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

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.