NTD 2016 Toledo Railfanning

[MQT1223]

I did a little searching and didn't find what I was looking for, so hopefully you guys can help me out.

Going to Toledo for the first time in 12 years for NTD. Just curious about where the good railfanning locations are in Toledo that are a short distance away from the station where NTD is being held so I can put in a few hours of railfanning along with checking out the displays. I have never been to an area with as high a train count as Toledo, so I am excited to get my first taste of what true railfanning is all about.

[Saturnalia]

... I am excited to get my first taste of what true railfanning is all about.

Quantity doesn't necessarily make "true railfanning"

#thingsILearnedfromMagnumForce

[MQT1223]

... I am excited to get my first taste of what true railfanning is all about.

Quantity doesn't necessarily make "true railfanning"

#thingsILearnedfromMagnumForce

Living in Grand Rapids does. You know something is wrong when the shortlines run more then CSX. I have not yet experienced what it is like to see a dozen trains in mere minutes.

[justin_gram]

Here is the layout of the NS Chicago Line in that area of Toledo, over by the bottom left between milepost CP 288-287. Each line is a track, as you can tell the entire line is double tracked. The more tracks in Toledo are for the depot. Just to the east (right on layout) is Maumee River Bridge. I have underlined the town names where the tracks are in yellow below the tracks.

here is Toledo AMTK on google maps. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Amtra ... c93c95fe22

[SD80MAC]

FWIW, there aren't really any places where you can see dozens of freight trains in "a matter of minutes".

[MQT1223]

FWIW, there aren't really any places where you can see dozens of freight trains in "a matter of minutes".

I thought that's what Chesterton, Porter, Deshler and Fostoria and other places similar were like.

[~Z~]

I have not yet experienced what it is like to see a dozen trains in mere minutes.

So at least 12 trains in mere minutes... how many minutes do you expect to go by before you see at least 12 trains in Deshler? Something like at least 90 minutes at a minimum is closer to the right answer.

[Saturnalia]

Most I've ever done in an hour was 8 at Porter, and that was CRAZY busy. Even during the busiest 60-minute spans at Deshler, 7-8 is extremely rare. We got I think 7 in one 60-minute period at Deshler, but that included a 5-way meet in the middle.

On average, 3 an hour in Deshler is about right. Tends to cycle, just like anything else

[MQT1223]

Oh really? I've never been there so idk what to expect. Anyway, Toledo... Where to watch trains?

[justin_gram]

Info you probably didn't know about Toledo railroads... http://www.railfanguides.us/oh/toledo/

Where to railfan... http://www.railfanguides.us/oh/toledo/map2.htm



The NS Chicago Line is really busiest east of Vermillion, OH (milepost CD 222.1) and west of Butler, IN (milepost CD 358.5). You are still going to get a good amount of trains in Toledo, though.

Going eastbound, you loose the CP traffic at Butler, which goes northbound. Then, hit Oak Harbor, OH at milepost CD 267, where a lot of the traffic to Bellevue goes southeast. Then hit Sandusky, OH at milepost CD 242, where what hasn't gone to Bellevue that needs to turns south. It's a newer connector to take some stress off the Toledo Line (Oak Harbor connector).


Then if you are coming westbound from lets say Cleveland, OH, and you need to go to Bellevue, you take the connection to the Cleveland district to go southwest at Vermillion, milepost CD 222. Some trains are kinda starting to use the old Triple Crown connector at CD 240 to go south to Bellevue, but most all the westies for Bellevue take connector at Vermillion.

So in my opinion, the NS Chicago Line's slowest spot is between Sandusky CP 242 and Vermillion CP 222. It still really isn't too slow, about a good 60-80 trains a day.

Here is a diagram from ATCS of what I'm talking about. The arrows are ways trains can take to Bellevue.

[chapmaja]

Miami Cut ?

I see on the track layout of the NS line that there is a track labeled Miami Cut which leaves the mainline just east of the Maumee River and shows as ending. Looking at the Google Maps view, I see the Miami cut looks to be in an unused condition. It shows a number of tracks including what appears to be a small yard south of Wales St. The track continued south to a location where there us a wye track going east to connect to the CSX tracks going to Walbridge. There used to be track a track going straight south across the CSX tracks an into Stanley Yard, but those have been removed.

What is the history of the "Miami Cut" and is it still in service at all or is it simply an out of service line. It appears looking at the track layout map, plus Google Maps, that NS has access to the Stanley yard area via another set of tracks that come south, leaving the mainline up by Oakdale (Oakdale Yard?). This line has what appears to be a coal train stuck on it, but the tracks at the south end appear to be overgrown before connecting to the CSX tracks just west of Walbridge.

Does NS even run any connecting trains to Stanley anymore. Was the Miami cut a track used by Conrail to access Stanley Yard from the Chicago Line before the split, and once the split happened and Stanley became a different owner, the line became less important?

Where does NS exchange cars with CSX in Toledo? Also, is the Toledo Beltline, the line that was reactivated to serve the refinery in Toledo, much to the displeasure of locals?

[ssnk79]

Miami Cut ?

I see on the track layout of the NS line that there is a track labeled Miami Cut which leaves the mainline just east of the Maumee River and shows as ending. Looking at the Google Maps view, I see the Miami cut looks to be in an unused condition. It shows a number of tracks including what appears to be a small yard south of Wales St. The track continued south to a location where there us a wye track going east to connect to the CSX tracks going to Walbridge. There used to be track a track going straight south across the CSX tracks an into Stanley Yard, but those have been removed.

What is the history of the "Miami Cut" and is it still in service at all or is it simply an out of service line. It appears looking at the track layout map, plus Google Maps, that NS has access to the Stanley yard area via another set of tracks that come south, leaving the mainline up by Oakdale (Oakdale Yard?). This line has what appears to be a coal train stuck on it, but the tracks at the south end appear to be overgrown before connecting to the CSX tracks just west of Walbridge.

Does NS even run any connecting trains to Stanley anymore. Was the Miami cut a track used by Conrail to access Stanley Yard from the Chicago Line before the split, and once the split happened and Stanley became a different owner, the line became less important?

Where does NS exchange cars with CSX in Toledo? Also, is the Toledo Beltline, the line that was reactivated to serve the refinery in Toledo, much to the displeasure of locals?

Yes it is still in service, the had a empty coal train from the docks get interchanged to the NS about a month ago now, Just unit Coal and Grain train use it time to time, not often. NS will use the north end to spin power between the cut and oakdale connection. there used to be CP Oak near Oak street but that was removed last year. CP oak also controlled the North end Of the Old PRR yard that was there, Miami Cut was basically the connection for the NYC to get to Stanley Yard and the Toledo branch/Western Branch. The Oak Dale connection came at a later date I believe. The Yard you see south of Wales is Yard E, after split date NS just stored stuff there, within the last couple of months, NS cleaned it out and robbed the first switch on the lead at the north end. At the south end of the yard, Stanley Tower controlled everything, there was a diamond and a connection to the Toledo branch. The tower was shut down in 2010.

The line That you see coming off CP 286 at Oakdale is the Stanley Secondary. It was Built for the C&O as the passenger main to Toledo Union Station, Plus the C&O ran freights through there up to the PM side to Detroit/Saginaw/GR Via Oakdale-Swan Creek-Alexis on the NYC/PC/CR. Before CSX redid the plant and shut down WR tower at the south end, there used to be a diamond that crossed the Toledo terminal for the C&O side. WR tower controlled the Plant there, and was Staffed by CR and later Csx, I think it was shut down somewhere around 2008ish

Ns does run a yard job to Stanley and Back, they are based out of homestead yard and gets on CSX at Ironville . The Stanley Secondary, Oakdale connection, and Miami Cut were very busy back in the CR days with trains going to Stanley and trains heading down the Toledo branch. But after split date, traffic patterns changed, there wasn't much traffic being routed through there any more.

I'm sure I might be off a couple things or two but I'm sure someone will point them out and give you a correct answer.

[Dan Cluley]

Just to add, the Miami Cut connection was built in the mid '60s.

As to where to watch trains in Toledo, there are dozens of spots, but the easiest place to sit and see the most trains in Vickers Jct.

In the eastern suburb of Northwood, look for the intersection of Wales Rd & Drouillard Rd. A recently built overpass, means that the old alignment of these streets dead end at the tracks, southeast of the junction. The NW to SE diagonal tracks are the NS Chicago Line, and the N/S line is the CSX ex Toledo Terminal.

You can park and any of the road ends, just don't trespass on the tracks or at the Auto Detailing shop.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Toled ... 9f453ac345

[TrainWatcher]

Vickers (which is what Dan is referring to), Millbury, Swanton or even right at Toledo Union are all good spots. With the downturn in traffic though, the totals have dropped off. I was at Vickers a few months back and it was an HOUR between trains sometimes, when just a few years ago they were running like streetcars all morning into mid afternoon

[Ypsi]

Depends on the day and time. Two Sundays ago did 7 trains in 50 minutes at Swanton between MP 307-309. Yesterday we got 4 trains at Vickers in about an hour on the NS and CSX before heading to Wagonworks for the NS 8099 on 15J and NS 31M. Just try one and hope for the best.

[Tier4GEVO]

I did a little searching and didn't find what I was looking for, so hopefully you guys can help me out.

Going to Toledo for the first time in 12 years for NTD. Just curious about where the good railfanning locations are in Toledo that are a short distance away from the station where NTD is being held so I can put in a few hours of railfanning along with checking out the displays. I have never been to an area with as high a train count as Toledo, so I am excited to get my first taste of what true railfanning is all about.

NS Chicago Line in the Toledo area gets an average of 60-70 a day. However, it's been a lot less good to me in the year. It's just a mainline. You'll get that busy hour with 6-8 trains in an hour, but other than that, it's usually a steady stream of 3ish an hour. That's only if everything is consistent, which railroads aren't. Every hour of every new day is gonna be different than before.

With about 8 visits to the NS Chicsgo Line around Toledo, I can accurately average a 12pm -5pm visit with 15 trains. But 5-10pm might be super slow, and then 10-3pm be nonstop action. It just all depends. Go, you'll see a fair amount of action. If you really wanna experience the best the US almost offers, go to Pine Junction in Gary. I'd say at least 140 a day go through there. NS west of Butler and Goshen and Elkhart gets close to the 90/day range, combined with the busy CSX Barr Sub, and trains terminating and departing CN Kirk Yard (don't go near, meanest rail cops ever), you'll be in railfan heaven.

Back to Toledo - Vickers Junction is my best recommendation. NS is pretty steady with that 3/hour although it changes, but CSX runs tons through daytime, and slows at night - opposite of NS.

In fact, last Saturday, I saw 23 trains in Vickers in 5 hours. More CSX passed than NS. Plus you got a couple of nice CN trains out of Lang Yard that come by.

Regardless of what you'll do, you'll get some decent action if you stick by the mainlines - A favorite quote of mine is, "If you're in a lull, it's gonna get busy soon!"

[MQT1223]

So where exactly is Vickers Jct. at or did someone already tell me and I read over it?

[~Z~]

So where exactly is Vickers Jct. at or did someone already tell me and I read over it?

Surprisingly enough, the first result takes you right back to this board which tells you were it is
http://bfy.tw/5YHJ

[Tier4GEVO]

So where exactly is Vickers Jct. at or did someone already tell me and I read over it?

Surprisingly enough, the first result takes you right back to this board which tells you were it is
http://bfy.tw/5YHJ

THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!

[MQT1223]

Wow... Even Jingle Bells can't do a LMGTFY with that amount of Class