Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern RR
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2016 9:22 pm
Let's imagine that instead of RailAmerica's CF&E leasing the former Pennsy from Chicago to Crestline in 2004, a different group leased it and started a railroad under the same name.
In early 2004, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern and Mid-America Transportation LLC came to terms on a five year lease agreement that would see a new railroad starting operations between Chicago, IL, and Crestline, OH. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, IN, at the former Pennsylvania Railroad Piqua Yard, the CF&E officially began operations on August 1st, 2004, using a fleet of locomotives leased from CSX, NS and NALX. It wasn't until early 2006 that the CF&E finally had a full stable of their own locomotives in service, which were all purchased from the North American Locomotive Leasing Company in Bowling Green, KY. At the end of the original five year lease, a two year extension was agreed upon so that the three companies involved could continue to work on a long term operations solution. In the final days of 2011, the trio came to an agreement of a full sale of the line from Hobart, IN, to Crestline, OH, with both NS and CSX retaining trackage/haulage rights over the entirety of the line. The sale was completed in February 2012.
In addition to the ex-PRR mainline, the CF&E operates a few industrial tracks along the system which are listed below, along with a list of interchange points between the CF&E and other railroads..
CF&E Industrial Tracks
Decatur Branch - Fort Wayne to Decatur, includes former Erie trackage in Decatur.
Van Wert IT - Serves customers north and south of the Estry diamond in Van Wert.
Delphos IT - Serves customers southwest of Delphos.
Forest IT - Serves a customer north of the mainline in Forest. Track was reinstalled in 2010.
Spore IT - Serves rock quarry northwest of Bucyrus.
CF&E Interchange Locations
Various railroads: IHB Blue Island Yard, Chicago, IL.
Norfolk Southern: Fort Wayne, IN.
CSX: Lima, OH, and Crestline, OH.
Indiana & Ohio Railway: Lima, OH.
RJ Corman RR Group: Lima, OH.
As of November 2016, the CF&E rosters 23 locomotives with 21 active and two out of service. The railroad maintains crew bases in Fort Wayne and Lima. Below is a roster of CF&E engines and a list of road and local freights.
CF&E Locomotive Roster
CFER GP38-2 3320 (ex-CNW, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3321 (ex-CNW, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3322 (ex-CNW, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3323 (ex-CNW, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3324 (ex-CNW, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3325 (ex-CSXT, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3326 (ex-CSXT, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3327 (ex-CSXT, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP40-3 4000 (ex-UP, rebuilt to -3 specs by NALX, painted in CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38AC 4144 (ex-NS, retains NS paint)
CFER GP38AC 4147 (ex-NS, retains NS paint, stored as parts unit in Fort Wayne)
CFER GP38AC 4150 (ex-NS, retains NS paint, stored as parts unit in Fort Wayne)
CFER GP38AC 4151 (ex-NS, painted in CF&E black/yellow)
CFER SD40-2 5722 (ex-CP, painted in NALX black/white)
CFER SD40-2 5765 (ex-CP, painted in NALX black/white)
CFER SD40-2 7006 (ex-BN, retains BN paint)
CFER SD40-2 7014 (ex-BN, retains BN paint)
CFER SD40-2 7033 (ex-BN, painted in CF&E black/yellow)
CFER SD40-2 7052 (ex-BN, painted in CF&E black/yellow)
CFER SD45T-2 9386 (ex-SP, retains SP paint)
CFER SD45T-2 9392 (ex-SP, retains SP paint)
CFER SD45T-2 9395 (ex-SP, painted in CF&E black/yellow)
CFER SD45T-2 9401 (ex-SP, retains SP paint)
CF&E Train Symbols
L-WARVAL - Warsaw based local. On duty at 1030 Monday through Friday. Crew runs west to Valparaiso as needed.
L-FTW-A - Fort Wayne local crew. On duty at 2030 Monday through Friday.
L-FTW-B - Fort Wayne local crew. On duty at 0530 Monday through Friday.
R-FTWCHI - Fort Wayne to Chicago road freight. On duty at 1230 Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
R-CHIFTW - Chicago to Fort Wayne road freight. On duty time depends on crew rest from previous day, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
X-FTW-A - Extra Fort Wayne crew. No regular call time, covers recrews and extra work between west of Fort Wayne and on the Decatur branch.
X-FTW-B - Extra Fort Wayne crew. No regular call time, covers recrews and extra work between west of Fort Wayne and on the Decatur branch.
L-LIM-A - Lima east local and I&O interchange switcher. On duty at 0630 Monday through Friday.
L-LIM-B - Lima west local. On duty at 0730 Monday through Friday.
L-LIM-C - CSX interchange switcher. On duty at 1800 Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
L-LIMFTW - Lima to Fort Wayne turn. On duty at 1500 Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
L-LIMCST - Lima to Crestline turn. On duty at 0430 Tuesday and Saturday.
X-LIM-A - Extra Lima crew. No regular call time, covers recrews and extra work between Fort Wayne and Crestline.
In early 2004, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern and Mid-America Transportation LLC came to terms on a five year lease agreement that would see a new railroad starting operations between Chicago, IL, and Crestline, OH. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, IN, at the former Pennsylvania Railroad Piqua Yard, the CF&E officially began operations on August 1st, 2004, using a fleet of locomotives leased from CSX, NS and NALX. It wasn't until early 2006 that the CF&E finally had a full stable of their own locomotives in service, which were all purchased from the North American Locomotive Leasing Company in Bowling Green, KY. At the end of the original five year lease, a two year extension was agreed upon so that the three companies involved could continue to work on a long term operations solution. In the final days of 2011, the trio came to an agreement of a full sale of the line from Hobart, IN, to Crestline, OH, with both NS and CSX retaining trackage/haulage rights over the entirety of the line. The sale was completed in February 2012.
In addition to the ex-PRR mainline, the CF&E operates a few industrial tracks along the system which are listed below, along with a list of interchange points between the CF&E and other railroads..
CF&E Industrial Tracks
Decatur Branch - Fort Wayne to Decatur, includes former Erie trackage in Decatur.
Van Wert IT - Serves customers north and south of the Estry diamond in Van Wert.
Delphos IT - Serves customers southwest of Delphos.
Forest IT - Serves a customer north of the mainline in Forest. Track was reinstalled in 2010.
Spore IT - Serves rock quarry northwest of Bucyrus.
CF&E Interchange Locations
Various railroads: IHB Blue Island Yard, Chicago, IL.
Norfolk Southern: Fort Wayne, IN.
CSX: Lima, OH, and Crestline, OH.
Indiana & Ohio Railway: Lima, OH.
RJ Corman RR Group: Lima, OH.
As of November 2016, the CF&E rosters 23 locomotives with 21 active and two out of service. The railroad maintains crew bases in Fort Wayne and Lima. Below is a roster of CF&E engines and a list of road and local freights.
CF&E Locomotive Roster
CFER GP38-2 3320 (ex-CNW, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3321 (ex-CNW, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3322 (ex-CNW, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3323 (ex-CNW, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3324 (ex-CNW, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3325 (ex-CSXT, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3326 (ex-CSXT, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38-2 3327 (ex-CSXT, wears CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP40-3 4000 (ex-UP, rebuilt to -3 specs by NALX, painted in CF&E black/yellow)
CFER GP38AC 4144 (ex-NS, retains NS paint)
CFER GP38AC 4147 (ex-NS, retains NS paint, stored as parts unit in Fort Wayne)
CFER GP38AC 4150 (ex-NS, retains NS paint, stored as parts unit in Fort Wayne)
CFER GP38AC 4151 (ex-NS, painted in CF&E black/yellow)
CFER SD40-2 5722 (ex-CP, painted in NALX black/white)
CFER SD40-2 5765 (ex-CP, painted in NALX black/white)
CFER SD40-2 7006 (ex-BN, retains BN paint)
CFER SD40-2 7014 (ex-BN, retains BN paint)
CFER SD40-2 7033 (ex-BN, painted in CF&E black/yellow)
CFER SD40-2 7052 (ex-BN, painted in CF&E black/yellow)
CFER SD45T-2 9386 (ex-SP, retains SP paint)
CFER SD45T-2 9392 (ex-SP, retains SP paint)
CFER SD45T-2 9395 (ex-SP, painted in CF&E black/yellow)
CFER SD45T-2 9401 (ex-SP, retains SP paint)
CF&E Train Symbols
L-WARVAL - Warsaw based local. On duty at 1030 Monday through Friday. Crew runs west to Valparaiso as needed.
L-FTW-A - Fort Wayne local crew. On duty at 2030 Monday through Friday.
L-FTW-B - Fort Wayne local crew. On duty at 0530 Monday through Friday.
R-FTWCHI - Fort Wayne to Chicago road freight. On duty at 1230 Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
R-CHIFTW - Chicago to Fort Wayne road freight. On duty time depends on crew rest from previous day, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
X-FTW-A - Extra Fort Wayne crew. No regular call time, covers recrews and extra work between west of Fort Wayne and on the Decatur branch.
X-FTW-B - Extra Fort Wayne crew. No regular call time, covers recrews and extra work between west of Fort Wayne and on the Decatur branch.
L-LIM-A - Lima east local and I&O interchange switcher. On duty at 0630 Monday through Friday.
L-LIM-B - Lima west local. On duty at 0730 Monday through Friday.
L-LIM-C - CSX interchange switcher. On duty at 1800 Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
L-LIMFTW - Lima to Fort Wayne turn. On duty at 1500 Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
L-LIMCST - Lima to Crestline turn. On duty at 0430 Tuesday and Saturday.
X-LIM-A - Extra Lima crew. No regular call time, covers recrews and extra work between Fort Wayne and Crestline.