Everything/Anything CF&E thread...Part 3

[bnsf8000]

2/22/15. EB BNSF oil train through Van Wert around 11:24AM on the CF&E train NS 66Z. In charge were BNSF 4480/8079/4353 with BNSF buffer car 808097 then 108 PPRX oil cans and BNSF buffer 808068 bringing up the rear.

Have been numerous CN/CP/BNSF oil trains through VW lately with 66X being the most regular. Also, NS 16E, 10R and M6E have been through with 16E being the most numerous of the freights. Still seeing crews riding some the trains in the second units. Definitely running more trains most of the time lately. The most NS run-throughs I've seen/heard was 3 oil and 1 freight train in a day in addition to CF&E traffic.

PW

[bnsf8000]

2/22/15. Another EB oil train through Van Wert at 2:34PM. Leading were NS 8848/1145 almost brand new SD70ACE with CP buffer car 384622 and 100 oil cans: mostly DPRX, also SHPX, GATX and UTLX.

PW

[heartlandguy]

CP 8843 and an NS Dash-9 brought another 100 car oil train into Lima today. Into Cole St Yard at 4:15pm.

[StupidFlee​t]

CP 8843 and an NS Dash-9 brought another 100 car oil train into Lima today. Into Cole St Yard at 4:15pm.

66w

[CG Tower]

66Z by NS Tower at 0750.

CG

[CG Tower]

Here is said 66Z at NS Tower in Lima:

66Z by CG Tower, MP 142.3, on Flickr

[howeld]

Is the green Lima sign a new addition?

[CG Tower]

Is the green Lima sign a new addition?

It's been there for a few weeks now. I cannot remember when I first saw it show up...but its not been recently.

CG

[heartlandguy]

Is the green Lima sign a new addition?

It's been there for a few weeks now. I cannot remember when I first saw it show up...but its not been recently.

CG

It's obviously a sign of the impending NS takeover of the whole line.

This would be the fifth of six eastbound oil trains in 5 days. The sixth, another 66X, ran east this morning with CN 2303 leading a BC Rail cowl unit. Quite a turnaround on the line overall since the beginning of this winter

[howeld]

Is the green Lima sign a new addition?

It's been there for a few weeks now. I cannot remember when I first saw it show up...but its not been recently.

CG

Ok anytime in last year would qualify as a new addition for me. I havn't spent any time at NS tower in awhile.

[alittlevanwerty]

They are running 2 oil trains daily plus 16E and 10R. 4 trains a day has become the norm. 66W went by Van Wert about 10:30pm with a KCS leading.

The sign is about a month old, replacing the faded Lima sign that had been there for years. There is also a sign at Cole st "north pass" and Estry here in Van Wert has a new sign.

[bnsf8000]

3/6/15. EB NS ethanol train 64T through Van wert at 10:50PM Leading were NS exUP SD9043MAC 7280/NS 2521 with a buffer car then 60 ethanol tank cars and aa ADM covered hopper at the end. Looked like an ADM ethanol train.

Been numerous bulk oil and ethanol trains through Van Wert the past several days. Seems to be less manifests of late. Train symbols have been 66Z, 66W, 64T 16E and 10R among others especially oil/ethanol trains. Ethanol unit trains have been really picking up this past week.

Even had a 5 unit CF&E LIFW with NS/CSX/NS and 2 CFE units today.

PW

[redside20]

Train symbols have been 66Z, 66W, 64T 16E ...

16E you say..Is this the same 16E that is now terminating in Portsmouth Ohio?...NS must be reassigning train symbols again.

[bnsf8000]

Redside, yes it is the same train symbol 16E. Lately, most of the NS trains on the CF&E have been oil/ethanol trains. Maybe NS did change its routing. Have to let you know if it starts running the CF&E again.

PW

[bnsf8000]

3/8/15. EB NS train M0R through Van Wert at 11:35PM on the CF&E. Leading were BNSF 5934/7021/8581 with 116 cars. Train consisted of 62 box cars mostly the 62' beer cars: BNSF, ATSF and BN among others plus other box cars among them, 5 tank cars, 19 plastics type covered hoppers, 2 SRCX carbon blacks cars, 2 3-bay ASHX covered hopper cars, 20 grain covered hoppers, 3 BNSF reefers, 1 pressurized hopper, 1 2-bay covered hopper and 1 loaded centerbeam flat.


Maybe a 64D coming awhile after that. Not sure.

PW

[bnsf8000]

3/9/15. Another EB oil train on the CF&E through Van Wert just after 7PM. Leading were 2 CP and 1 NS GE's with a loaded 66W oil train.

Then right before 10:45PM another CP oil train was through VW with CP 9581/9502 with a buffer car and 80 oil cans.

Gotta enjoy all the foreign power we get to see right now. We'll enjoy it for all it's worth.

PW

[bnsf8000]

3/10/15 EB NS ethanol train 64V through Van Wert around 12:35PM Had NS 6772/1027 Southern buffer 88845 then 96 ethanol tank cars and BNSF buffer 808345. Train had to stop by Slack Rd. because of a broken railhead. Not good. This old rail is taking a pounding. Wonder what NS magic number is to fix up the line? Could it get to expensive and NS decides against it. I guess we'll see how commited they are!

PW

[bnsf8000]

Just heard from another forum that our Van Wert County EMA director stopped by the railroad CF&E and asked about the railhead problem. If it's true there was a 5' section of the railhead missing/gone. We averted a disaster if it's true. I can say with my own eyes that the railroad has been hirailing regularly as I can tell. Just glad it was reported by them or train crew. The 64V ethanol train was parked on the main with head end close to Gilland/Gilliland road. Train was just through Van Wert before they stopped out there. At last report they had TA from 290-278 from this morning. Don't think they made all of that though. Had been a lot of chatter on the radio before including codes plus saying the railhead was missing.

PW

[h2466]

Just heard from another forum that our Van Wert County EMA director stopped by the railroad CF&E and asked about the railhead problem. If it's true there was a 5' section of the railhead missing/gone. We averted a disaster if it's true. I can say with my own eyes that the railroad has been hirailing regularly as I can tell. Just glad it was reported by them or train crew.

PW

A 5 ft section and no one noticed it yet alone reported it?? Ken

[bnsf8000]

NS 64V rolled through the repaired section out by the Van Wert Terminal around 6:35PM. Obviously rolled slowly through it. It's probably close to Crestline now. Around 10PM 66Z rolled through Van Wert EB naturally also on the CF&E. Plus, it sounds like another train is behind it EB also. NS is rolling once again on the CF&E. Plus, you'll probably have the CF&E LIFW WB during the early morning hours.

PW