Eastern Railroad Discussion > Sunday Scenes in Lake Erie Land

Sunday May 3, 2026
North Central Ohio
Temps rising into the low 60's, but very windy

1. I was just lamenting yesterday that there hasn't been many big boats out back, a few tug-barges, but not real boats. Then the Herbert C. Jackson went downlake to Cleveland (posted yesterday) and yesterday evening the American Century came out of Lorain. I didn't even know it had gone into Lorain. 

2. Then this morning the Herbert C. Jackson came back uplake going to Sandusky for a load of coal at the NS coal dock.

3. After catching the Jackson it was off to catch 28B on the NKP side here in Vermilion, our location of choice being Valley Harbor Marina,* and here is the result with BNSF 7803 and 3777 leading.
*with permission

---

---

---

4. - 6.  An interlude between trains to enjoy the sights and sounds of Spring. An Egret fishing, some sort of blossums (I don't know what they are, but they were pretty) and a big old Heron trying to find some lunch in Sandusky where the B&O Rail Yard / Docks used to be located. 

---

---

---

7. We were in search of lunch also, and found some eats at Shore Line Park, where the B&O yard, roundhouse and docks were located on Sandusky Bay. This gave us a nice vantage point to admire the Herbert C. Jackson that passed our backyard earlier. He's now tied up at the NS Sandusky Coal Dock for a load of coal.

8. Back in Vermilion at the docks 39N comes west heading for Decatur, IL from Conway, PA with NS 4419, 7597 and 4178.

9. In the consist is another one of those GLC hoppers I posted last week. It's Great Lakes Carbon as the lettering is still faintly visible and the car is INTX 35047.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/26 16:24 by train1275.

---

---

---

It was a decent spring day in eastern PA. Thanks for the nature bits. You are looking at a Dogwood Blossom there. The dogwoods in my yard are already done and dropping the white parts today, They are called bracts, the yellow things are the actual flower. I had to Google that as I couldn't recall what they were called!
Gonut

10. NS 4264 is the mid-train DPU in 39N.

11. A mallard frolicks in the river.

12. Then L15 makes it's way back to Sandusky from Maple Heights with NS 4861 and 3638 as wife Lisa takes a photo. Of course the sun went under the clouds.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/26 16:23 by train1275.

---

---

---

13. This date makes me recall the same day 46 years ago. It was a D&H day in Upstate NY and we have a southbound coming over Harpursville High Bridge with the Penn Division bridge in the foreground. The Penn Division was still active at the time. This train is heading to Binghamton about 45 minutes (D&H freight train time) ahead. May 3, 1980.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/26 16:13 by train1275.

---

Gonut1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It was a decent spring day in eastern PA. Thanks
> for the nature bits. You are looking at a Dogwood
> Blossom there. The dogwoods in my yard are already
> done and dropping the white parts today, They are
> called bracts, the yellow things are the actual
> flower. I had to Google that as I couldn't recall
> what they were called!
> Gonut

Thanks, I photographed some last week, but I didn't think these looked the same, but I guess they are.

As good as all your present-day images are, I think your D&H photo is saving the best for last. Thanks for all your postings.
Bob

refarkas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As good as all your present-day images are, I
> think your D&H photo is saving the best for last.
> Thanks for all your postings.
> Bob

Thanks Bob !

I can still remember that day like it was yesterday. The temps were in the 80's .... HOT ! My chase vehicle was a 1963 Plymouth Fury with a 318 V-8 and the film was K25.

Go already beat me to it, thats a dogwood flower. My folks have one in their back yard that was planted by my grandmother back around 1950, it was her favorite tree!

That D&H photo is great! I remember seeing consists like that down here in eastern PA back in the early 80’s. I thought they were neat because they were different than the great blue fleet of Conrail.

Dan

Posted from iPhone

When the D&H Penn Divison was still active, did anyone ever get a photo of two trains on the upper and lower bridges at the same time?  

Jeff Gast
Greenwood, Indiana  

Maybe, but I sure didn't.

Posted from Android