N.Baltimore OH intermodal yard construction pics

[MSchwiebert]

http://railroadfan.com/gallery/thumbnai ... album=1273

As I get opportunities to pass by there, I will update the album.

[Y@]

thanks for the update mike, i havent been over there in some time and was wondering how it was going.

[boteman]

I'm not sure this will work the way I want it to, but Live Maps shows a colorful consist of 4 units on a westbound grain train approaching Hough Road.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1

If you don't see it, select Bird's Eye view above Hough Road and get the bright sunny aerial shot with the two houses on the left and tracks barely peeking below the top of the screen. Railfanning by Internet!

It also looks like a dragging equipment detector right where the eastern reaches of the new facility will be so that will likely be moved I'm thinking. I have yet to find that old silo on either the Aerial or Bird's Eye views, though.

[sd70accsxt700]

I have yet to find that old silo on either the Aerial or Bird's Eye views, though.

Just before the 5th road to the west.

[MagnumForce]

The old silo is almost right at 18/235 on the south side of the tracks.

The park on the north side of the tracks right across from them is a great place to chill and watch trains FYI plus there is a manmade hill there. I am hoping they will take down some of the brush on the north side of the tracks and make a new great photo spot.

[boteman]

Yep, I just found the silos up close and personal. That is going to be a lonnnnnnnnnng yard!

Is there a web site by the conslutant or a government entity that shows diagrams of the new intermodal yard? I guess they will gussy up OH 18 to handle the increased truck traffic.

Thanx for these photos and info. With abandonments happening seemingly every week it's nice to see a new railroad facility spring up.

[MSchwiebert]

I have added eight additional photos taken on 5/30 to the link that I have previously posted.

[CAT345C]

Whats the area this new yard and facility will take up. Just wondering, I've got a few buddy's who do dirt work, I was showing them some of your pics tonight.

[sd70accsxt700]

Rough size, about four miles long, and up to a half mile wide.

[MSchwiebert]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 13&iwloc=A

Hope that works (if not click on that link to get the google map), the actual yard will be in the triangular 'wedge' between SR18 & Range Line Road west of North Baltimore. However, the interlockings at Hoytville (just west of the SR18 crossing) and Galatea (just east of the I-75 overpass) could be considered the 'limits' of the project area, as there will be track reconfigurations between those two points in addition to the yard construction work.

[redside20]

geez, why so large? I really wish they would've picked the Kingsbury arsenal instead of gobbling up houses roads and farmlands but that's just my opinion. I will be up there next week. Are they moving state route 18 or will 18 still run along side the tracks?

[MagnumForce]

18 is the southern edge, it will not move.

[hoborich]

I saw that from I-75, coming back from Florida. Wondered what was going on. Methinks they planned this grandiose project before the economy tanked. Will there be that much intermodal business in that area, to support it?

[MSchwiebert]

At this time there are no thoughts to moving SR18 except for a portion on the eastern end to accomodate an overpass over the tracks for Liberty Hi Road (original plans had the overpass on Range Line Road instead). If the overpass does go in on Liberty Hi, 18 will have to be moved as it would be in the path of the grade for the overpass.

As for the 'why' so much land was purchased, There's a couple of possible answers, 1. Better to buy more than you need initially up front than to underbuy - and pay more for it later. 2. A majority of the land in the project area was owned by an investment group (and farmed under cash rent) the group could very well have told CSX "if you want any of it - you're buying all of it". 3. Having 'on site' land to market to parties interested in locating near the facility never hurts either. 4. Some of the land on the Western end of the project will be used for retention ponds (the dirt from the ponds will be used elsewhere in the project). Also, keep in mind that in addition to the intermodal loading/unloading facility & the trackage for the block swapping there will be engine servicing & fueling facilities there.

As for Kingsbury, it lost favor as a site once CSX determined that they could do both a swap yard and provide intermodal service to an area that was underserved by existing intermodal facilities. Once this determination was made, the siting focus shifted to North Baltimore and a location near I-69 in the Garrett/Auburn area.

Yes, the business conditions right now may cause one to question why work is continuing, but with a late 2010/early 2011 completion date - CSX is of the thought that conditions will have recovered by then - and that they'll be ready for it when it does.

Here's a link to a neat presentation that I found on the web, that explains what North Baltimore will do, along with what the Intermodal facility down in Marion OH is already.

http://freight.transportation.org/doc/r ... 6,1,HARDLY EVER SAY NEVER

[sd70accsxt700]

Why was so much land purchase? Is pretty simple, look at the size of intermodal trains. The tracks are all going to be 8500' or about that, with center crossover in the middle. Also four 500' track or so on the east end, I would guess for storing power, and a wye on the west end. Seen the plans the other day.

[MSchwiebert]

Sounds like what I've seen too. If I recall correctly the total acreage purchased was around 500, so it's less than a square mile all together.

http://www.siteselection.com/features/2009/may/Ohio/ here's another link that does provide detail. Interesting in that one of the selection criterion in favor of N. Baltimore was that it had the fewest residences to displace.

Why was so much land purchase? Is pretty simple, look at the size of intermodal trains. The tracks are all going to be 8500' or about that, with center crossover in the middle. Also four 500' track or so on the east end, I would guess for storing power, and a wye on the west end. Seen the plans the other day.

[MSchwiebert]

I've uploaded another 5 photos of work being done at the site, taken June 9th 2009.

[conrailmike]

The water tower is now white. They were painting it the weekend of the Deshler meet.

[Big Frank]

HAHA the last time I was down in that area It seemed like every yard had one of these in it.




Looks like there cry's fell upon deaf ears lol

[Y@]

the people that didnt put signs up, other people did for them... there was a few people that went around and put them everywhere.

TOO BAD!