Marion Branch Question

[CG Tower]

Just curious what the current train counts/times are on the Marion Branch these days. We would like to take a trip west (if we get a nice few days) sometime soon, but wanted to try to get a feel of the operations. We've had luck before, but, that can always run out.

Eric at CG Tower

[Y@]

18K and 142 in the early morning.
13K in the mid to late morning.
19K in the middle of the day.
143/175/366 all in the evening.

[CG Tower]

Guess I should have just texted you Y@!

Thanks!

E

18K and 142 in the early morning.
13K in the mid to late morning.
19K in the middle of the day.
143/175/366 all in the evening.

[Y@]

Haha, no worries CG... If you get lucky, 312 will run south in daylight, but they've typically been yarding their train in Marion before dawn. 174 and 175 have been taking the connection at Claypool most days lately as well, making northbound 142 the only train running the entire length of the Marion Branch.

[MagnumForce]

I have found the easiest thing to do is sit in Goshen and watch the action on the Chicago Line until something goes South. They crawl through Goshen and you can easily beat them to wherever you want to shoot them.

Last time I chased I shot at Goshen, Leesburg, Warsaw and Claypool. The winter is the perfect time to chase on the Marion branch, light is usable all day.

[CG Tower]

Excellent point...we had a great chase south on a winter day a few years back and you're right, the light is perfect.


13 K by CG Tower, MP 142.3, on Flickr

E@CG

I have found the easiest thing to do is sit in Goshen and watch the Action on the Chicago Line until something goes South. They crawl through Goshen and you can easily beat them to wherever to want to shoot them.

Last time I chased I shot at Goshen, Leesburg, Warsaw and Claypool. The winter is the perfect time to chase on the Marion branch, light is usable all day.

[MagnumForce]

On cloudy days you can shoot whatever, got this guy last week on the Warsaw street running. No left turn!


M8K warsaw by Brent Kneebush, on Flickr

[Toppysager]

I don't know much about the line, other then that it is not very busy. On a good day it may see 10 trains in a 24 hour period. Usually there are a couple between 12 and 3 so that might be a good time.

[Y@]

Daily, the Wabash to Goshen stretch of the Branch sees...

12K - Early AM usually pre-dawn
13K - Mid morning
142 - Early morning
143 - Evening/after dark
144 - After dark
174 (North of Claypool) - No idea
175 (North of Claypool) - Evening
18K - Early to mid morning
19K - Middle of the day
311 - Middle of the night
312 - Early morning before dawn

Plus whatever the local is that runs up to Leesburg in the middle of the night. Also random grain, stone and sulphur trains.

[skrail]

13k, called Elk 8 am
19k , called Elk 945 AM
12K/18K OUTTA PERU USUALLY EARLY AM
EXTRAS M8K, 55J ETC..WHENEVER
KEEP POSTIN MARION PIX.. MEBBE I,M IN THEM!

[CG Tower]

I have a whole slew of them here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cgtower/se ... 346392670/

CG Tower

13k, called Elk 8 am
19k , called Elk 945 AM
12K/18K OUTTA PERU USUALLY EARLY AM
EXTRAS M8K, 55J ETC..WHENEVER
KEEP POSTIN MARION PIX.. MEBBE I,M IN THEM!

[conrail7695]

On the Marion branch are still any trains that go to Indianapolis via the line to Anderson, IN down the csx main line and onto the belt down the east side of Indy to hawthron yard???

[conrailman75]

Mike, only an NS local out of Marion, IN(L42) runs to Anderson and then over to Hawthorne yard in Indianapolis to interchange with CSX. There is also a middle of the night local that originates at Goodman yard in Marion, L44, that runs from the GM parts plant there and goes up to Wabash and backs onto the Wabash line at the connection and runs over to the GM truck plant each night. I want to say the local that runs up to Leesburg is L46, but I'm not certain.

You guys managed to hit on the all the trains that NS normally runs on the Marion Branch, but if you think this is dead, back in Conrail days they only ran ELIN/INEL and TREL/ELTR along with the local from Ft. Wayne, ELFW/FWEL and the local trains, WSMI-46 and WSMI-01 on the Branch during a 24 hour period(6 through freights and 2 out and back locals).

BTW, the busiest day I know about on the Marion Branch took place in 1978 during Conrail when they ran 24 trains in a 24 hour period! Want more details about the Marion Branch? Read the article I wrote about Conrail operations on the Branch in the Spring 2012 Conrail Quarterly, the official publication of the Conrail Historical Society. You can purchase a copy on line by visiting our website, www.theCRHS.org and clicking on the link for Conrail Shoppe.

[Y@]

142 is the only through freight that runs the Branch in its entirety.

[CSX_CO]

142 is the only through freight that runs the Branch in its entirety.

Even that misses the stretch from Anderson to Alex doesn't it though?

Practice Safe CSX

[Y@]

I don't believe so.

[Loco_Engr]

Nothing other than a local goes south of Alexandria, unless they still run the odd grain train (to Indian Creek, maybe?). 142, 143, and possibly 144 are now running via Alexandria & Muncie instead of turning at Claypool. Also, you forgot the "new" FWEL & ELFW - 365 and 366 (via Claypool).

Marion Branch photos on Flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8-n-sand/s ... 322887330/

[conrailman75]

Thanks AJB, I had forgotten about those two trains.

[chessiegp40]

143 is nearing Wabash at 7:20pm this evening with NS 9166 leading.

[rob46580]

probably a reroute due to track work somewhere, but the other day 18m went south towards claypool thru Warsaw. Doubt it is here to stay as I have only saw it once.