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My son and I are going to the rail park Fostoria over Thanksgiving weekend on Saturday. Just wanted to know if it's a nice place and if there's usually a lot of trains that go by in a short amount of time. Thanks for any info.

Yes on all accounts, although be aware there may be some work related shutdowns over Thanksgiving.

MagnumForce wrote:Yes on all accounts, although be aware there may be some work related shutdowns over Thanksgiving.

If Fostoria is slow, go find a wheeling train. They don't believe in holidays!

Where does the Wheeling run at?

matthew wrote:Where does the Wheeling run at?

They run out of Carey about 15 miles south of Fostoria. Listen to 161.025 for track warrants

Cool! We actually planned on going through Carey before going to New Haven. We were going to try to go to Marion but I don't think we'll have enough daylight plus we were there just a few months ago.

Saturday should be fine. CSX usually only stops trains during the day on Thanksgiving. The hot intermodals still run but once the sun goes down all heck brakes loose.

My son and I went to Fostoria yesterday and what an amazing place. We were running around the park trying to get pictures of all the trains going by. A lot of the running came from trains switching directions at the junction. Didn't realize the tower was still active so that was an added bonus. We'll definitely be coming back.

Glad your Son and you had a good time. F tower is one of the few towers that will likely never close, just too much going on all the time between transfers and local switching it can really get harry in that tower at times. IIRC CSX tried a few tests to remote all or part of the operation on off shifts in the 90's from what I heard the results were horrible.

Harry? Brakes?

SousaKerry wrote:F tower is one of the few towers that will likely never close

If Zoo in Philadelphia can be remoted, they can remote F tower if they wanted to.

They've mulled closing it before. I'm sure they'll end up closing it eventually.

If needed the IP dispatcher can do everything F tower currently does.

JoJames wrote:If needed the IP dispatcher can do everything F tower currently does.

That's a scary thought...

Practice Safe CSX

CSX_CO wrote:

JoJames wrote:If needed the IP dispatcher can do everything F tower currently does.

That's a scary thought...

Practice Safe CSX

Took place on second shift Christmas Eve Day 2004.

cbehr91 wrote: If Zoo in Philadelphia can be remoted, they can remote F tower if they wanted to.

Exactly what I was thinking!

If they ever did remote it permanently they would dang near need a whole desk just for that job during the busy times of day. That tower operator does a lot more then control the interlocking. Many times I have seen and heard them giving paperwork to the crews, reporting shifted loads and defects. Calling the cops when some idiot is wandering too close to the tracks or on the bridges. Lets not forget when Amtrash service was still on the B&O and would break down in the dead of winter F tower provided bathrooms and heat to stranded passengers (I know no longer applies) The operators will report problems with track and signals long before any remote person would.

I know these are all old arguments that were fought many many times in the past with every tower closing, but you have to admit an active tower sure adds a lot of cool points to Fostoria as a Hot Spot for railfans.

SousaKerry wrote: an active tower sure adds a lot of cool points to Fostoria as a Hot Spot for railfans.

It sure does!

The operator speeds up movements through town.
A train is called to certain place to wait on another move and there is no way
a dispatcher would have time to continuously do this.

I'd wager to say if they did close F tower they would shorten IP's territory to end at Fostoria or Galatea, and perhaps give the Willard Terminal Sub to another dispatcher, too. Maybe IO. When all the DIs were still in Jacksonville, most shifts the Willard Terminal and Willard Subs were two different desks and the train director was still there too. Given how CSX does things F tower will likely be open for years to come.