Delta, Oh Questions

Anything pertaining to railfanning in Ohio.
chapmaja
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1262
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:02 pm

Delta, Oh Questions

Unread post by chapmaja »

Ok, I'm looking at Googles Maps and trying to figure some things out about Delta, Oh.

First, the main tracks through this area at the old NYC Water Level Route, now Ns correct?

The IORY (former DT&I) runs north south just east of the steel plants correct.

The former Wabash / N&W line is south of the plants and crossed under the DT&I right near where the yard lead to the yard south of the mainlines is correct?

I think I have the basics of the location down.

When the Wabash line was still in place, did the DT&I / GTW have interchange with the N&W at this location? Was this interchange done via the yard to the south of the mainline? Where the yard lead from the yard to the Wabash? Did it do sort of an S-curve from the yard southwest to the Wabash line, crossing 10 and F streets in the process?

This track and yard (south of the mainline), never connected to the mainlines (NYC?) did they?

Was there a connection between the DT&I and the mainline tracks prior to the building of the steel mills? I see that now there is a yard lead that goes north from the mainline to the IORY tracks.

What is the current lelve of interchange traffic between NS and IORY at Delta. I see that the steel mill has their own switcher? Does IORY pick up directly from the steel mill or does the switcher bring the cars across to the IORY yard, crossing the bridge?

How much traffic comes from the steel mills in Delta to the IORY?

Finally, IORY runs one train each direction from Delta correct. It appears that the IORY northbound/southbound traffic is left on the second main (passing siding) while traffic from the plants is in the IORY yard.

How much switching does the IORY actually do in Delta, or do they pretty much just run locals from there at this point?

Waddy
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 136
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2016 5:48 pm
Location: Michigan

Re: Delta, Oh Questions

Unread post by Waddy »

I think very little if any traffic is interchanged in Delta, NS brings IORY cars to Lima. The IORY switches the steel mill (its one of their key customers in the area) they us the mills yard channel. They run a turn to Flat rock M-W-F and do local switching on T-Th.

MSchwiebert
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1611
Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:43 pm
Location: Perrysburg Ohio

Re: Delta, Oh Questions

Unread post by MSchwiebert »

Yes, the East/West tracks are the former NYC Water Level Route to Chicago.
The DT&I goes over the NS(NYC) on "Delta Hill". The use of an overpass was due to the NYC refusing to allow an at-grade crossing of the Henry Ford Era (built in 1927) "new line".
The Wabash went to the south of the DT&I yard at an angle and crossed the NYC at grade about 1-1/2 miles or so west of where the steel mill now. It was abandoned in the late 1980's and is now the Wabash Cannonball (north branch) hike/bike trail.

At one time there was heavy interchange between the DT&I/Wabash (and later GTW/N&W/NS) at Delta. It was almost exclusively auto parts cars bound to/from Ford plants in the Detroit area to/from "western" Ford assembly plants (Kansas City, California etc.). For loads the usual operation went like this. The DT&I ran a daily southbound "Delta Turn" to Delta. At Delta they would back the train down the hill into one of the yard tracks, get the caboose & put it on whatever cars the N&W dropped off, back those up the hill and head back to Flat Rock. (this is if the entire train was set off at Delta. there would be times where the Delta Turn would also have cars for Malinta, Hamler and Leipsic. Usual practice then was to get the N&W cars to the N&W, proceed south with whatever cars they had left, take those to where they needed to go and then return north to Delta to get the cars the N&W set off and head back to Flat Rock). The N&W train that picked up the cars from the DT&I was a westbound out of Toledo. (it also had Ford cars from the Maumee stamping plant). It would pick up the Delta cars, take them to Montpelier where a westbound train would take them to KC.
The Wabash connected with Delta yard on the west end having a wye - the tail of the wye is what tied into the DT&I yard.

During the DT&I days there was a connection between the Water level route and the yard (I think it was torn out about the time the Wabash was abandoned). While there wasn't nearly as much interchange between the DT&I and NYC/PC, I do have switch lists that show cars off the PC at Delta being for Campbell's at Napoleon (reefer cars from the west coast) and other destinations on the old line.

I don't think there's any direct interchange between the NS & I&O at Delta. On the I&O side, the primary traffic for the steel mil is inbound pig iron (it comes from South America and is barged up the Ohio River to Cincinnati. From there the I&O takes it to Delta) and outbound covered hoppers with some sort of ash/residue from the steel making process.

Current operations on the I&O have a local north out of Lima that takes cars to Delta and returns with whatever cars have come down from Flat Rock and are generated by the mill and other customers north of Delta. The crew based out of Delta will both do whatever work is necessary at Delta as well as take a train to Flat Rock and return with cars from Flat Rock. As far as I know, the mill switchers (there's several) stay within the confines of the mill facility - the I&O will put cars in the tracks to the north of the NS for them to shuttle around.

Hope this helps!


chapmaja wrote:Ok, I'm looking at Googles Maps and trying to figure some things out about Delta, Oh.

First, the main tracks through this area at the old NYC Water Level Route, now Ns correct?

The IORY (former DT&I) runs north south just east of the steel plants correct.

The former Wabash / N&W line is south of the plants and crossed under the DT&I right near where the yard lead to the yard south of the mainlines is correct?

I think I have the basics of the location down.

When the Wabash line was still in place, did the DT&I / GTW have interchange with the N&W at this location? Was this interchange done via the yard to the south of the mainline? Where the yard lead from the yard to the Wabash? Did it do sort of an S-curve from the yard southwest to the Wabash line, crossing 10 and F streets in the process?

This track and yard (south of the mainline), never connected to the mainlines (NYC?) did they?

Was there a connection between the DT&I and the mainline tracks prior to the building of the steel mills? I see that now there is a yard lead that goes north from the mainline to the IORY tracks.

What is the current lelve of interchange traffic between NS and IORY at Delta. I see that the steel mill has their own switcher? Does IORY pick up directly from the steel mill or does the switcher bring the cars across to the IORY yard, crossing the bridge?

How much traffic comes from the steel mills in Delta to the IORY?

Finally, IORY runs one train each direction from Delta correct. It appears that the IORY northbound/southbound traffic is left on the second main (passing siding) while traffic from the plants is in the IORY yard.

How much switching does the IORY actually do in Delta, or do they pretty much just run locals from there at this point?

chapmaja
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1262
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:02 pm

Re: Delta, Oh Questions

Unread post by chapmaja »

Thanks for the info. I do have a couple questions about the current operations.

The Lima North local brings up the cars to Delta. Does this train leave the cars for Delta on the siding on the elevated trackage, then run abound the train, back down into the yard, pick up the outbounds and then head south? Or does he run around the train and back the train into the IORY yard, then pick up the cars going south and pull out of the yard? The reason I ask is that I don't see any tracks for them to run around a train in the IORY yard. It looks like they are all disconnected at the west end, making all the tracks stub tracks.

As for the Delta-Flat Rock turn. Other than Delta, the grain elevator in Metamora, the A&B interchange, the AA interchange and the CN interchange are their any other customers served by the Delta turn?

lee45174
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:24 am
Location: Terrace Park

Re: Delta, Oh Questions

Unread post by lee45174 »

Take a look at "Historicaerials.com" for USGS Quad maps and aerial photos of Delta over time

User avatar
Y@
Ass. Janitor
Posts: 5588
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:37 pm

Re: Delta, Oh Questions

Unread post by Y@ »

Waddy wrote:I think very little if any traffic is interchanged in Delta, NS brings IORY cars to Lima. The IORY switches the steel mill (its one of their key customers in the area) they us the mills yard channel. They run a turn to Flat rock M-W-F and do local switching on T-Th.
No direct interchange between NS and the I&O at Delta. We only use the mills radio channel to get permission in and clear when we're out. The Flat Rock turn has no set days, we go two or three times a week and do switching and customer work on whatever days we don't go north.
Bottom text.

User avatar
Y@
Ass. Janitor
Posts: 5588
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:37 pm

Re: Delta, Oh Questions

Unread post by Y@ »

chapmaja wrote:The Lima North local brings up the cars to Delta. Does this train leave the cars for Delta on the siding on the elevated trackage, then run abound the train, back down into the yard, pick up the outbounds and then head south? Or does he run around the train and back the train into the IORY yard, then pick up the cars going south and pull out of the yard? The reason I ask is that I don't see any tracks for them to run around a train in the IORY yard. It looks like they are all disconnected at the west end, making all the tracks stub tracks.


The port yard is used mainly for car storage for various cars Northstar has ordered but doesn't want spotted yet. All four tracks in the port are stub ended. The LNL brings cars up and either meets the DSW2 or leaves their train on the south main and pulls their outbound train from either the north siding or main. Switching and building trains at Delta can be challenging.
As for the Delta-Flat Rock turn. Other than Delta, the grain elevator in Metamora, the A&B interchange, the AA interchange and the CN interchange are their any other customers served by the Delta turn?
The daytime switcher works Leipsic and Ottawa customers as needed and can also make a Lima turn when needed, along with what you already mentioned. Very little interchange is done at Riga with the ADBF. Nighttime switcher stays in Delta 99% of the time.
Bottom text.

User avatar
esprrfan
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1042
Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:11 pm
Location: Toledo
Contact:

Re: Delta, Oh Questions

Unread post by esprrfan »

If you go to the west end of the I&O yard you can follow the lead that took it out to the across county rd 10 and F. Looks like they at one time had the option to go east or west out of the I&O. Directly north and parallel to the NS mains is the old right of way for a trolley line that ran out towards Edgerton, from there I lose that old right of way. Under the I&O bridge remain of few standing pole lines that supplied power to the interurbans. If you go to CR11 & CR F on the northside of the NS you can see where a previous owner of a now gone farmhouse made a driveway on the trolley line

MSchwiebert
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1611
Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:43 pm
Location: Perrysburg Ohio

Re: Delta, Oh Questions

Unread post by MSchwiebert »

If anyone has the chance, when the depot in Wauseon is open for visitors there's quite a few vintage photos of the Delta yard area from when the interurban was in and still active. Among them is a picture of the Wabash crossing both the NYC & the interurban between Wauseon & Delta yard - complete with the tower that controlled the interlockings, and one of the Wabash & the interurban interchanging a cut of tank cars through Delta yard & across the NYC.
esprrfan wrote:If you go to the west end of the I&O yard you can follow the lead that took it out to the across county rd 10 and F. Looks like they at one time had the option to go east or west out of the I&O. Directly north and parallel to the NS mains is the old right of way for a trolley line that ran out towards Edgerton, from there I lose that old right of way. Under the I&O bridge remain of few standing pole lines that supplied power to the interurbans. If you go to CR11 & CR F on the northside of the NS you can see where a previous owner of a now gone farmhouse made a driveway on the trolley line

User avatar
esprrfan
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1042
Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:11 pm
Location: Toledo
Contact:

Re: Delta, Oh Questions

Unread post by esprrfan »

MSchwiebert wrote:If anyone has the chance, when the depot in Wauseon is open for visitors there's quite a few vintage photos of the Delta yard area from when the interurban was in and still active. Among them is a picture of the Wabash crossing both the NYC & the interurban between Wauseon & Delta yard - complete with the tower that controlled the interlockings, and one of the Wabash & the interurban interchanging a cut of tank cars through Delta yard & across the NYC.
of interest is the new CD317 signal is at the old diamond location of this crossing


Post Reply