*As seen on The Rail Channel: This video is compiled with footage from many different time periods and locations. Some footage was filmed in late 2011, while other parts were filmed in early July, 2012. Much of CSX Transportation's main lines through the Northern part of the Midwest can be seen in this video. To start, we set up to film Amtrak's Pere Marquette at St. Joseph, Michigan on a late summer evening. While waiting for the train, we open with scenes of the North Pier Lighthouses as well as Silver Beach. We also caught the train again headed South in the morning at Stevensville, Michigan. This area of CSX's Grand Rapids Subdivision is extremely scenic and has, over time, become a popular vacation destination spot for many beach goers. Next, we visit CSX's Garrett Subdivision in Defiance, Ohio. Since the Conrail takeover in 1999, this line has seen an enormous amount of traffic increase due to the rising demand of intermodal services. CSX opperates different, and sometimes unusual schedules. At times, there will be gobs of trains, while others there may only be a train per hour. Nonetheless, we did get our fair share of CSX action, showcasing some of their classic EMD power. Right off the bat, we see a former BNSF SD40-2 still in Cascade Green livery leading an Ethanol train around a curve. Next, a stack train with two General Electric Wide Cabs also round the curve. After waiting about 20mins, CSX local Y101 was spotted pushing a train up the hill with a GP38-2 doing the honors with an Operation Lifesaver Caboose. Soon after, a manifest headed West rounds the curve with a classy EMD SD50 leader. But there was more! Another EMD trailed, an SD40-2 leased by CSX from HLCX - which also had a CREX leased C40-8 in tow. But the coolest part about this train, was the five brand new CSX ES44AH's and a BNSF ES44C4, brand new from the factory. This is the first time these brand new units have been caught on film, as this was their maiden voyage, so to speak. Still in Defiance, we set up at Omni Source metals recycling facility to film an Eastbound manifest. This was our first encounter during the week of the illustrious and powerful CSXT SD70ACe #4738. We caught this unit again on July 11th on a through train on Norfolk Southern's Dearborn Division in Bryan, Ohio. You'll see that footage later on in the video. After the manifest passes, we take a short glance at the Maumee & Western Railroad at Jewell, Ohio just North of Defiance. This footage was taken in December 2011. Maumee & Western opperates what is said to be the world's worst maintained railroad trackage, at least, the worst in the United States. If you'd like to see more footage from this trip, click the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TaNeam-J-g After a brief encounter with Maumee & Western, we visit an old, forsaken B&O; truss bridge crossing the Maumee River at The Bend, Ohio. This bridge is not accessible to the general public, but can be viewed with permission of a friendly land owner who's property butts up to the river. We watch two freight trains cross the bridge, one having foreign Canadian National Railway power with an SD75I leader! After watching the two trains, we head down the road West about 3 miles into the small town of Sherwood, OH. Here, we see a CSX double stack, with surprise power! The second unit, CSX #5000, is a specially painted locomotive with the, "Diversity In Motion," logo on the side. This unit is one of three specially painted, "Diversity In Motion," locomotives. To end the video, we revisit the CSX in Michigan, this time at East Lansing. Here, we see a re-routed CSX double stack, sent through Michigan due to a derailment on the Garrett/Willard Subdivision. This portion of the film was shot in early 2012 during the cold Michigan winter. Thanks for watching! Please comment, rate, and Subscribe! Copyright 2012

• published: 18 Jul 2012
• views: 157527