Adventures in Ohio

[Matt L]

I have been broadening my horizons in recent years- going to new places to see trains. I hadn't been to Ohio since 1978 (at age 9), so it seemed like a good idea to return there this year. i chose Bellevue becuase it seems to be a hub of NS activity. A couple of websites claims Bellevue sees 100 trains per day and this assessment is correct! Between the expanded hump yard, ex-NKP main, Sandusky dsitrict and the Toledo district, this area just buzzes with NS activity.

My visit began with the hump yard. This was the 1st NS hump yard I have seen.  (I've seen CSX and CN hump yards elsewhere.)



A slide show for the rest of the hump yard action:

http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/slideshow/2015/May%202015/0522%20Bellevue%20OH%201

After taking the yard shots, I moved to downtown Bellevue. This is a busy place_ I don't think wnet more than an hour between seeing trains:

Local at E Center St:



A mixed freight (including an ex-UP SD90MAC) comes off the wye near E Center Street:




This Wabash dome car came off the wye on the tail end of another mixed freight and headed south. A fellow railfan told me it was headed to the 611 event:



In addition to the all the live train action, the Mad River & NKP Museum was a "must see" for me, too. It was closed, but I still photographed alot of the equipment. I am a devout Alco fan (as some of you know) so this NKP RSD12 was my favorite piece of preservation:



The Toledo District runs right past the museum, and I caught this eastbound mixed freight with a high nose ex-Southern GP50 leading:



The Wheeling & Lake Erie RR also has a presence in Bellevue. i caught this ex-D&RGW GP40-3 heading up the Toldeo District:



The NYC heritage unit comes off the Toledo District. This sighting was 364 days after I saw #1066 for the first time! She is leading auto rack freight 14T:



I also caught the Erie heritage unit (my personal favorite) for the 2nd time, as the 6th locomotive on mixed freight 146 at Mnoroe Street:



After dinner, I returned to Monroe Street and stayed till evening twilight. A Wheeling & Lake Erie SD40T-2 idles on their wye:



Catching some of the sunset through the slats of a center beam flatcar on a passing NS mixed freight:



Complete slide show from downtown Bellevue-well over 100 pictures of action!

http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/slideshow/2015/May%202015/0522%20Bellevue%20OH%202

All photos in this post and links were taken by me Friday 5/22/2015 in Belleuve, OH.

[Matt L]

I stayed overnight at a local hotel and resumed train watching at the hump yard in the morning:



Sharp eyes may have noticed the C of G heritage unit in the previous photo. She was parked with some other locomotives, including an EMD doing a dead-on impersonation of an Alco. lol



This Pennsy coach was being shuffled in the yard:



Prior to this trip, I had never seen a Norfolk Southerrn slug set in person:



The shots shown above were taken from the Route 4 bridge. I also parked at the Skadden Road crossing near the east end of the yard, and caught 310 departing. This train was headed to my birthplace- Elmira, NY.



The rest of the action form that morning is in this slide show: 

http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/slideshow/2015/May%202015/0523%20Bellevue%20OH

All photos in this post and the link were taken by me Saturday 5/23/2015 in Bellevue, OH.

[Matt L]

I realized that I could catch some action on the Chicago Line, as it was about 20-25 minutes to the North of Bellevue. I don't have GPS and my my map didn't show this former NYC/PC/CR route, but I found it easily. I saw 8 trains at the Edgewater Avenue crossing.

This westbound intermodal had a brief issue that blocked the crossing for about an hour:







A copule of eastbound trains passed the intemrodal before it elft, including this unit stone train:



This Conrail hopper seemed right at home:



this westbound mixed freight crept of a branch (I think) and was over taken by a faster intermodal:











Complete slide show from Edgewater Avenue:

http://s857.photobucket.com/user/Erielackawanna/slideshow/2015/May%202015/0523%20Sandusky%20OH

All photos in this post and the link were taken by me Saturday 5/2/30215 in Sandusky, OH.

So.... let's tally it up:

30+ trains
3 heritage units
6+ high nose EMDs
2 classic passenger cars
hump yard with slug sets

I'd say this trip was definitely worth my time and effort. I hope y'all enjoy the pics.