NKP 765

Marion, Ohio

On July 30, 2012, NKP 765, leading NS Heritage unit NKP 8100 (ES44AC), several maintenance cars   (including four loaded coal hoppers for fuel), made  a deadhead run south from Bellevue, Ohio through Marion toward it's destination Portsmouth, Ohio.

Built on September 8, 1944 for the Nickel Plate Railroad, NKP 765 was configured as  a 2-8-4 steam locomotive and used primarily on the road's fast freight trains.  Retired in 1958, NKP 765 was donated as a park museum piece to the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1963.

After years outside, NKP 765 was deteriorating and so in 1975 the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society was formed and it led a successful campaign to restore the engine to operating condition.

In 1982, 765 was ready for mainline operation as a railfan excursion locomotive and has been active to this day.

Marion, Ohio

Heritage series engines, NS Reading 1067 (SD70ACe) and NS Lehigh Valley 8104 (ES44AC) lead a coal train through Marion, past AC Tower and Union Station on July 09, 2012.

Later on  that same day two Kansas City Southern locomotives (an SD70ACe in the lead) pulled a container train west bound past AC and Union Station on CSX's Mount Victory Subdivision.

Last (left to right), Pete White and Joe Slanser, two veteran Marion railfans, enjoy sandwiches under the breeze way at Union Station.

                    Norfolk Southern Heritage Engines

In March 2012 to celebrate and promote Norfolk Southern's  30th anniversary
year, the railroad ordered and launched 20 locomotives painted in the schemes
of former railroads that now are apart of NS's 20,000 mile, 22 state system.
Eleven are EMD SD70ACe's and  nine are GE ES44ACs.

On July 9, 2012 two of the Heritage Series engines pulled a typical NS consist
(a coal train) through Marion, OH and by AC Tower and Union Station.  The
train was north bound toward Bellevue, Ohio and NS's big classification yard.

This yard was inherited when NS took over the Nickle Plate Railroad.

 Marion, Ohio

Below: Union Station, AC Tower (today, south of the CSX main),                                                          
 AC in 1997 on the north side of the  Conrail tracks and the 
 AC interlocking control panel.

Marion, Ohio

Union Station and AC (Atlantic Crossing) Tower

In 1902, four railroads crossed each other in Marion, Ohio: the Erie; Pennsylvania; Chesapeake and Ohio; and the New York Central Railroad.  At this crossing AC (Atlantic Crossing) Tower was constructed to control traffic.  At the urging by prominent Marion lawyer, politician, businessman and  

later President of the United States, Warren G. Harding, a passenger railroad station was constructed at that crossing, Union Station.

Today, although the sets of tracks remain in generally the same place, only two railroad companies (CSX and NS) operate trains.  Union Station has become a locally owned and operated museum, and hub for railfans and home of the Marion Model Railroad Club.  AC Tower, last operated by Conrail in the mid 1990s, is no longer in service, but was saved from the wrecking ball by the Marion Union Station Association and has been moved from the northside of what is now CSX's Mount Victory Subdivision tracks, across to the southside, and just east of and beside Union Station.

With as many as 70 - 100 trains per day (sometimes more), Marion has been designated as an national railfan hotspot by "Trains" and other railroad publications.

There are many very good photo spots (including AC Tower), and always a few, and often more than  a  few railfans, friendly and enjoy talking about railroading, and Marion railroading in particular.

I have been railfanning at Marion since the 1980s, and am proud to consider it my railfan home.

Berea

Depot Street in Berea, Ohio is the location of one of Ohio's major railfan locations. The street, which is the location of "Berea Union Depot" and the former Station Restaurant sits beside the CSX "Columbus Line" and NS "Chicago Line" and interlocking that was once controlled by Berea Tower ("BE"). The tower, long out of service is, now being reconditioned to contain computer and electronic equipment to control local rail traffic.

The primary factor that makes Berea such a major railfan hotspot is the fact that an average of 160 trains per day pass through Berea (slightly more NS than CSX). The other factor is that it is very railfan friendly with ample track side parking on the west side of the old station and only feet away from the CSX main.

Shown above:

Depot Street view of "Berea Union Depot" and Restaurant looking north.

A track side view of "Berea Union Depot".

An east side view of BE Tower.

From the west, BE Tower.

Memorial plaque to Dave McKay, local Cleveland and Berea railfan author and photographer,

located about 200 feet west of the parking area at Berea Union Depot along the CSX mail line.

Berea