Eastern Railroad Discussion > To Bellevue & Back - Lake Erie Land

Saturday April 27, 2024
North Central Ohio

We made a quick trip from Vermilion to Bellevue and back today.

1. Vermilion old postcard billboard near the Rail Park.

2. Coen Road west of Vermilion; 28V with NS 1810 and 8087.

3. Over on the NKP we find a 10Q at Ashmont with NS 7584, 8037 and two mid train DPU's; NS 9750 and BNSF 5173.

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/24 18:33 by train1275.

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Interesting stuff!

4. While watching the 10Q pass by on the NKP we look over at an eastbound manifest Train 310 on the Lake Shore line approaching Joppa Road. Power is NS 9794, 1021 and 3658.

5. Now the mid-train DPU's on the 10Q.

6. Next stop is Shriver, south of Flat Rock, OH on the ex PRR below Bellevue.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/24 18:34 by train1275.

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7. & 8.  Here comes an eastbound manifest with NS 4589 and 1839 up front. This is Train 118, Bellevue to Spencer, NC.

9. And away they go towards Attica Junction, Marion and Columbus and North Carolina.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/24 18:15 by train1275.

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10. Watching the train pass; PROX 42835, a tank car with HAZMAT 1805 placard - Phosphoric Acid.

11. A CYRX reefer "Clarksville". Wasn't there a song, "Last Train to Clarksville"?

12. NS 4626 the mid train DPU.

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13. FXE 714382 covered hopper.

14. SDIX 260110 flat with a load of steel I-beams.

15. The Bellevue - Fostoria local L11 has come in on the NKP line from the west and sits waiting to get into Bellevue. He's got NS 6416 (SD40-3 - ex BN 7199 blt. Sept. 1979*)
NS 6356  (SD40E, ex  CR 6772 SD50 built May 1984)
and 3287 (SD40-2, ex SOU built Jan 1978)

*corrected info



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/24 18:38 by train1275.

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16. Train 22H wheels into the super-elevation and enters Vermilion this evening with NS 3607 and 4400.

17. Down at the Vermilion docks we look for a non-existant Train 315 on the NKP and see a cormorant take flight.

That's it for today.

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Thanks for the report and photos.

Something's amiss with 6416's history. Should be an SD40-3 built from NS SD40-2 3552 ex HLCX/BN 7199.

You had me wondering if they pulled some SD40Es into the Dash 3 program.

Posted from Android

ShortlinesUSA Wrote:
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> Thanks for the report and photos.
>
> Something's amiss with 6416's history. Should be
> an SD40-3 built from NS SD40-2 3552 ex HLCX/BN
> 7199.
>
> You had me wondering if they pulled some SD40Es
> into the Dash 3 program.
>
> Posted from Android

Sorry about that, I was multi-tasking and fat fingered the road number when I went to trace the heritage. I appreciate the correction.

Nice stuff!
Is the oddball looking mix on 28V normal. We don't see much TOFC/COFC traffic normal? 
I like the Comorant taking off althought I have no idea what one is! I guess I've never seen one.
On Googling them I do recall that they use rocks to smash shellfish to obtain food. Is there actually shellfish in the Great Lakes? I'm totally at a loss here.
Gonut

Thanks for another interesting series! 

GN599 Wrote:
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> Thanks for another interesting series! 
I agree 100%, they are terrific photos as always.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

train1275 Wrote:
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> 11. A CYRX reefer "Clarksville". Wasn't there a
> song, "Last Train to Clarksville"?Last Train to ClarksvilleSong by The Monkees   

Nice! I’m thinking about a road trip from SC to railfan around Bellevue in mid-May, as well as Berea and over around Toledo. Where’s a good spot to sit and watch while I’m around Bellevue. I know about the museum, but otherwise all I have so far is what I see on the railstream camera.

Posted from iPhone

dadonatrain Wrote:
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> Nice! I’m thinking about a road trip from SC to
> railfan around Bellevue in mid-May, as well as
> Berea and over around Toledo. Where’s a good
> spot to sit and watch while I’m around Bellevue.
> I know about the museum, but otherwise all I have
> so far is what I see on the railstream camera.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Bellevue has the Rail Park near the museum and next to the old PRR tower. If you are just interested in sitting and watching trains, the Rail Park is good, but you still will miss certain action such as trains coming off the Sandusky District to Fort Wayne or anything leaving from the yard east on the NKP such as the Q's and 316, or coming into the yard. Or departing / arriving trains from the yard to Sandusky. You will see the Wheeling if they come in.
 
If you have interest in photography, the angles at the Rail Park in some cases I find awkward. Normally we will hang out at the Rail Park for a bit, but also keep tabs on Kimball to catch outbound Q's or 316 on the NKP east to Cleveland. We also usually make the rounds to Shriver, as seen in the post to see if anyone is sitting there or at Southwest Street. Also it pays to go out the old W&LE west of town to Klines to see what might be staged there or check on anything coming in off the Fort Wayne line, such as the L11 in this post.

As to other activity in the region, we live in Vermilion which has some excellent access to the NKP line and the Lake Shore (Chicago Line) with a Rail Park at the Chicago Line. Nearby restaurants, shops and a good place to watch the action and chill out.

We've done Berea, but I do not care for it from a photographic perspective. Good place to watch, but the restaurant is now closed and other than your car there is no place to get out of the weather or sun. Also if the CSX comes in and stops, there goes any watching as they will block your view. I prefer Wendy Park in the Cleveland area with the view of the lift bridge. But if you are wanting CSX too, then that doesn't work, but it is a very nice place to hang out and take in the boats and trains.

Vickers, other than the rail cam we monitor I don't have any first hand experience. We usually hang out at Oak Harbor. I don't think you can see the CSX or see it well (the diamond) from anywhere you can legally park your car. You would have to get out and there are no benches, or other means to sit or places to take shade other than your car.

I post frequently and cover trains nominally from Oak Harbor to Cleveland and Bellevue to Marion area along with the Wheeling if we get lucky. Search my posts for any of the locations mentioned.

​Doug Ellison
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/24 13:37 by train1275.

Was hoping you guys would have went after the GoRail unit-6963. Its been runing various locals up there. 

Michael Fair
Royal Oak, MI

bath_wildcat Wrote:
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> Was hoping you guys would have went after the
> GoRail unit-6963. Its been runing various locals
> up there. 

I know, but never when we seem to be around. I've seen it from a far distance and that is all.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/24 17:41 by train1275.

train1275 Wrote:
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> I know, but never when we seem to be around. I've
> seen it from a far distance and that is all.

Seen it only once and at night years ago in Sandusky, Ohio hauling coal gons at the time for storage.  Thats one on my list to get along with many, many other locomotives. 

Michael Fair
Royal Oak, MI

dadonatrain Wrote:
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> Nice! I’m thinking about a road trip from SC to
> railfan around Bellevue in mid-May, as well as
> Berea and over around Toledo. Where’s a good
> spot to sit and watch while I’m around Bellevue.
> I know about the museum, but otherwise all I have
> so far is what I see on the railstream camera.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Practically anywhere along the Chicago Line is fair game. I have several locations to go to whenever I get back that way, but two I do have are Sandusky, Ohio at the Amtrak station and Oak Harbor where you get both the Chicago Line and the Toledo line to Bellevue in and over under configuration. Millbury is also good as there are several parks along the Chicago Line to safely sit as well. 

Bellevue other than the rail park and as Doug asstested to the awakward shots and just sitting to rest is the thing to do.  

Michael Fair
Royal Oak, MI