Action shots at Berea

Berea, Ohio is one of my top railfan locations in all of Ohio. Just off I-71 just south of Cleveland, Berea is one of unique spots that has two very active mainlines (NS and CSX) and also passes Berea's old passenger station which has been active as a fine restaurant that I and my wife have personally sampled. In addition to the station, another railfan landmark is on the site is BE Tower (Berea), CP 194 which is between the NS and CSX lines.

Top to bottom:

10/15/2010 CSX 676 (CW60AC) leads a 3 unit mixed freight toward Berea station.

09/20/2010 NS 3444 (SD40-2) leads a 2 unit EB mixed freight as it is passing WB CSX

3 unit stack train with CSX 7836 in the lead. A typical Berea happening.

09/20/2010 NS 6706 (SD70M) leads a 2 unit mixed freight.

03/14/2009 UP 4896 (SD70M) leads a 3 unit NS mixed freight.

07/05/2008 NS 2776 (SD70M) leads a 4 unit stack train toward BE.

Summer departure from Rickenbacker Intermodal Yard

07/16/2010 Duvall, OH. A two unit container train slowly departs Norfolk Southern's Rickenbacker Intermodal Yard next to Rickenbacker Airport/Air National Guard base south of Columbus, OH.

NS 7608 (ES-40DC) is the lead unit followed by NS 8717 (D8-40C) (perhaps an ex-Conrail unit?).

More Favorite Photos...

These are some more random shots of mine that I like. From top to bottom:

CSX 5321 ES44DC heads a two unit southbound covered hopper unit train just south of Lockborne, Ohio 6/24/08

BNSF 5022 D9-44CW leads a two unit mixed freight on the eastbound main south of Buckeye

Yard, Columbus, Ohio 4/18/08

BNSF 9647 SD70MAC heads a two unit empty hopper train through Berea, Ohio 4/6/08

CSX 8722 SD60I leads a two unit mixed freight toward Weigand Road south of Lockeborne, Ohio 1/4/08

CN 5404 SD50F (Canadian National) heads a two unit tank car unit train going south of Lockborne, Ohio 8/19/07

Three of my favorite rail shots

Top to bottom: CSX 5455 (ES44DC)leads a stack train toward Ohio SR161, Kileville, OH 03/19/10

NS 6573 (SD60) sits with a short train on an east bound siding on the south end of Buckeye Yard,

Columbus, OH 03/19/10

NS 8947 (D9-40CW)leads an east-bound mixed freight out of the south end of Buckeye Yard, Columbus, OH 11/08/08

OD and NP Towers

In 1967 George Elwood photographed the two towers that controlled rail traffic in Ashtabula, Ohio from well before World War II, OD and NP Towers. Today, both are gone. OD was operated by the New York Central and through its interlocking controlled east-west and north-south crossing traffic of the PRR on its P.Y.&A. (Pittsburgh Youngstown and Ashtabula) branch and the NYC on its Youngstown branch. East-west NYC water level traffic always took preference. About a mile or so south, another railroad, the Nickel Plate and later the Norfolk & Western (today's NS) paralleled the NYC toward Cleveland. NP Tower and its interlocking controlled the PRR (P.Y.&A.) and NYC (Youngstown Branch) crossovers. As with the NYC east-west main, Nickel Plate traffic always came first.

Ashtabula, OH OD Tower 12/27/1990

East bound Conrail 6626 (C36-7) and CR 6821  (SD-50) pulling a train of empty hopper cars swing north toward Ashtabula Harbor, Ohio on a wintery late December day.  In the foreground is the Youngstown Branch crossing the Conrail mainline beside the spot where OD Tower once stood before it burned down years before. 

Ashtabula, OH OD Tower 12/27/1990

An east bound 2 unit mixed freight moves toward Conrail's Youngstown Branch crossing and the bridge over the Ashtabula River on a cold December day.  CR 6713 (SD50) and CR 6370 (SD40-2).