Deshler vs. Fostoria vs. Berea

[midland sub]

Not all railfans are concerned with volume of traffic such as one can find out Deshler, Fostoria or Berea. To each their own, as I prefer quality over quantity. I prefer Marion over the 3, but I would pick Deshler over the other 2.

I had an interesting conversation about this very topic with a couple of good (one works for CSX) friends on a railfan trek across southern Ohio on Saturday. It was a general agreement that we avoid the 3 locations due to typically them being overrun by the "professional railfan". Mr Tops, That Guy, Loco Eng will know what I'm talking about as I hear this term time after time from those in the profession. The P.R. puts the foam in foamer- my camera is bigger, I have ATCS, I have 300 pics at RP.net, I know this-I know that, let me tell how smart I am, argue the smallest pointless detail, biggest know-it-all/jerks at railfan boards (T.O is overrun by them)........ Breath P.R.'s ....it's just a hobby for 90% of us..... They seem to migrate away when the weather turns colder.

As for the trek across southern Ohio, we followed the abandoned DT&I ROW south of Washington CH through Bainbridge, up to Summit Hill and then down to Waverly. From Waverly we followed NS to Portsmouth where we drove around the yard. Not much going on at Portsmouth these days as CG Tower said other than coal and coke trains waiting crews and lot's of stored TTX baretables. Headed back north along the C&O all the way to Greggs and then back to NS to Chillicothe. Grand total of one train (NS 218 just south of Lunbeck) during the drive. Both NC and CSX had track inspectors out looking for sun kinks during that time. The C&O is bit more interesting scenery wise south of Chillicothe, but NS more accessible with a lot more predictable traffic.

[redside20]

For me a trip down the midland sub to Washington Court House and beyond is a total thrill for me. For instance, to see what is in the siding at Haynes or checking out the scene at Cargill and Valero at Bloomingburg. Watching all the switching that takes place in the industrial park on the east side of WCH. or just hanging out at the yard office there in downtown WCH and seeing all the wooden trestles that cross paint creek especially the one behind the football field that was abandoned by the DT&I more than 25 years ago. i get excited when i see stuff like that

[redside20]

even little South Charleston can be an interesting place to railfan to see what all gets switched there. Springfield may not the railroad mecca it once was, but there are some interesting things still to see there. the part where the railroad runs right at the bottom of a cliff along Buck Creek and out along Snyder Park by Wittenberg and then where row crosses Buck Creek on a trestle in the park is pretty sweet as far as i'm concerned. places like Lagonda, Junction Yard, Burt Street, Cold Springs and Maitland are shadows of there former selves but its fun to explore, ponder and think about what once was....same with Tremont City siding and Glen Echo

[railohio]

I picked Deshler just to stick it to Ginger.

[lakeshoredave]

out of these 3 spots, berea is clearly the best. i'm a heavy mainline guy. i go to see trains. fostoria is great traffic wise but hard to see everything. i enjoy the ex nyc west of cleveland.

[redside20]

Since i'm more partial to Norfolk Southern, i always tune in to what NS runs through Fostoria and all along the Fostoria district. though there may be less volume of traffic on the Nickel Plate there is a great diversity of traffic spread out in a 24 hour period. from manifests, intermodals, roadrailers, coal and coke trains, grain and ethanol traffic. Throw in the fostoria districts many locals including the out and back 303, the autoracks that go in and out of the mixing center and the Narlo stone turns during the season and you got a line that's been quietly holding its own for the last 30-40 years. on the cleveland and fostoria side anywhere along the line is a good place. besides Fostoria, Payne, Continental, Leipsic, McComb, North Findlay, Maple Grove.....the list goes on. there are too many to list but the water level route of the ns you can have fun watching trains. as for CSX i love the New Castle District

[Y@]

Since i'm more partial to Norfolk Southern, i always tune in to what NS runs through Fostoria and all along the Fostoria district. though there may be less volume of traffic on the Nickel Plate there is a great diversity of traffic spread out in a 24 hour period. from manifests, intermodals, roadrailers, coal and coke trains, grain and ethanol traffic. Throw in the fostoria districts many locals including the out and back 303, the autoracks that go in and out of the mixing center and the Narlo stone turns during the season and you got a line that's been quietly holding its own for the last 30-40 years. on the cleveland and fostoria side anywhere along the line is a good place. besides Fostoria, Payne, Continental, Leipsic, McComb, North Findlay, Maple Grove.....the list goes on. there are too many to list but the water level route of the ns you can have fun watching trains. as for CSX i love the New Castle District

Water Level Route is a good place to sit and watch, but not so much a good line for photography unless you're west of Butler or east of Toledo. The Sandusky Bay causeway is SWEET.

[cbehr91]

Since i'm more partial to Norfolk Southern, i always tune in to what NS runs through Fostoria and all along the Fostoria district. though there may be less volume of traffic on the Nickel Plate there is a great diversity of traffic spread out in a 24 hour period. from manifests, intermodals, roadrailers, coal and coke trains, grain and ethanol traffic. Throw in the fostoria districts many locals including the out and back 303, the autoracks that go in and out of the mixing center and the Narlo stone turns during the season and you got a line that's been quietly holding its own for the last 30-40 years. on the cleveland and fostoria side anywhere along the line is a good place. besides Fostoria, Payne, Continental, Leipsic, McComb, North Findlay, Maple Grove.....the list goes on. there are too many to list but the water level route of the ns you can have fun watching trains. as for CSX i love the New Castle District

Water Level Route is a good place to sit and watch, but not so much a good line for photography unless you're west of Butler or east of Toledo. The Sandusky Bay causeway is SWEET.

The NS Chicago Line is freakin' sweet. There's probably 95 trains a day and plenty of places to sit and watch the action. I can however see how shutterbugs could be turned off by the line because a lot of it in the country of Western Ohio is fairly generic, but I'm not a shutterbug so I need not worry.

My decision to vote for Berea was weighted because it's on the Chicago Line. However the CSX Toledo Sub is my second favorite line in the state, and despite my earlier complaints about Deshler, it would easily be my second choice.

And since I know whoever's reading this is wondering (note sarcasm), my third favorite line in Ohio is the NS New Castle District, even though it only runs in a small portion of the state.

[bdconrail29]

I would scale that number back a bit. With the 3 all nighters from last year, and the one this year, plus about 30 Saturdays of logging trains, I'd say 60-65 at Oak Harbor. Typically you get 25 in the 8 hours from 8-4 and maybe 40 more if you're lucky from 4pm-the next 8am.

However, you're right. I'm very impartial to the Chicago Line.

[Y@]

There's probably 95 trains a day

Holy crap, where you got that number, I will never know! You could probably get 95 in Berea, but not just sitting in Wauseon or Delta or one of those towns!

[bdconrail29]

Even less out there, more like 50-55/day.

[Y@]

I meant 95 combined CSX/NS.

[cbehr91]

Even less out there, more like 50-55/day.

Still, for a mainline east of the Mississippi, that's not too bad.

[cbehr91]

There's probably 95 trains a day

Holy crap, where you got that number, I will never know! You could probably get 95 in Berea, but not just sitting in Wauseon or Delta or one of those towns!

Guilty! I overestimated the number of trains just a bit.

[Big Frank]

Fostoria vs. Deshler vs. Berea VS BATMAN!!!!!!!!

[bdconrail29]

What about Ditka vs. Deshler, Fostoria, and Berea?

[bdconrail29]

I meant 95 combined CSX/NS.

Y@, I think our messages got tangled. I was still up one post about Wauseon/Delta area. No I agree about Berea, there's probably more than that even.

[Y@]

I meant 95 combined CSX/NS.

Y@, I think our messages got tangled. I was still up one post about Wauseon/Delta area. No I agree about Berea, there's probably more than that even.

Oops, my bad Brett.

[Chris7092]

Pretty much the entire C&O is awesome. [/quote]

Revenue!!! I'd have to say Deshler is my favorite, more for the fellowship with other railfans than for the trains themselves.

Chris

[Typhoon]

What about Ditka vs. Deshler, Fostoria, and Berea?

Ditka of course! He could drag through 3000 trains in a eight hour shift by himself!