Eastern Railroad Discussion > Blustery Day in Lake Erie Land

Sunday November 30, 2025
Vermilion & Avery OH  and Surroundings
32 degrees, heavy overcast, 35 mph sustained winds with gusts to 47 mph +

1. - 3. Yeah, its blustery to put it mildly ! Those winds are out of the west here at Avery, OH between Vermilion and Bellevue making it difficult to open the car doors from one side and all but ripping them off from the other. And what you don't see in these images are how much that  ERIE signal mast is rocking back and forth or how bone chilling cold that wind is or how hard it is to try to stand still. Btw, without the camera strap around the neck it is likely a wind gust may take the camera well into the next county.

The object of our interest is Train 54K, a unit grain train that has just left Bellevue and is coming east on the NKP through Avery with NS 4378 and 4636 as power. In image #2 you can see the Hampton Inn and Suites over on Route 250, "in town" across the road from the site of NKP's Avery depot. I've always thought it might make a good "Railfan Perch"

Schlessman Seed is not only at Avery to our right, but much of the facility you see on the distance is associated with them. Avery also boasts CertainTeed a manufacturer of Asphalt singles, both are rail customers. 54K operates from Muncie, IN to R.J. Corman at Cresson, PA over NS.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/25 15:49 by train1275.

---

---

---

4. - 5. A loaded coal train was sitting at Shinrock, a few miles up the line waiting for 54K to clear. 54K has now cleared and released  train 776, the Hyco North Carolina coal train with NS 3617 and 1205. He's moving slow with a heavy throttle. With the wind and chill and poor light I didn't feel like getting too creative, I just wanted to try to keep standing up and bolt for the warmth of the car.

6. Moving east and up to the Lake Shore line, a headlight appears to the west from Joppa Road announcing Train 256 (Ashland Ave. - Chicago to Croxton, NJ intermodal) with NS 4420 and 4682. That 50mph icy wind is right in our faces, and this train can't come fast enough !

---

---

---

7. - 8. Watching Train 256 come past us and checking out the snow on the pilot and the north side of the intermodal cars.

9. Moving east towards home and another headlight from the west appears, this one is the 22X, hot on the heels of the 256. 22X also comes out of Chicago and is an intermodal to Croxton, NJ, but it originates at 55th Street. Power is NS 4379 and 4677.

---

---

---

10. Another view of the 22X, and now to get in and stay warm.

Note both the 4379 and sister 4378 we saw at Avery on 54K have a headlight out.

---

Excellent views, was especially taken with #7. Has that Ohio winter feel to it.
—Mac