Eastern Railroad Discussion > CSX Monon Heritage in Lake Erie Land and Other Sights

Saturday April 4, 2026
Out and About Vermilion, OH
Temps in the 80's today, sunny and hot

Thursday April 2nd 

1. & 2.  We are out and about and missed the 315 who had stopped at Shinrock (Mason), but not in a position to be photgraphed. Earlier I had missed the 28B on the NKP side, which had to wait for the 315 which now has been tied down almost 2-1/2 hours and is now penalty.  Coming back from Shinrock to pick up some apples at our local apple stand, and the 259 is calling westbound on The Plate. We dash down the road to Berlin Heights and here he comes with NS 4503 and 4731. Train 259 is the Rutherford, PA to Voltz Yard Kansas City, MO intermodal. He takes the NKP back at GC and goes into Bellevue. I'm standing about on the old depot platform, the depot has now been moved across the road. Ohio Route 61 crossing is right in front of the train. When they get to Shinrock they will pick up the outlawed 315 crew and deadhead them into Bellevue to go home.

3. Later in the afternoon a CSX leader on the NS Lake Shore line makes a rare appearance on Train 60F (frac sand from Chicago to Radebaugh, PA - Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad). And not only is it a CSX leader, but CSX 1897 the Monon heritage. Super RARE !!  I always have to stop and think about the real name of the Monon which is the Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railway. Three cheers for John Barriger III who made the Monon a "Super Railroad".

 

---

---

---

4. & 5. Checking out that 60F with the Monon unit.

6. And on the rear of 60F is DPU; CSX 3002.

---

---

---

Saturday April 4, 2026

7. Now onto today's action. First off an F16 screams overhead. Are we getting attacked by Canada ?

8. & 9. Train 29P is caught at Frailey Road with BNSF 7750 and 5255. This duo has been bopping back and forth between Buffalo and Chicago for the last 10 days or so, must be relaiable power.

---

---

---

10. & 11.  29P crawls by at about 15 mph. There seems to be slow orders all over the Lake Shore line lately. If only we had an eastbound here, the light was perfect for one. That would not happen though for about 4 - 1/2 hours. I have no idea why, and by the time there was one, the light was no longer nice.

12. After lunch at the Pied Piper in Huron and checking tabs on the NKP side and the Lake Shore for almost 2 hours, we came up with nothing. So back to Vermilion and sit by the docks and chill out and wait .... and wait. It's been really dead until L15 makes the return trip from Maple Heights with NS 4856 and 8078. He's in a 25mph speed restriction and crawling along, but looking good here !

---

---

---

train1275 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Saturday April 4, 2026
>
> 7. Now onto today's action. First off an F16
> screams overhead. Are we getting attacked by
> Canada ?
Looks like the 180th Fighter Wing based out of Toledo, Ohio.  Always love seeing militray Aircraft. 

Michael Fair
Royal Oak, MI

13. Checking out the marine boxes in L15's consist; Yang Ming and Wan Hai.

14. Then 11N comes over the bridge with NS 4885, 4307 and mid DPU; NS 4871. This train usually has a single up front, and a mid-train DPU. A little change up today running 2x1x0.

15. We get heads up that the 315 is coming across the NKP from Conneaut, so we go over to the other end of the docks to the NKP side bridge. We wait ,,, and of course a train comes on the Lake Shore line. This is 310, slowly jogging along on Track 2 with NS 4571 and 7654. Being over on the NKP side, the Lake Shore trains are on the far side of the river ... of course ....  and making racket so we can't hear the approach of the 315. Lisa gives a wave to the crew.

---

---

---

16. 310's consist passes under the big cloud formations. 310 is an Elkhart, IN to East Binghamton, NY manifest.

17. After 310 clears, 315 still has not shown up ... where the heck is he? .... but another horn on the Lake Shore sounds and 23G comes west. The 23G was held quite a while back at CP 219 for the 310, so 23G could cross over at CP 224. Some things just don't seem to make sense.

18. Trying to catch 23G through the trees. I think this is the same train that dschlegel caught on that well done video posted yesterday at East Penn Valley way back in Eastern PA on the Reading Line.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,6158753

At least I hope it is, after I saw the video I was hoping to make a catch of the train out here in Lake Erie Land,

---

---

---

19. 23G crawls west with NS 4695, 7615 and 8070 as power.

20. Two Canada geese watch the 23G and wait along with us for the 315 which still has not shown from Lorain.

21. Finally here comes 315 !!  NS 1134 is solo on a short train.

 

---

---

---

22. A wave from the engineer makes the wait worthwhile !

23. Here is the best I can depict the relative positions of the NKP (at right with 315) and the Lake Shore Line (at left with 23G).

---

---

train1275 wrote:

>> 13. Checking out the marine boxes in L15's consist; Yang Ming and Wan Hai.

And don't forget the intermodal operator based in Nashville:  Hee Haw!

(Couldn't resist that - it's been a long week.)

Jeff Gast
Greenwood, Indiana  

WOW!!!!!

So much to unpack here. The CSX Monon heritage, the 23G shot with the camper in the foreground (I saw that 23G yesterday) and what looks like a Block 40 or 42 F16!

Great series, I think your F16 shot is my favorite (I am partial as I was an F16 crew chief from 93-97)!

Dan

Posted from iPhone

Excellent series!

Several keepers in this series, especially the single unit photos.
—Mac