems to be increasing in importance for
> intermodals. I was trying to figure out what
> westbounds now serve Maple Heights Intermodal
> Terminal in the Cleveland area...and it seems like
> it's a turn out of Sandusky?

All Maple Heights intermodal traffic, inbound and outbound, is handled by the daily Sandusky - Maple Heights turn, L15.

Andrew