Good railfaning spots for SE Mich.

[Joshua Niederkohr]

Are there good railfanning spots for Lenawee and Monroe Counties. How often can you catch the Ann Arbor at what times as close to Toledo. Also, how often can you catch the Adrian and Blissfield in Lenawee County.

[NYCMan]

Good railfanning spots in Monroe County: Monroe, Michigan, where you got NS and CN (former D&TSL) mainlines. The NS has both a northbound and southbound mainlines, which are far apart, so you need to monitor a scanner to "cover" both. A good place south of Monroe is Dunbar Road or LaSalle Road, where all of the NS and D&TSL tracks are closer together. CSXT also runs North-South through Monroe on the far west side.

Good railfanning spots in Lenawee County: Adrian, Michigan, where ADBF crosses NS. Several overhead road bridges around Adrian allow you to get pictures looking down at the tracks AND without you trespassing upon any railroad property. On east side of Blissfield, Michigan, both a big grain elevator and a refinery that ADBF switches most every day. Although IORY is in Riga, Michigan, they tend to run only at night.

And, unlike spots around Detroit, Monroe County and Lenawee County tend to be much safer.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

And, unlike spots around Detroit, Monroe County and Lenawee County tend to be much safer.

In Monroe, the Detroit Line #1 track runs along the sidewalk of Kentucky St, an interesting railfanning location. B20 out of Warner Yard runs in the afternoon with the N&W Caboose.

This neighborhood of Monroe, where those with the least amount of means of Making a living who live on the same street as a mainline ( that likely has the lowest property value in the area ) is where one is more likely to find people who have a higher priority in life to survive. Just like in Detroit, no one on this site as a railfan has reported a problem with neighborhood people anywhere ( except for one who for an absurd reason of being on the street at Delray at 11pm and then caused problems with people here ). Pay attention of what's going on around and don't let other opinions and the media interfere with enjoying what each place has to offer.

[Joshua Niederkohr]

Any information on ADBF, AA, IORY, NS schedules for railfanning
Communities of Ottawa Lake, Riga, Blissfield, Palmyra, Adrian, Lenawee Junction, Temperance, Lambertville, Diann, Toledo, Azailia, Samaria, and Maybee. Any information of these communities will help. Check out my YouTube channel DARAILROADKID.

[CSXBOY]

Monroe is the best You get 10-12 CN trains, 20-25 NS trains, and 20-25 CSX trains. In Adrian the NS trains mostly run at night. When my dad goes to work He takes US 23 north and at exit 13 He sometimes sees a Westbound IORY train sitting. That is normally 5:15-5:20 am. I never see anything on that line. Bilissfield all I know has that dinner train. There is really nothing in Temperance, Lambertville, Samaria, Palmaya, Ottawa Lake, and Riga. IORY runs at night. AA has a 10 am northbound road train. And Sometimes I can sometimes hear a 7 pm Southbound Train or a green light for the SB. CN 384 and 385 run on that line but I am not sure on the times. ADBF I am not sure about. You really would have better luck going to Monroe. If you take US 24 south it parallels to the CSX line all the way down to Sterens.





Trust me on all of this. I been down here Since I was in diapers. Every weekend I come down here.

[Ypsi]

Adrian is a decent mix of times. With 20-22 total between NS and CP on the Detroit district. Romulus is a good spot for NS and CSX with about 30-45 trains between the two lines a day

[Tier4GEVO]

Numbers wise, Monroe is the best, but you have to jump around considerably (can't just walk between, need to drive) between the CSX mainline and the NS/CN.

Romulus is a good spot, though the Wabash main seems to favor nighttime for activity. I'd second the post claiming 30-40 per day.

Now, this isn't technically SE, but it's still worth mentioning. Delray Junction is by far the busiest hotspot in Michigan. At the cost of being in Detroit. I've been there a couple times last year. It's Detroit. But it's a very deserted vacated part without much thrive or population. If you use common sense and street smarts, and don't just leave the tripod on the other side of the road while you take a break in the car, it's very unlikely you'll have an issue.

In the extremity of SE Michigan, right at the border, you have Alexis Junction which I know has CSX, NS and CN there, but I'm not too sure about its accessibility. Doesn't seem good from a few images I've seen of aerials from maps.

[iKJames]

AA has a 10 am northbound road train. And Sometimes I can sometimes hear a 7 pm Southbound Train or a green light for the SB. CN 384 and 385 run on that line but I am not sure on the times.

I already answered about the info related to the AA, and trains that run on it here with the latest info: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=33881#p361377

[CSXBOY]

Carleton is another great spot CSX has about 20-25 trains there and they run during the day. Not to metion a couple CN trains

[JCinSummerfield]

In the extremity of SE Michigan, right at the border, you have Alexis Junction which I know has CSX, NS and CN there, but I'm not too sure about its accessibility. Doesn't seem good from a few images I've seen of aerials from maps.

CN is not at Alexis. The third railroad is AA.

[MagnumForce]

Ohio... and I am serious. Toledo is literally at the border and the Chicago Line is no more than 15 miles from Michigan all the way to Indiana.

[Jetlink]

I was going to say the same thing. The best place to watch trains in SE Michigan is in NW Ohio. Nothing against SE Michigan. There are trains and good locations there but you are so close to an area with a great deal more rail traffic.

[Ypsi]

The only really high voulme area in Michigan is Delray, but I wouldn't sit there for more than a couple hours. If you want to drive 30-60 minutes to watch trains in Michigan, you might as well drive 30-60 minutes to Ohio instead like the others have said. However if you're darn set on Michigan, I would recommend a good book or homework or something. I have taken some assignments trackside in recent years and just worked and patiently waited. The other option I would use is sit where there is some switching action to fill the void. Milan Michigan can have lots of movement if B70, B71, or the AA is switching the yard, or the black top at Allen park for NS jobs making pulls.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

Delray is the busiest spot for trains in the entire state of Michigan

[hoborich]

Most of the Delray moves are slow, and boring, including a few light power moves. You can sit at Delray and stare at a southbound sitting on the hill for over an hour.

[CSXBOY]

I also like Wyandotte too Wyandotte is great in the mornings up until 1 pm and its busy again at 4 pm to 12 am

[JStryker722]

I also like Wyandotte too Wyandotte is great in the mornings up until 1 pm and its busy again at 4 pm to 12 am

Wyandotte is like Russian Roulette to me: You can one night hardly catch but a train every couple of hours and the next night get 5 trains in a row on each others heels.
Like I once caught a Northbound on both the CN and the N.B. NS main and a Southbound on the S.B. NS main while sitting at Oak St. At the exact same time back in 2011 and I have never bested that since.

[hoborich]

I also caught three trains on the crossing at the same time, several years ago. It may have been 2011. There was a coal train on the River sub, 17J on the SB NS and a CN on the Shoreline. Back in those days there were half a dozen of us there most nights, and I would see 15 trains between around 7:30 and 2:00 am. Every time I started to leave another headlight would appear, or some train would ask permission north through Wyandotte. Good times.

Sometimes we would see the same train twice, when a northbound CN would go up to Ecorse, and run around their train and come back south to Flat Rock.

[Waddy]

ADBF usually starts around 8am starting their work in Adrian and then heading to Blissfield when they are done if they there are any cars for customers on that end.

[Joshua Niederkohr]

What days and times do they run grain trains or ethanol trains? Also, What is the route for the dinner train, do they go into Riga, or straight to Adrian? I know the dinner train starts at 7 p.m. on Saturdays.