railroadfan.com Spring gathering...

Posts that don't fit in the other train categories. Off Subject Chit Chat I tell you. :)

Is Deshler Ohio Ok for a first gathering?

YES
9
82%
no
2
18%
 
Total votes: 11

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patrick
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railroadfan.com Spring gathering...

Unread post by patrick »

Its a bit early, but i want to get an idea of what people think about a website gathering. As i won't be doing a michigan railroads gathering, I am taking control of the gatherings for this site.... with input from everyone and the approval of Zack of course. :-) I want to take the gathering away from durand totally and move it totally out of state.... If we're gonna go someplace to see trains... lets see freakin trains everyone.... Right now.... I'm thinking Deshler Ohio. the have LOTS of train, shelter, live scanner feed in the shelter, bathrooms (portajohns) grills, tables, chairs, a firepit..... and again lots of trains.... I'd like some feedback about this idea. it won't be till April, but thats coming soon enough and I want to make this a great event doing everything shy of hiring a carni company. I want to know if Deshler is ok with you all.... there will be food involved for sure... but I will handle most of what needs to come.

sd70accsxt700
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Unread post by sd70accsxt700 »

My opinoin, is Deshler is ok, but it seems to get crowded verry fast. I guess thats ok, I just notice from my time there, that when Fostoria, has 10 people around, Deshler, has 20. Altough, it dose have better amminities(?) ie grill, bathrooms, ect. Also I think that Fostoria has far more photos opps, then Deshler in a closer area. But thats just my two cents.
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patrick
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Unread post by patrick »

I'm looking largely at deshler because of the vacinity the tracks are to the eating area... Fostoria, people need to constantly move to see the trains if they are coming off the C&O. we'll see what other people say and i may very well decide there is a better place such as fostoria. lord knows it sees more trains with the NS right there... but i don't think having people running back and forth would be helpfull for a gathering like this... maybe i'm wrong.

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Scooterb
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Unread post by Scooterb »

I agree with Matt Gets crowded, pole lines on the main, Can get dead for several hours at a time during the daylight, drunks.

Good points nice old signals, fire pit, lots of stories to hear, live scanner feed, wireless internet for posting or watching ATC.

You know me Patrick if you plan it where there are lots of trains I will be there if I can.

Suggestion Edgerton Ohio.
pavillion, Butler Indiana 7 miles to the west. lots of trains, gas station a block away for bathrooms, goodies.

Bad point pavillion on north side of tracks bad for pics on a sunny day

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Unread post by GreatLakesRailfan »

I voted 'yes', but personally, I probably won't be able to make it unless the date happens to line up with my schedule (and I'm able to make the trip- it's probably about equidistant from school and home) but if it happens while I'm still at school, chances are far greater that I'll be able to make it. And I agree- if you're gonna go, go where there're lots of trains.

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patrick
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Unread post by patrick »

Scott, While I think butler is Ok for trains, I didnt see any place decent for a gathering. personally, if I had my way i'd build a platform around the diamonds at vickers and the trains can come right by us there while we eat... thats my favorite place thus far... it seems almost non stop. fostoria is next, but i think the best place and i'm thinking of this more for familys meaning women and children, would be deshler because its a bit cleaner, in a great neighborhood, and has facilities. If I was to go on the nuber of trains alone, we'd have it in Fostoria without a doubt, And i might just still as i will be making calls to the Fostoria chamber of comerse lady to see if she can get us a portajohn in the amtrak parking lot for one day maybe two. If we can do that, I may say fark it and more it there. but again, i dislike having to move to see the trains.

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PAT.C
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Unread post by PAT.C »

I PREFER FOSTORIA [THE RAIL ]. IF PEOPLE WANT TO STAY OVERNITE, FOS. IS THE WINNER.IF U WANT A 1 DAY,BUTLER AREA AS SCOOTER B SAID. I'LL B THERE WHREREVER BUT FOS. IS MY CHOICE[/b]

Aleks
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Unread post by Aleks »

I've never done Deshler, always Fostoria so I'm not familiar with the layout.
Fostoria definetly has more trains.
Having said that there is no shelter, no facilities close by.
Other than the station what parking is there other than the street for locations near the tracks. If people have to move it could get crazy with lots of people and vehicles moving around.
How will local police, NS & CSX police react to the goings on.
Just a couple of early thoughts. More when I see further responses or think of other items.

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Scooterb
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Unread post by Scooterb »

Park area just west of ball diamond no shelter 2 blocks south NS wabaash line.

http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image. ... indiana%7c
Edgerton hard to see but north of where the rail cars are stored in this pic is a park area with a pavillion.
http://gp30.rrpicturearchives.net/showP ... ?id=178372

http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image. ... indiana%7c

If you decide Deshler I will be there if I can

Aleks
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Unread post by Aleks »

Definitly good accomidations at Fostoria.
I've stayed at the Days Inn but for Families Holiday Inn Express is better. Pool, Hot tub, newer.
What is in Deshler?

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patrick
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Unread post by patrick »

country farms and open roads

Aleks
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Unread post by Aleks »

How many typically show up?

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Unread post by ~Z~ »

Aleks wrote:How many typically show up?
Here's some pictures from our Durand meetings that we had:
http://railroadfan.com/gallery/displayi ... p?pos=-491
http://railroadfan.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-2751
http://railroadfan.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-2754

This is from the last meeting:
http://railroadfan.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-4438

Deshler would be very good for the amenities that they have. Location is probably going to be far to out of the way for most of the masses, but maybe some people would go. I don't care for the pole line right there at the park, but at least the meeting area is on the south side of the tracks. Fostoria is always game, but keeping a group together would be tough, plus no shelter. South Bend would be good, but no place for groups bigger than 4 or 5 to gather without drawing attention. Edgerton would probably be a good spot, right there on the NS main. Lansing would be better if more CP traffic was running, and again, not much shelter. For staying in one spot, nothing beats South Bend..plopping a chair down and watch a train every 10-15 minutes. That's the average I've had every trip down. I was quite disappointed at the huge April 30th gathering in Durand last year...we may have had just over 50 people, but 9 trains in 12 hours with cloudy and cold temps was disappointing. Any other suggestions of places to go?
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What about Rochelle???

Unread post by Railzfan »

With all my railfanning trips last year I’ve found some really nice train watching areas. Have any of you thought about Rochelle, IL.? one of the BEST train watching spots I have found. As for amenities Rochelle offers: at the railroad park: heated, clean bathrooms, covered train watching platform with picnic tables and live scanner, gift/hobby shop, vending machines, very close to several hotels. I suggest the Holiday Inn on Hy. 38, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Wndy’s, and others within a few miles of the RR park. And the BEST part, TONS OF TRAINS, on upwards of 80-120 UP/BNSF trains a day! With some run-through CSX/NS mixed freights as well. I think that this would be an excellent place to gather :D . What do the rest of you think?
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What about Horseshoe Curve???

Unread post by Railzfan »

OR,

Another great place (if driving a ways isn’t a problem) is Horseshoe Curve in Pennsylvania. If you want to see 150+ car trains tackle the mountains, this is the place to be! I was there in 2004, saw several trains with six units on the point and two more on the real pushing for a total of eight units, now that’s what I call amazing! As for amenities: there are clean, indoor bathrooms: gift shop/small museum, lots of space for viewing all the action on the side of the mountain, shade trees and picnic tables. About 60-80 trains a day traverse the curve, many in daylight hours. Just a few minutes form the curve there is the Railroaders Memorial Museum, one of the best museums I have visited! You can not only look at a Pennsy GG1, you can actually go inside it and see what it really looks like from the inside, very, very neat!!! The GG1 is only one of dozens of locomotive and freight and passenger cars you can walk through. There is also a CR “Big Hook” derailment cranes that you can climb up on and get a up-close-and-personal look at! Downtown Altoona is only a few miles from the curve and there are many hotels and dozens of restaurants in town. This is another great place to meet :D , what do the rest of you think?
~Andrew Kersting

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Long Live the Denver & Rio Grande Western!

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patrick
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Unread post by patrick »

PENN is kinda too far for us. Right now..for me, fostoria and Deshler are the two choices right now... so we'll see what happens. At deshler at least we can do a lot of things..

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Unread post by GreatLakesRailfan »

What about the NYC museum in Elkhart? Assuming that a donation was taken up, similar to what you guys did in Durand last time, they might be willing to let you hold the thing there. Lots of historical equipment sitting around, including a PC GG1 and a NYC 4-8-4 locomotive...and an E8(?) on site. They do have some degree of shelter, plus picnic tables and an elevated (wood) viewing platform. Plus, if anyone wanted to, I bet they'd welcome anyone who wanted to help with maintaining/restoring some of the equipment on site- if you made arrangements ahead of time. Also, at the Amtrak station across the street there is quite a bit of parking, although more than 15 or 20 people just standing around might draw some attention. Only real problems I can see with the NYC Museum is the hours, and their 5 dollar admission fee. What with the city funding cutbacks, I'm not sure how welcoming they'd be to such a thing though...

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What about DOWNRIVER?

Unread post by Mackinac Mac »

What about some place like Oak Street in Wyandotte. Could get permission from the VFW hall there where railfans frequently use their parking lot and schedule it for a day they have nothing going on. You would have the CN Shoreline, (Conrail) NS, DT&I line ... Now maybe not as many trains, but good times the same, close, easy to get too, lots of room and maybe we could even BBQ ? I also know about 5 regular Oak Street railfans who arent familiar with this board that could come down and meet everyone,.

Mike

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Unread post by RailCanon »

I voted yes for Deshler, but I have two alternate suggestions:

1. Battle Creek, MI
2. Wellsboro, IN

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Unread post by GreatLakesRailfan »

I was under the impression that the Wellsboro location consists of a gravel parking lot owned by CSX and that they'd been kicking people out of there. I'm not sure where Wellsboro is, personally, but I know that in downtown Chesterton there is a pretty good spot to watch action on the Norfolk Southern, although its really more of a parking lot next to the tracks, no real opportunity for cooking food, or doing much other than watching the trains pass (and the parking lot by the tracks isn't that big). However, if I remember right, there is also a park in the downtown area there with at least a pavilion and some lawn that might be worth checking out. If nothing else, it could be used as a base with runs to the Amtrak and CSX lines out of Porter, although that wouldn't be too convenient for everyone.

Also, Patrick, something I kind of learned the hardway over the summer- make sure the line that the meet is scheduled at is not supposed to be undergoing any heavy duty maintainence the on the day you choose. It tends to cut down on the action a little bit. :oops:

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