Everything/Anything CF&E thread...Part 3

[redside20]

A few grain elevators..starting at Ada
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ada,+ ... ab874f1ade

Kirby..which the spur appears good for a handful of cars

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kirby ... 9a30be3e90

The elevators at Nevada, North Robinson, and Forest don't see any rail service
Then you have two big grain customers in Upper Sandusky..Heritage Coop and Walton Agri
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Walto ... fc20631ddd
Though I'm pretty sure Heritage is directly served by CSX
Then there is a non grain customer..Dlubak Glass in Upper which I was told gets rail service...but can be very infrequent at times.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dluba ... f6c0727916
And I'm not sure if the place in nw corner of the diamond is still rail served or not

[alittlevanwerty]

American and Ohio Locomotive Crane and Transco in Bucyrus are CF&E served. Last week I spotted an auto rack at Cole st for Bucyrus. The elevator at Kirby is good for a few cars, can see them from US 30 when we drive by.

Anybody know if the CF&E serves the stone place off Bucyrus or just CSX? This winter when stone was out of season it was used for cars storage.

[AARR]

Thanks for the info redside and maps too

[midland sub]

It was part of the lease, but I don't think the CFE has actually done anything more than store cars on the line. Ballast for the CFE comes from National in Lima on the I&O.

Speaking of National, they are supposed to be leasing a set of stone hoppers to use on a I&O-CFE move. Sorry I don't know more than that.

[redside20]

Oh yes I forgot about this place..across from Bucyrus High School on the west side of Bucyrus off Bucyrus-Nevad Road near Old Route 30 is this grain facility
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bucyr ... e374f74d9c

It sees infrequent rail service

I left out two fertilizer facilities..one near Ada and the other on western outskirts of Upper Sandusky
Ada
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ada,+ ... ab874f1ade
has a rail spur, but no idea if it sees anything
Upper Sandusky
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Upper ... 26b5390335
in same boat as Ada..no idea

[AARR]

The Upper Sandusky fertilizer place is just down from the glass plant. You can see at the glass plant where they unload the cars (gravity unloading) and the narrow chute where the tractor accesses the material.

[dmitzel]

Driving down to OH to check out the Toledo CUT events, and then a trip down to Greenville to pick up a PRR pot signal I just mortgaged my home to purchase On the way back was planning on swinging through Van Wert to spend the night - before driving up to Deshler for some quality 'fan time at the diamond before heading home to MI.

While in Van Wert I'd like to check out the interlocking at Estry, but don't know if the PRR position light home signals are still in place. Can someone tell me if they're still there? Also, are the approach distant signals E and W of the diamond PRR "caution" fixed signals as well?

Thanks!

[h2466]

Driving down to OH to check out the Toledo CUT events, and then a trip down to Greenville to pick up a PRR pot signal I just mortgaged my home to purchase On the way back was planning on swinging through Van Wert to spend the night - before driving up to Deshler for some quality 'fan time at the diamond before heading home to MI.

While in Van Wert I'd like to check out the interlocking at Estry, but don't know if the PRR position light home signals are still in place. Can someone tell me if they're still there? Also, are the approach distant signals E and W of the diamond PRR "caution" fixed signals as well?

Thanks!

Yes the Pl's Home signals are still there and yes the approach signals are fixed. Ken

[alittlevanwerty]

Digging up a chase from last summer, in the last segment of this video I made demonstrates the action of the signals at Estry. Please watch!! This is one of my best CF&E videos!

Driving down to OH to check out the Toledo CUT events, and then a trip down to Greenville to pick up a PRR pot signal I just mortgaged my home to purchase On the way back was planning on swinging through Van Wert to spend the night - before driving up to Deshler for some quality 'fan time at the diamond before heading home to MI.

While in Van Wert I'd like to check out the interlocking at Estry, but don't know if the PRR position light home signals are still in place. Can someone tell me if they're still there? Also, are the approach distant signals E and W of the diamond PRR "caution" fixed signals as well?

Thanks!

Yes the Pl's Home signals are still there and yes the approach signals are fixed. Ken

[dmitzel]

Thanks for the replies! I'm looking forward to visiting the Estry diamond, and poking around the old PRR Ft. Wayne mainline a bit while overnighting in town.

I'm surprised the distant or approach signals E and W of town are inoperative. I would have thought the FRA would mandate distant signals on either side of an interlocking in dark territory. Perhaps CSX-NS-CF&E received a waiver for some reason? Also I find it interesting that the CF&E crews have to radio the NS Pittsburgh West dispatcher to clear the diamond home signals in advance of the crossing. I would have thought the interlocking would be automated (i.e. first come, first served) by an approach circuit.

Another interesting aspect (pun intended) of the home signals at Estry is the ability to show a restricting indication. I'm wondering if a crew has to unlock a timer circuit on the signal shed if the NS dispatcher can't clear the home signal for whatever reason. Perhaps doing this manually with a local control only gives a restricting versus a clear signal. Makes me wonder how an approach indication would ever be used on these PL heads too - maybe just left over lights from when the line was fully signaled.

Anyway, thanks for the info - as you can tell I'm a signal aficionado besides being a PC-CR 'fan. Hope to see a few folks at the Toledo Amtrak depot on Saturday, and NS 1066 of course. I'll be the guy in a blue Con-way Freight ball cap.

Cheers!

[alittlevanwerty]

CF&E grain train on the west side of Van Wert doing a crew change, CSX SD50 leading a SD70ACe. Heading west to Hamlet Indiana.

[alittlevanwerty]

I didn't have a photo of the signal west of Van Wert til today.
CF&E Grain train with CSX SD50/SD70ACe consist west of Van Wert Ohio by alittlevanwerty, on Flickr

Holding up the Convoy Ambulance
CF&E Grain train with CSX SD50/SD70ACe consist hold up Convoy Ambulance by alittlevanwerty, on Flickr

CF&E Grain train with CSX SD50/SD70ACe consist Convoy Ohio Ohio by alittlevanwerty, on Flickr

[dmitzel]

Scott,

Small world - I caught this same WB CSXT grain move at Estry! I had made my run back north from Greenville already, and after checking in at the hotel drove down to the diamond to check out the old PRR P.L. signals. I was taking some detail shots of the old NYC-PRR junction when I heard an air horn to the east - sure enough, the westward mast signal was lit up "clear."



Video here on YouTube! http://youtu.be/4KkAacSj-I4

For those into the old Pennsy US&S position light signals the diamond in Van Wert has two-head mast home signals for the Fort Wayne line and PRR "pots" (dwarfs) on both the north and south interlocking limits on the former NYC, nee Cincinati Northern tracks - now known as the Van Wert Industrial Track. A photo of the north-ward low home signal south of the diamond:



Here's a close-up shot of a "cousin" to my new signal.



In keeping with the Pennsy theme here's the new "old style" PRR US&S position light dwarf I now have in my collection - the reason for the trip south, and soon to be controlled by relays so to cycle between the various stop-restricting-slow approach-and-slow clear aspects.



Hit Deshler on the way back - 7 trains in a couple-plus hours, not bad.

[alittlevanwerty]

4024/3883 wb Through van wert about 12:10, 4 tanks & 4 covered hoppers. Thought they were stopping in Van Wert but looks like the LIVW has work in Convoy today because they were almost to Convoy by the time I was on US 30.

[alittlevanwerty]

CF&E LIVW by Scott Equity. 3882/3880

[alittlevanwerty]

3880 on a loaded rail train about to depart Adams. Track warrant to 278 for now, likely LIVW around Delphos.

[alittlevanwerty]

Grain train eb cleared Adams, CSX 5400 series leader.

[alittlevanwerty]

Well the first actual usage of the Supersite extension comes in the form of car storage. Surplus pellet hoppers for CSP have been shoved across Bonnewitz Ave onto the new rails.

[dmitzel]

Are they shoved across the US highway to the east as well?

Either way, might as well make some $$$ on storage fees for track that's yet to see a revenue customer.

[bnsf8000]

5/21/14. LIVW is in Van Wert at 12:45PM Has 3024/3023 both CF&E G&W orange units and 8 covered hoppers.

There are 13 covered hoppers at the Van Wert Terminal transload and 1 tank car.

Was around 7-8 grain hoppers at the Scott Equity this morning.

It was just a matter of time til CF&E used the supersite extension for car storage. At least the hoppers are for CSP and mostly will be loaded cars waiting their turn to go to CSP on the southside of town. I'll take loads on there anytime.

dmitzel, the cars on the supersite are just north of Bonnewitz Ave., just north of the Scott Equity elevator. Not on the end of the extension east of US 127 as you asked.

PW