Everything/Anything CF&E thread...

[CF&E East]

Regarding Crestline, I spoke with a gentleman yesterday who is helping expand the grain/soybean facility there. He said right now there are two 300,000 bushel bins, a 500,000 bushel bin, a 700,000 one, and two one million bushel bins. That's pretty substantial. I'd say as lucrative as grain is to railroads, the CF&E is pretty safe west of Crestline. Most of the elevators are shifting business to Crestline, as ADM in Shelby no longer can ship by rail and with Crestline handling soybeans now, it's pretty much a locked deal. Mansfield is the other big one, out of which NS originates a grain train for Conway.

My information is CSX serves the Crestline elevator? Interesting..

I haven't heard or seen a CF&E for days now-the last train went through Bucyrus around 2:30am 10-12 days ago and I not sure if that was the CF&E local,the Cargill grainer or the CSX grainer..There's very little CF&E action in this neck of the woods.

I believe the grainers you see on the CF&E are in fact CF&E crews. They have CF&E symbols too.

Your correct

[Brakie]

Thank you! Nice to know.

What are the symbol numbers?


These CF&E trains is rather interesting..One uses CSX locomotives and CSX grain cars and the Cargil train uses RailAmercia locomotives-meaning any road name RA operates-usually I&O GP40s..

[bdconrail29]

Brakie,

Here's another curve ball for you. Trains entering the facility from the east, as in ones that use the short connection at Crestline and go in from the Big 4 side, are CSX trains and crews. The last one I saw came up the Columbus line as a G896, pulled north of the interlocking at Crestline, then backed in. I have also seen grain trains leave the facility and back out onto the Big 4 and head south as CSX trains. However, coming in from the west or leaving west, yes they have CSX power but as CF&E trains and symbols. The two I've seen personally were GRCR and GRLI (Grainer for Crestline and Grainer for Lima). I'm not sure at all what the contracts are. The gentleman at Crestline also told me that soybeans would be leaving the facility for the east coast too. I'd guess these would run CSX eastbound on the Big 4 and not use the NS because NS of course has nothing to do with the facility. In addition, I've seen the CSX local C935 pull grain cars out of the facility and take them somewhere west on the Big 4. A cool little operation. I'll have to look into my logs and see exactly what the symbols were I saw in October.

[bdconrail29]

The symbol was G984 that backed out of the yard eastbound, then went westbound on the Big 4 to Columbus. The grainer symbols on the CF&E were GRCL, GRLI, and GRHA. (Crestline, Lima, and Hamlet respectively). The grain symbols are not dictated by load/empty, but the last two letters are from what I can tell, the destination.

On a similar note, the Spore run that runs to National Limestone northwest of Bucyrus near Spore, OH on the old T&OC is operated by CSX strictly, running as C735. So between Bucyrus and Crestline you have 4 scheduled NS freights, CF&E grainers, and the CSX Spore run, sometimes all 3 on a particular day.

The CF&E also operates a local from Lima that works Upper Sandusky and two industries? in Bucyrus. Maybe Brakie can clarify that for us.

Things can get bad though. In the summer John from Upper Sandusky noted the CF&E had run nothing east of Upper for 14 days! Ouch.

What a metamorphosis of the line. CR's last Fort Wayne Line timetable shows 30 trains daily, until late 1981. Now go back to the year 1990 and you had Amtrak #29, #30, #40, and #41 daily. Once weekly you had the PAG (Proctor and Gamble) train from Cincinnati to Lima via Crestline. When Amtrak went away and PAG cars were ran via COPI and WILI-50, all you had were CR locals and CR was considering abandoning or selling the line. Then the roadrailers came in 1993 and ran till 1998. And the rest is history.

[bnsf8000]

1/9/12. EB CFE train FWLI through Van Wert at 6PM. Leading were CFE 3880or82/CORP 4024 and CFE 3886 with 61 cars. The train was very heavy with 36 loaded steel flats, the majority with LRS reporting marks, 2 empty steel flats, 16 gons and 7 box cars:MWDR, TTX, YKR. Rolling by the Wayne St. Crossing.

Last Thursday CFE 3886/3882 came into town as the LIVW. Switched CSP took 3 loads out and I believe 3 empties back and left 4 Plastic hoppers north of the diamond at Anderson Ave. There are still 9 grain cars at Scott Equity elevator but should be loaded now.

As of last Friday there were 16 soda ash hoppers at the VW Terminal. Sitting on both siding tracks and still unloaded on the 2nd track over.

Trains LIFW/FWLI have been running a lot at night thus no reports.

Also, I believe last Friday WB LIFW with 2 units and about 23-24 cars at 6:30PM.

PW

[AARR]

The train was very heavy with 36 loaded steel flats, the majority with LRS reporting marks,

Any idea where the steel flats are going? Is it an intermill movement?

[bnsf8000]

I've saw many of the loads go to CSX in Lima. They arrive at Lima at the CF&E Cole St. yard and are transferred to the CSX yard. I don't know the ultimate destination . I also don't know how many go on the I&O if any. But there are times that SDI: Steel Dynamics Inc. really pumps out the car loads of steel from the Columbia City plant west of Fort Wayne. There have been for years now SSW bulkhead flats with chalked in CFE Pool on them. The LRS cars are fairly new reporting marks I've seen on well used cars. There are also always some TTX bulkheads. Used to be some GNRR bulkheads also/still.

PW

[AARR]

I've saw many of the loads go to CSX in Lima. They arrive at Lima at the CF&E Cole St. yard and are transferred to the CSX yard. I don't know the ultimate destination . I also don't know how many go on the I&O if any. But there are times that SDI: Steel Dynamics Inc. really pumps out the car loads of steel from the Columbia City plant west of Fort Wayne. There have been for years now SSW bulkhead flats with chalked in CFE Pool on them. The LRS cars are fairly new reporting marks I've seen on well used cars. There are also always some TTX bulkheads. Used to be some GNRR bulkheads also/still.

PW

I enjoy this sort of detailed info. I am fascinated in the logistics and operations of railroads. The how and why cars travel from orgin to destination looks so easy but I am sure involves many carefully panned and detailed steps. Thanks PW!

[bnsf8000]

1/12/12. WB LIFW with a lone CFE unit and 32 cars at 11:56AM. Train had 3 box cars upfront, followed by 17 grain cars, 3 gons then 8 FMLX covered hoppers and bringing up the rear was a loaded coil steel gon with yellow hoods. The 8 FMLX hoppers were probably empties from the VW Terminal.

EB FWLI at 4:30PM running lite through Van Wert.

PW

[bnsf8000]

1/13/12. WB CFE train LIFW. Leading were FEC 505/CORP 4024 with 19 cars. In the consist were 12 grain cars, 6 loaded gons and 1 box car. Train went through Van Wert at 11:45AM.

EB FWLI at 4:40PM with CORP 4024/FEC 505 and 21 cars. Train had 5 loaded highside gons and 16 box cars.

There are 10 grain cars at the Scott Equity Exchange elevator in town and also 4 plastics hoppers there for CSP here in VW.

Probably 15 or so soda ash hoppers at the VW Terminal as of yesterday.

PW

[bnsf8000]

1/14/12. LIVW came into Van Wert with formerly FEC 505 as CFE 505 now. Shop personnel have put CFE letters inside of the the FEC hurricane logo on the sides of the long hood in place of FEC. Think about it it had the letters already. FEC/CFE. Don't know if they're new letters or were they vinyl and just changed around. Don' know if FEC 506 is this way yet.
LIVW picked up the 10 loaded grain hoppers from Scott Equity elevator and also took out 4 plastics hoppers to CSP in town. Should have brought back 3 or so empties from CSP.

The relettering on FEC 505 comes from my friend Bill who saw it go past his house on its way to CSP.

PW

[bnsf8000]

1/16/12. EB CFE train FWLI at 11:25PM. Leading were CORP 4024/CFE 505 with 62 cars. In the consist were 23 grain hoppers: AEX, FURX, BNGX, CSYX and FMLX, 16 loaded gons, 11 tank cars: all for Bunge, 6 box cars: all CN, 5 loaded steel flats and 1 coil car gon with yellow hoods. The 505 looks alright with CFE in the hurricane logo.

1/17/12. EB FWLI at 5:55PM. Running solo was CFE 3886 with 47 cars. The train was heavy with 19 loaded steel flats: LRS, TTX and SSW, 13 box cars: TTX, YKR and CN, 8 loaded gons, 6 grain cars: FMLX, BNSF and BNGX and 1 tank car for Bunge.

Looks like there are some more grain cars at the Scott Equity Exchange here in Van Wert.

PW

[bnsf8000]

1/19/12. EB FWLI at 5:50PM with CSX 279/4001 leading and 52 cars. The first car behind the engines was a crane car. A rare surprise on any class 1 let alone the CF&E. The rest of the train included 40 grain cars: BNGX, AEX, CSYX, TILX, NOKL among others, 5 loaded gons, 4 loaded steel flats 1 tank car and 1 coil car. Was rolling along right through Van Wert.

There is just 1 FURX grain car at the Scott Equity elevator not several and also 4 plastics hoppers there for CSP in town: all ACFX.

Also, reported on the Fort wayne board the CF&E had derailment at Decatur,IN on the Decatur branch that services the large Bunge complex there.

PW

[bnsf8000]

1/20/12. WB LIVW Lima/Van Wert in VW at 11AM. Worked CSP on the southside of VW. They dropped off 10 grain hoppers at Scott Equity Exchange: most are HMBX, looks like the same ones as before. Back for some more loads.

There are still 4 ACFX plastics hoppers at the elevator and the FURX grain hopper is now coupled to them. I don't know what CF&E took out to CSP and left town with. They most likely worked the Van Wert Terminal also.

PW

[AARR]

Hey PW, just letting you know I follow your updates and enjoy reading what the daily CF&E trains consisted of.

Maybe one of these days you will get a camera and/or video recorder and post those along with your report

[bnsf8000]

1/24/12. WB LIFW through Van Wert at 2:10PM. Leading were CFE 3882/CORP 4024 cruising with 61 cars. In the freight were 17 grain cars: including BNSF, AGP, AEX, BNGX, CSYX and CITX, 8 FMLX covered hoppers like the ones at VW Terminal, 3 empty steel flats, 3 loaded gons and 1 box car. Bringing up the rear was a 29 car empty welded rail unit: TYOX.

1/23/12. EB FWLI at 5:57PM through VW with CFE 3882 running solo with 30 cars. In the train were 19 grain cars: CSYX, AEX, BNGX, NOKL among a few others, 3 tank cars, 3 plastics hoppers, 2 coil cars, 2 box cars and 1 gon.

As of 1/24 there 13 soda ash hoppers at the VW Terminal. There are still the 11 grain cars and 4 plastics hoppers at the Scott Equity in VW.

PW

[bnsf8000]

1/25/12. EB CF&E train FWLI through Van Wert at 6:35PM. Leading were CFE 3882/IORY 4036 with 54 cars. Train had 18 box cars: TTX [FBOX], YKR, MSDR, 12 grain cars: AEX, CSYX, BNGX, BN, BNSF, 12 loaded gons, 7 loaded steel flats, 3 tank cars for Bunge, 1 plastics hopper and 1 coil car. Train was rolling right through VW.

PW

[bnsf8000]

1/27/12. WB LIFW at 12:16PM with CFE 3882/IORY 4036 and another CFE unit. In the train were around 75 cars including 29 car empty welded unit bringing up the rear, around 17 box cars: 8 CN also TTX, alot of grain cars, 10 or so empty steel flats.

1/28/12. EB CFE train FWLI at 11:20AM. Hammering the diamond with IORY 4032/CFE 3880 and 56 cars. With 47 grain cars: BNGX, AEX CSYX, very heavy on NOKL hoppers, DJTX and CITX,BNSF, 4 loaded steel flats, 3 coil cars including 2 IHB, 1 Light brown GATX tank car behind the engines and 1 loaded gon. Very rare as of now for running on Saturday. Maybe they ran out of hours yesterday after they went WB.

There are 5 grain hoppers at the Scott Equity Exchange elevator and still the 4 plastics hoppers.

PW

[bnsf8000]

1/29/12. WB LIVW in Van Wert at 1AM to drop off and pickup cars. Units were IORY4032/CFE 3880 and 9 cars. Including 8 grain cars: 6 of them Cargill's and 1 FURX and ! HMBX and 1 NAHX plastics hopper. I believe they were picking up the 4 plastics hoppers and taking them. There are still the 5 grain hoppers at the Scott Equity elevator plus 8 more now.

PW

[bnsf8000]

2/3/12. WB LIFW with a CFE unit/CORP 4024 and 49 cars at 12:50PM. Train was heavy with 45 grain cars: AEX, CSYX, BNGX, NOKL and FURX, 1 Guilford box car, 1 Procor plastics hopper and 2 coil cars bringing up the rear. Rolling along at track speed.

There are still 13 grain cars at the Scott Equity including 6 Cargill's. LIVW took out 5 plastics hoppers: 4 ACFX and 1 NAHX to Continental Structural Plastics and brought no empties back? IIRC the units were CFE 3880 and CORP 4024.

As of Wednesday there were 21 soda ash hoppers at the Van Wert Terminal LLC.

I have been hearing the trains go through at night but no info. That's RA for you: run at anytime or until they have a crew.

Van Wert's supersite has the grant money for the rail spur. We'll see what happens. Local economic development director says Ohio wants to get this started. This site has I believe up to 1600 acres signed and there is one more in Ohio above 1,000 acres. As I said before we'll see what happens.

PW