Busiest Indiana rail hotspots 2015

[Toppysager]

So like Ohio, I have compiled a list of the busiest Indiana hotspots. After lots of research and previous recordings, I constructed a list with the approximate train counts of about 2 dozen locations. I listed the top 11 here. This list may help those who want to railfan at one of these places, or help someone decide where to travel. Some places were hard to find information on, but I'm pretty sure these are valid numbers. If anyone agrees or disagrees please comment I'd love to discuss it!

A chart of the busiest Indiana hotspots 2014

*train counts include locals, yard trains, and Amtraks
*with places that have wyes such as Goshen, the trains are counted on the main line for which they traverse (so all trains that at any point ride the Marion Branch rails are accounted as such
*return trips with same locomotives are counted twice as long as train has different symbol/different cars

* 1/5/2015 update: RailOhio states that he was at Porter (Chesterton for these purposes) and saw 2 trains in 1 hour this past Friday. Now believe Chesterton/Porter has 48 trains per day, not 109 or 200+ per day as was indicated earlier.

[railohio]

I'd love to discuss it!

How many on the list have you visited and counted trains at?

[Toppysager]

I'd love to discuss it!

How many on the list have you visited and counted trains at?

Butler, St. joe, Calumet, South Bend, Goshen, and Elkhart briefly

[Saturnalia]

Chesterton is overdone. NS might hit 80 (including the 4 Amtraks). Porter Branch seems about right. AML gets 8 Amtraks, plus a local both ways if you want to count that. CSX GRS averages 5-6 per day.

Porter Branch: 6-8 movements
AML: 8 Amtrak, 2 NS Local (turn) (10 movements)
CSX GRS: Two Amtrak, Two Manifest, and Coal each way (6 movements)
NS Chicago Line: 4 Amtrak, Half dozen? CP, and then the usual NS stuff. ~70-80.

For around 80-90 total in any given day, sometimes higher and pushing 100.

[Toppysager]

Chesterton is overdone. NS might hit 80 (including the 4 Amtraks). Porter Branch seems about right. AML gets 8 Amtraks, plus a local both ways if you want to count that. CSX GRS averages 5-6 per day.

Porter Branch: 6-8 movements
AML: 8 Amtrak, 2 NS Local (turn) (10 movements)
CSX GRS: Two Amtrak, Two Manifest, and Coal each way (6 movements)
NS Chicago Line: 4 Amtrak, Half dozen? CP, and then the usual NS stuff. ~70-80.

For around 80-90 total in any given day, sometimes higher and pushing 100.

Well the NS Chicago Line through my hometown Toledo is about 75-80. Then 8 are added at Butler and another 10-12 at Goahen. Where do they all go if the counts are below 85 through Chesterton?

[Saturnalia]

Chesterton is overdone. NS might hit 80 (including the 4 Amtraks). Porter Branch seems about right. AML gets 8 Amtraks, plus a local both ways if you want to count that. CSX GRS averages 5-6 per day.

Porter Branch: 6-8 movements
AML: 8 Amtrak, 2 NS Local (turn) (10 movements)
CSX GRS: Two Amtrak, Two Manifest, and Coal each way (6 movements)
NS Chicago Line: 4 Amtrak, Half dozen? CP, and then the usual NS stuff. ~70-80.

For around 80-90 total in any given day, sometimes higher and pushing 100.

Well the NS Chicago Line through my hometown Toledo is about 75-80. Then 8 are added at Butler and another 10-12 at Goahen. Where do they all go if the counts are below 85 through Chesterton?

Elkhart?

Plus all those Porter Branch trains are getting onto/off of the CHI Line at Porter, and aren't double-counted, so that's giving the NS east of Chesterton ~75-85

[Toppysager]

Chesterton is overdone. NS might hit 80 (including the 4 Amtraks). Porter Branch seems about right. AML gets 8 Amtraks, plus a local both ways if you want to count that. CSX GRS averages 5-6 per day.

Porter Branch: 6-8 movements
AML: 8 Amtrak, 2 NS Local (turn) (10 movements)
CSX GRS: Two Amtrak, Two Manifest, and Coal each way (6 movements)
NS Chicago Line: 4 Amtrak, Half dozen? CP, and then the usual NS stuff. ~70-80.

For around 80-90 total in any given day, sometimes higher and pushing 100.

Well the NS Chicago Line through my hometown Toledo is about 75-80. Then 8 are added at Butler and another 10-12 at Goahen. Where do they all go if the counts are below 85 through Chesterton?

Elkhart?

Plus all those Porter Branch trains are getting onto/off of the CHI Line at Porter, and aren't double-counted, so that's giving the NS east of Chesterton ~75-85

. So all in all on NS 75-85 between Porter Branch and Chicago Line, 6 CSXs and 8 additional Amtraks?

Ok that makes sense. My new total is right about 100. So all in all on NS 75-85 between Porter Branch and Chicago Line, 6 CSXs and 8 additional Amtraks?

[Saturnalia]

Ok that makes sense. My new total is right about 100. So all in all on NS 75-85 between Porter Branch and Chicago Line, 6 CSXs and 8 additional Amtraks?

This is the higher end of the estimate. If I were publishing anything, I'd say 85-100. If they hit 100 at all, it is a pretty rare event. I'd pin the median around 90.

If you really wanna know for certain, count everything by the Chesterton Cam for several days, and then add in 15 each day to account for the AML and CSX GRS.

[Toppysager]

Ok that makes sense. My new total is right about 100. So all in all on NS 75-85 between Porter Branch and Chicago Line, 6 CSXs and 8 additional Amtraks?

This is the higher end of the estimate. If I were publishing anything, I'd say 85-100. If they hit 100 at all, it is a pretty rare event. I'd pin the median around 90.

If you really wanna know for certain, count everything by the Chesterton Cam for several days, and then add in 15 each day to account for the AML and CSX GRS.

Ok thanks

[GreatLakesRailfan]

The CSS&SB counts seem low. Is that what their timetables show?

Also, are you basing your counts on a specific location in each town or just generally what would show up? Reason being- if you're after everything in Elkhart, you'll have to jump around- the EWR gets a transfer from NS. Also, the CSS&SB doesn't go all the way into South Bend, and you won't see Grand Trunk if you're watching the South Shore.

[JoJames]

Your a little low on the CSX Garrett sub.

[Toppysager]

The CSS&SB counts seem low. Is that what their timetables show?

Also, are you basing your counts on a specific location in each town or just generally what would show up? Reason being- if you're after everything in Elkhart, you'll have to jump around- the EWR gets a transfer from NS. Also, the CSS&SB doesn't go all the way into South Bend, and you won't see Grand Trunk if you're watching the South Shore.

Well I'm just counting freights on the South Shore. And yeah just everything that comes through town

[Toppysager]

Your a little low on the CSX Garrett sub.

Well it loses a lot at Deshler. Probably 70-75 E of Deshler on the Willard Sub. I can't imagine it being anymore than 65 through Indiana based on personal observations.

[Saturnalia]

Well, according to info in Don Phillips' column in the Jan 2015 Trains, the counts on the Chicago Line could be over 100 easily. The numbers I was using did not account for any increase in crude oil traffic nor intermodal and manifest gains over the last year or so. Perhaps you can actually add an extra ten without being overdone.

[Toppysager]

Well, according to info in Don Phillips' column in the Jan 2015 Trains, the counts on the Chicago Line could be over 100 easily. The numbers I was using did not account for any increase in crude oil traffic nor intermodal and manifest gains over the last year or so. Perhaps you can actually add an extra ten without being overdone.

Yeah that would make sense 8-10 crude oil trains have been added through Toledo since 2012. So my original estimated for Chesterton are accurate then?

[~Z~]

Well the NS Chicago Line through my hometown Toledo is about 75-80. Then 8 are added at Butler and another 10-12 at Goahen. Where do they all go if the counts are below 85 through Chesterton?

As mqt #1 mentioned, Elkhart.. You didn't mention at Butler how there are a number of trains that turn "south" at that spot to go towards Ft Wayne. There's also many industries online between Toledo and Chesterton that surely some trains go to. Also have heard of cars that start around Toledo, get sent to Elkhart to be classified, then end up on trains going east back through Toledo. Thinking all trains going from one town through another that's 200 miles away is just not accurate.

[Typhoon]

Your a little low on the CSX Garrett sub.

Well it loses a lot at Deshler. Probably 70-75 E of Deshler on the Willard Sub. I can't imagine it being anymore than 65 through Indiana based on personal observations.

It also gains a lot at Deshler. 75 a day is about right for the Garrett.

[Saturnalia]

Well, according to info in Don Phillips' column in the Jan 2015 Trains, the counts on the Chicago Line could be over 100 easily. The numbers I was using did not account for any increase in crude oil traffic nor intermodal and manifest gains over the last year or so. Perhaps you can actually add an extra ten without being overdone.

Yeah that would make sense 8-10 crude oil trains have been added through Toledo since 2012. So my original estimated for Chesterton are accurate then?

Actually, it is probably closer to the truth. I was using aged numbers from a couple years ago...that's all it takes with the increase in intermodal and especially crude oil.

Sounds like they're hoping to have a lot of progress on that third main this year, too, which will at least speed some things up!

So I'd probably go 95-110 in my "book"

...getting closer to the 200

[Toppysager]

Well the NS Chicago Line through my hometown Toledo is about 75-80. Then 8 are added at Butler and another 10-12 at Goahen. Where do they all go if the counts are below 85 through Chesterton?

As mqt #1 mentioned, Elkhart.. You didn't mention at Butler how there are a number of trains that turn "south" at that spot to go towards Ft Wayne. There's also many industries online between Toledo and Chesterton that surely some trains go to. Also have heard of cars that start around Toledo, get sent to Elkhart to be classified, then end up on trains going east back through Toledo. Thinking all trains going from one town through another that's 200 miles away is just not accurate.

Well I knew the 34N went south on the Huntington District, I guess I just didn't realize how many trains halted in Elkhart. With all the new crude oil trains however numbers should probably be up on the entire system though

[cbehr91]

The official NS press release I saw about the Englewood flyover said 60 freights daily, but being that far west it may be a lower number than Porter.