Everything/Anything CF&E thread...

[bnsf8000]

9/26/11. EB CFE train FWLI with 2 CFE units leading. Too far away to see numbers. Train had 112 cars on it. It had 4 empty flats, 30 gons with quite a few loaded, 25 box cars with several of the new re TTX logo, and 53 grain cars. Nice train.

Haven't been seeing many CFE trains because of trackwork and they are running nocturnal most of the time. Still creeping through Van Wert as of now.

PW

[AARR]

9/26/11. EB CFE train FWLI with 2 CFE units leading. Too far away to see numbers. Train had 112 cars on it.

Is this one of the longer CFE trains you have seen?

[bnsf8000]

AARR the 112 cars would be a somewhat longer one than usual. You have to consider that alot of the times there are a lot of certain types of cars on the trains which I'm sure you're aware: sometimes very heavy on grain cars/gons/box. What I have not been seeing are loads of steel through Van Wert. Probably just missing them because of the nighttime turns. In the past there have been FWLI/LIFW turns with anywhere from 100 to 135 cars or so. Then once in a great while you might see a Giant CFE monster like the 167 car train with 2 four axle units. Those always have alot of grainers. Not the status quo. Back when CFE tried to pull everything out of Chicago they could 140 to 160 car trains were pretty routine with 2 six axle units. Until CSX put down it's iron fist. Those were some interesting times with 4 or 5 trains a day and occasionally 6 in a day. A couple of those would be grain trains with CSX power.

PW

[AARR]

Until CSX put down it's iron fist. Those were some interesting times with 4 or 5 trains a day and occasionally 6 in a day. A couple of those would be grain trains with CSX power.

that reminds me many years ago, early 1990's perhaps, TSBY was taking unit trains of grsain from MMRR in Alma to AnnPere (Howell) and giving them to CSX there. Normally, MMRR would give the trains directly to CSX at Paines (west of Saginaw). When CSX found out they put a stop to it. But it is funny it even started in the first place

[bnsf8000]

9/29/11. WB CFE train LIFW with CFE 3880/3882 and 24 cars. It had 18 grain cars: FMLX, CITX, BNSF, NYDX and CP Rail, 5 box cars and 1 gon. Cruising at approximately track speed.

PW

[bnsf8000]

9/30/11. LIVW in Van Wert around 12:30PM. It had CFE 3886 and 4 plastics hoppers for Continental Structural Plastics on the southside of VW. 3 were ACFX "OMYA" and 1 NAHX. LIVW must have worked the VW Terminal as there are now approximately 25 soda ash hoppers there. They are on both tracks there.

10/1/11. Some long lost friends rolled through VW on the FWLI at 11:05AM. Leading were FEC 506/505 with 38 cars in tow. It had 3 ballast hoppers, 11 gons, 9 flats including loads of steel and some empty flats, 1 tank, 7 boxes including TTX, 1 plastics hopper and 6 grain cars. Rolled through town at about track speed.

10/1/11. At 2:55PM LIFW rolled through VW with FEC 505/506 and 49 cars. Train had 2 box cars, 8 or so gons, 5 steel flats, 2 plastics hoppers, 3 coil cars, 2 tank cars and several grain hoppers. Also, rolled through VW at track speed.

PW

[redside20]

Love the reports PW...Wonder why the I&O can never run like this and in more frequency.

[midland sub]

They do. It's just at night!

Love the reports PW...Wonder why the I&O can never run like this and in more frequency.

[bnsf8000]

Redside I like giving the CFE reports. Just like Midland said, the CFE also is running nocturnal most of the time now. Ever since the trackwork started it's been that way. We'll see if they eventually start running more in the daylight. Plus, we're losing more daylight everyday

PW

[midland sub]

They (at least on the I&O) try and schedule most of the local and heavy switching jobs during the daylight. Typically a bit safer during the daylight hours and hopefully less human errors due to fatigue. So we end up missing out on some of the bigger trains the I&O and probably the CF&E move in our areas.

[bnsf8000]

10/10/11. EB CFE train FWLI. Leading were CFE 3882/3880/CORP 4024 and 29 cars. It had 5 box cars, 8 gons, 5 grainers, 7 empty flats, 3 loaded steel flats and 1 coil car. It cruised through Van Wert at 6:45AM.

Early last week saw IORY 4036 WB LIFW with a paltry 4 cars. A grainer, A couple of tanks and a box car I believe. Went through VW around 8:30PM.

VW Terminal has 9 soda ash hoppers there now. A lot of those covered hoppers have FMLX reporting marks. Finally got a chance to check the reporting marks out. Safe to say those are some of the hoppers on the Ft. Wayne-Lima turns.

Trains continue to run at night to very early morning.

PW

[penn central]

Until CSX put down it's iron fist. Those were some interesting times with 4 or 5 trains a day and occasionally 6 in a day. A couple of those would be grain trains with CSX power.

that reminds me many years ago, early 1990's perhaps, TSBY was taking unit trains of grsain from MMRR in Alma to AnnPere (Howell) and giving them to CSX there. Normally, MMRR would give the trains directly to CSX at Paines (west of Saginaw). When CSX found out they put a stop to it. But it is funny it even started in the first place

I remember this it was 1991-1992 time frame i went out and took picture's of the rusty tracks between Paines and maple streets in Saginaw because i thought the end was near for the route.

[bnsf8000]

10/15/11. WB CFE train LIFW. At 8:33PM rolling through tiny Scott's Crossing just west of Lima/Elida a few miles were IORY 4036/ CORP 4024 and 74 cars. IORY 4036 was leading long hood forward. The train had 3 tanks, 11 box cars, 31 grainers, 6 gons, 12 empty steel flats, 6 plastics hoppers: 4 for CSP in Van Wert and 5 ballast hoppers. Only saw this train because we were coming back from Chuck E Cheese from a grandson's 5th birthday party. Train was only going 10-15 mph through this stretch of track along St. Rt. 309.

10/16/11. EB FWLI ran out of hours last night heading back to Lima. As of 9AM. Parked train outside of Van Wert at the John Brown Rd. crossing. Where they do when this happens. They broke the train apart for the Liberty Union Rd. crossing because of the train's size. Now leading again was IORY 4036/ CORP 4024 and 115 cars with the 4036 swapped for the lead with short hood forward in Ft. Wayne. Train had 7 tanks, 18 flats: 9 loads of steel, 12 box cars, 6 gons, 67 grainers/soda ash:mostly grainers, 1 empty centerbeam and the 4 plastics hoppers for CSP in VW from last night's train.
There were 17 soda ash hoppers at the VW Terminal at last check.

Early last week there was WB LIFW with CFE 3880/3882 and 7 cars around 9:30PM including 3 gons, 1 empty steel flat and 3 tanks.

Also, a crew from Indiana has been replacing all the crossbucks with new ones including posts with yield signs at all crossings that don't have lights. Said they were going all the way to the west end of the CFE including the old CN in VW. Said they had done work on the I&O before/in the past. PW

[bnsf8000]

10/18/11. WB LIFW at 11:33AM through Van Wert with CFE 3880/3882 and 13 cars. In the consist were 3 box cars, 5 gons, I believe 3 tanks, 1 plastics hopper and 1 TILX grainer.

EB loaded welded rail train FWLI at 4:30PM through VW with CFE 3882/3880 and 30 cars. 1st car was empty coal hopper followed by 29 loaded welded rail cars. All with SPSX reporting marks.

Might be another set of LIFW/FWLI today since that was the first one.

PW

[Brakie]

Seen in Bucyrus today(10/19 around 1:00 pm) was a Westbound light CF&E engine movement..The locomotive consist was a I&O,A exBN leaser and a CF&E GP38-2. Sorry,I couldn't the numbers..

This is the first movement I seen on the CF&E in 2-3 weeks.


As a edited add on.

At 2:48 pm the same locomotives headed East with 30-40 Cargill cars..Once again I was unable to get the numbers..

[Brakie]

At 9:28 pm(11/19) the same 3 locomotives headed West toward Lima with 60-70 Central Soya covered hoppers.

Since I have never seen this much CF&E action in Bucyrus I was wondering if these was new trains or a one time thing?

I've seen the CF&E local(on it way to switch Transco),the Wheeling train and the CSX grain train all in the same day but,nothing like today.

[redside20]

At 9:28 pm(11/19) the same 3 locomotives headed West toward Lima with 60-70 Central Soya covered hoppers.

Since I have never seen this much CF&E action in Bucyrus I was wondering if these was new trains or a one time thing?

I've seen the CF&E local(on it way to switch Transco),the Wheeling train and the CSX grain train all in the same day but,nothing like today.

Is there a grain elevator in North Robinson? another possibility could CSX handing off some car to the CF&E in Crestline

[bnsf8000]

Hey Brakie give us anything you have on the CFE east of Lima to Crestline. Good that they're moving something. Let us know when other moves occur when you can.

10/19/11. WB CFE train LIFW at 11:25AM. Running solo was CFE 3880 with 14 cars. Including 7 tanks, 4 box cars, 1 grainer, 1 empty flat and 1 ballast? hopper.

Heard the EB FWLI go through Van Wert around 3:15PM . No info to report.


PW

[Brakie]

Is there a grain elevator in North Robinson? another possibility could CSX handing off some car to the CF&E in Crestline?
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Yes,there is a small elevator in North Rob and there's one here in Bucyrus that receives some covered hoppers.I been thinking about this and those cars could have been handed to CF&E by CSX in Crestline.

It was odd seeing a long CF&E train in Bucyrus.Its usually their local when they have cars for Transco or Westside Feed.
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PW,No problem..That should be easy to do.

[railohio]

Central Soya cars would seem likely destined for Decatur, Indiana.