Carleton, MI

[Typhoon]

Good luck, Carleton is so incredibly dead that you’ll be looking at tracks and signals for hours.

That sounds like just about anywhere in Michigan when it comes to railroading.

[David Collins]

Good luck, Carleton is so incredibly dead that you’ll be looking at tracks and signals for hours.

That sounds like just about anywhere in Michigan when it comes to railroading.

Spittin’ facts ^

[Y@]

Now I do wonder if they do run trains as needed every now and then. If someone could answer that, that would be great)

I already answered. It's been a long time since CN ran anything south of Huron.

IORY
A401 (Northbound)
A400 (Southbound)

Those are no longer the symbols used by the IORY.

[GP30M4216]

I’d take fewer trains in a spot like Carleton full of history and endless potential photo angles than a busy few hours in another boring double track mainline location along the Water Level Route or B&O in Ohio any day! You can easily scope out the signals on the I&O side and all of the crossings offer lots of creative choices. Here are a few oldies:







One time board member PSK was a frequent at Carleton and has a ton of great photos around the diamond and town in the RRFan gallery.

[RoyalKingoftheRails]

Now I do wonder if they do run trains as needed every now and then. If someone could answer that, that would be great)

I already answered. It's been a long time since CN ran anything south of Huron.

IORY
A401 (Northbound)
A400 (Southbound)

Those are no longer the symbols used by the IORY.

Then what are the north and southbound symbols for the trains that run to and from Flat Rock

[Typhoon]

I’d take fewer trains in a spot like Carleton full of history and endless potential photo angles than a busy few hours in another boring double track mainline location along the Water Level Route or B&O in Ohio any day!

If you enjoy birdwatching with a train thrown in every couple of hours, it sounds like you found your spot.

[~Z~]

I’d take fewer trains in a spot like Carleton full of history and endless potential photo angles than a busy few hours in another boring double track mainline location along the Water Level Route or B&O in Ohio any day!

I'd rather head to Otis IN for NS or Albion IN for CSX on those two routes for good scenery than Carleton

[GP30M4216]

If you enjoy birdwatching with a train thrown in every couple of hours, it sounds like you found your spot.

Perhaps we need to befriend some ornithologists, then, who can fill us in on some train details in between sightings of cardinals and cedar waxwings!

IORY
A401 (Northbound)
A400 (Southbound)

Those are no longer the symbols used by the IORY.

Then what are the north and southbound symbols for the trains that run to and from Flat Rock

...if we gave them a scanner, they might be able to help us answer IORY unknowns, like this.

The IORY Flat Rock turn has been an elusive operation for years. Search back on this board for IORY + Flat Rock or Carleton. The job has been inconsistent in its days and hours of operation forever, and with no regular railfans stationed along the route, reports are scattered, few, and far between. Running at a perfect diagonal to the surveyed grid of Michigan roads, it's always been a difficult job to chase, although after CN downgraded their line between Flat Rock and Diann a few years ago, perhaps they run slower now than the once did.

It's been several years since I've been to Carleton, and even longer since I've actually seen the IORY do its thing there. I wonder if the Carleton Ding is still a thing? https://railroadfan.com/phpbb/search.ph ... mit=Search



Also, to address an earlier statement that

It’s a lot of auto racks and intermodal on CSX.

Based on the symbol list provided earlier on this thread, assuming all CSX trains are daily, 6 are manifest, 2 are steel slabs or empties, 2 are autoracks and 4 are stacks. +2 IORY in the manifest category if anyone happens to cross paths with them!

[Erroneous Monk]

I've always had pretty good luck catching IORY on Tuesdays and Saturdays-and sometimes Thursdays-between 11 AM and 2 PM however I would not call my experiences conclusive evidence. Either way, when they depart Flat Rock I've only heard them refer to themselves as Indiana & Ohio or by their loco number.

[Erroneous Monk]

Running at a perfect diagonal to the surveyed grid of Michigan roads, it's always been a difficult job to chase, although after CN downgraded their line between Flat Rock and Diann a few years ago, perhaps they run slower now than the once did.

It's been several years since I've been to Carleton, and even longer since I've actually seen the IORY do its thing there. I wonder if the Carleton Ding is still a thing? https://railroadfan.com/phpbb/search.ph ... mit=Search

I'll have to check on the ding next time I'm down there! Sounds like a cool little detail. And yes, IORY still runs the full speed all the way into Ohio. Despite the line being pretty much completely in farm land, you can still lose a train pretty quick!

[LansingRailFan]

If you enjoy birdwatching with a train thrown in every couple of hours, it sounds like you found your spot.

Perhaps we need to befriend some ornithologists, then, who can fill us in on some train details in between sightings of cardinals and cedar waxwings!

IORY
A401 (Northbound)
A400 (Southbound)

Those are no longer the symbols used by the IORY.

Then what are the north and southbound symbols for the trains that run to and from Flat Rock

...if we gave them a scanner, they might be able to help us answer IORY unknowns, like this.

The IORY Flat Rock turn has been an elusive operation for years. Search back on this board for IORY + Flat Rock or Carleton. The job has been inconsistent in its days and hours of operation forever, and with no regular railfans stationed along the route, reports are scattered, few, and far between. Running at a perfect diagonal to the surveyed grid of Michigan roads, it's always been a difficult job to chase, although after CN downgraded their line between Flat Rock and Diann a few years ago, perhaps they run slower now than the once did.

It's been several years since I've been to Carleton, and even longer since I've actually seen the IORY do its thing there. I wonder if the Carleton Ding is still a thing? https://railroadfan.com/phpbb/search.ph ... mit=Search



Also, to address an earlier statement that

It’s a lot of auto racks and intermodal on CSX.

Based on the symbol list provided earlier on this thread, assuming all CSX trains are daily, 6 are manifest, 2 are steel slabs or empties, 2 are autoracks and 4 are stacks. +2 IORY in the manifest category if anyone happens to cross paths with them!

IORY's symbol for the train from Delta, OH to Flat Rock, MI is L231.

CN's symbol for IORY while on CN trackage is H98661.